This field note will cover the high-altitude environment of the Peruvian Andes, which despite its challenging landscape, has been populated for over 10,000 years.
The Peruvian Andes are special because they include very high elevation areas, but are also relatively close to the Equator (my city, Huaraz, is at 9.5°S). This creates a unique climate, with rare tropical glaciers on the high mountains, but very comfortable temperatures in the valleys year round. In fact, Perú contains 68% of the world's tropical glaciers.
To highlight how unique this environment is, you can see its proximity to Perú's other main ecoregions, the costa (coast) and the selva (jungle). The coast is dry and arid to the point of being a desert, while the jungle consists of tropical rainforest and is usually very hot and humid. Both ecoregions can be reached in just a few hours from Huaraz by car.
