Pastoruri is a glacier in the Cordillera Blanca, in Huascarán National Park, and the road to it climbs higher than most roads in Peru, ending at a car park above five thousand metres. For decades it was the most accessible glacier in the country, a place where tourists from Huaraz could walk on ice, and it has become a symbol of climate change, because its ice has retreated rapidly over recent years. The glacier you see today is smaller than the one in older photographs, but the setting, with ice, rock and sky, is still impressive, and it is worth the climb.
The ride from Catac, a village on the main road between Huaraz and Lima, follows the Pachacoto valley and then ascends through high grassland. The road is mostly paved, with some gravel sections and rough patches, and gradients are steady. Along the way, you pass bright lakes, hot springs and fields of ichu, with snowy peaks rising on every side. The altitude is the main challenge, since the air has about half the oxygen it has at sea level, and engines struggle. Mornings are clear and cold, with afternoon clouds and storms common. The dry season, from May to September, is the best time.
A fee is charged at the park entrance, and you must register. Acclimatise in Huaraz, which lies at about three thousand metres, for at least a day or two before attempting the climb, and walk slowly on the last stretch to the ice. Altitude sickness can strike anyone, and descending is the only sure remedy.
On the way up, look for the strange forest of Puya raimondii, a giant bromeliad that is the largest in the world and can reach ten metres when it flowers. The plant grows for decades, flowers once and then dies, and its tall, spiky spire is one of the most extraordinary sights in the Andes. Vicuñas graze nearby, and condors sometimes appear. The mountains here include Huascarán, the highest in Peru, rising to nearly seven thousand metres. Pastoruri is a reminder that glaciers are not permanent, and that some things are best seen while they last.