At first glance, the mountain in the
Peruvian Andes, with its bands of soil the colour of turquoise, lavender, red-violet and gold, seems photoshopped.
But the otherworldly sight, standing 16,000 feet above sea level, is real. People living nearby call it Vinicunca, the Rainbow Mountain.
The mountain with sediment created from mineral deposits over millions of years, was discovered only about five years ago, locals say. But it has become a mustsee attraction for hikers, bringing much-needed cash to the area but also prompting concern about possible damage to the previously unspoiled landscape.
Guides lead about 1,000 hikers a day to the site.
Santos Machacca, 29, a guide in the Cusco region, said the Rainbow Mountain might have been discovered only recently because of climate change. "We asked the elders and they said the mountain was under the snow," he said. "
Global warming caused the ice to melt, and a colourful mountain appeared from under it."
"From the ecological point of view, they are killing the goose that lays the golden eggs," Dina Farfan, a Peruvian biologist, said.
A severe impact on the environment is already evident. A swamp that had been a refuge for migrating ducks was turned into a huge parking lot for tourist vans.
A 2.5-mile trail has been severely eroded by hikers.
