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Huarascaran National Park: Peru

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People DepictedPat Sheridan Last edited by: Robin Mossman

Date1977-1980DescriptionFrom Harold Jacobs:
Huascaran National Park (340,000 hectares) and named after Peru's highest mountain of 22,50Oft, and includes many of the high mountains of the Cordillera Blanca. World famous for its mountaineering this area was becoming very popular with trekking parties. Wanting to compare problems on the Routeburn and Milford tracks with those in this Park, I took my family on an 8 day walk over the most popular route that included the crossing of two 15,000ft. passes. The dangers of overuse and of inexperienced and ill equipped persons using the track existed there along with the additional hazard of altitude sickness. This is a truly magnificent Park. In the foothills of the park is one of the 3 locations of the largest herb in the world, the Puya. The other 2 locations are elsewhere, one in another part of Peru and the other in Bolivia. The Puya is related to the pineapple, grows to 35ft. tall and lives up to 200 yrs, has one flower head, consisting of up to 8000 blossoms, then dies. The spiked leaves are a trap to grazing stock and irate farmers set fire to the Puya. Here, as in most Parks, the campesino (farmer), even with his burning off and over stocking, because of his use of the land for thousands of years had become very much part of the ecology and is a colourful and interesting addition to the attractions of the country. Last edited by: Robin Mossman

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International ParkPeru

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Huarascaran National Park: Peru