BURSTPeruvian authorities have imposed a temporary ban on all high-altitude mountaineering in the Cordillera Blanca, citing increasing environmental instability and safety risks. The restriction applies to every snow-covered peak in the range within Huascarán National Park and is in effect until March 31, 2026.
In an official press release, park officials said the decision follows technical reports from Peru’s National Institute for Research on Glaciers and Mountain Ecosystems. According to the release, there is “an accelerated glacial retreat, the presence of crevasses, ice caverns, and forming glacial lakes, as well as increasingly unpredictable climatic conditions, factors that significantly increase the risk for visitors in the Cordillera Blanca.”
The ban prohibits access by tourism service providers and the general public to all snow-covered mountains in the range. Authorities also pointed to pressure from climbing itself, stating that “the oversupply of mountaineering tourism activity, both on authorised and unauthorised peaks, makes it necessary to implement measures aimed at the recovery and conservation of high-mountain ecosystems.”
Officials said the restriction is enacted under Peru’s Regulation for Tourism Use in Protected Natural Areas. The regulation allows closures in cases of excessive visitor numbers, adverse weather conditions, risks to visitors, and the use of unauthorised routes.
Lower-elevation climbing and tourism remain unaffected. Approaches and non-glaciated climbing areas are not included in the restriction, which applies only to snow-covered peaks.
The Cordillera Blanca, located in Peru’s Ancash region, is one of the world’s most heavily glaciated tropical mountain ranges and includes Huascarán, Peru’s highest peak at 6,757 metres. Huascarán National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
In the statement, park management thanked visitors and operators for their cooperation, saying the measure is intended to protect both public safety and “the conservation of this emblematic protected natural area.”
Huascarán has long drawn climbers to the park, rising above the Ancash valleys as both the country’s highest peak and as a serious alpine objectives. Early expeditions were challenged by its heavily glaciated slopes and complex crevasse systems, especially along what would become the normal route from the village of Musho, through the Garganta col. Progress on the mountain reflected the broader development of Andean mountaineering, where European and North American climbers gradually mapped routes while contending with altitude, weather, and unstable ice.
The north summit of Huascarán was climbed in 1908 by a U.S. expedition that included Annie Smith Peck, though the ascent has been debated. The south summit, now considered the main peak, was first reached on July 20, 1932, by a German Austrian team led by Erwin Schneider, who followed the Garganta route that remains the standard line today. Over the following decades, increasingly technical routes were established on both summits, particularly on the steep north faces and ridges, turning Huascarán into a proving ground for elite alpinists.
Huascarán’s history includes tragedy and unusual moments. Avalanches have repeatedly reshaped the mountain and claimed many lives, including fatal accidents in 2002 and 2016. In contrast, one of its most curious footnotes came in 1989, when a British team hosted what was recognized as the world’s highest dinner party on the summit to raise money for charity.
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