Pastoruri Glacier Hike: See It While You Still Can

“Hurry, hurry, hurry! Step right up and see it while you still can—Peru’s incredible, unbelievable, rapidly vanishing wonder of the modern world: the one, the only… Pastoruri Glacier!”

That’s right, folks! Tucked high in the Cordillera Blanca, this icy marvel is melting faster than your dignity on a treadmill! Act now and you can still witness a real live glacier—before it turns into a very sad puddle of former greatness!

Bring the kids! Bring grandma! Bring existential dread! Because Pastoruri is disappearing with every sunrise, and once it’s gone, it’s gone—no reruns, no refunds, no reboots.

Don’t delay! Your chance to see this frosty relic of the Ice Age is melting away—literally! Void where prohibited by natural laws. Batteries not included. Glaciers not guaranteed.

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The Sad Story of a Shrinking Hunk of Ice

But seriously…

The Pastoruri Glacier is one of the most accessible glaciers in Peru—but also one of the most endangered. It’s not just retreating. It’s disappearing. What was once a massive, slowly shifting sheet of ancient ice is now a fragmented remnant, melting away year by year. Scientists no longer even classify it as an active glacier because it no longer accumulates new ice in winter. It only loses.

Visiting Pastoruri isn’t just about scenery—it’s about seeing climate change in real time. The landscape tells the story better than any textbook ever could. You walk along a paved path that used to be covered in snow and ice, past educational signs that show where the glacier once reached and how quickly it’s pulling back. It’s sobering. It’s also oddly powerful. Because standing there, under a sky that still feels too big to change, you realize: it’s changing anyway.

This is not a place that will be around forever. And that makes it worth seeing—not just for the view, but for the lesson.

The Hike (If You Can Call It That)

Technically, the walk from the parking area to the glacier isn’t much of a hike. It’s short, mostly paved, and not especially steep. On paper, it’s the kind of stroll your average toddler could handle without breaking a sweat.

But that paper doesn’t mention the part where you're at over 5,000 meters.

At that altitude, even tying your shoes can feel like a heroic effort. Your lungs protest. Your head might start pounding. You’ll pause more often than you planned, just trying to suck enough air out of a sky that doesn’t seem to care.

If that sounds like too much, there’s a backup plan: horses. Near the parking area, you’ll usually find men offering rides up the path. It’s not glamorous, but it’ll get you there without turning your lungs into soup.

When we visited in 2024, road construction meant our bus had to stop a kilometer or so before the usual trailhead—so we had a little bonus walk just to reach the start. Conditions may vary, but altitude is the one constant. So don’t underestimate this short hike. It’s an easy path—just set in the most unforgiving air you’ll ever breathe.

The Glacier

After the short trail that assaults your lungs like a honey badger on a Red Bull bender, you’ll reach the glacier. It terminates in a small lake—because all that meltwater has to go somewhere. I found a perch on a rocky bench and launched my drone for some aerial shots. The glacier is beautiful. Try not to get too emotional about its imminent demise.

You’ll probably notice some small “caves” along the base. They look tempting, like the kind of place a glacier gnome might set up shop—but don’t even think about going in. Pastoruri is literally falling apart. It may have lost a lot of mass, but it is still plenty big enough to crush you like a grape. So stick to my family’s most important travel motto: don’t do anything stupid. You really don’t want to end up in one of those “Dumb Ways to Die” montages.

Instead, just take it in. Dip your toes in the freezing lake. Snap your photos. Pay your respects. Because in the not-so-distant future, hikers won’t be doing any of that. They’ll just be standing here, pouring one out for what used to be the Pastoruri Glacier.

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Epilogue

How to Book a Pastoruri Glacier Hike

Nearly every tour agency in Huaraz offers a Pastoruri Glacier day hike. You likely don’t need to book in advance—just walk around town and compare a few options. Most agencies charge roughly the same price, and the tours are more or less identical: an early morning pickup, a long bus ride to the trailhead, a short walk to the glacier, and then the same bus back in the afternoon, maybe with a stop for dinner.

Bring snacks, plenty of water, layers for all possible weather scenarios, and a sense of humor for the altitude. You’ll be fine. Probably.

A Word About Altitude Sickness

The Pastoruri Glacier sits at over 5,000 meters. That’s high enough to mess with your body in ways you might not expect. If you’re coming straight from sea level, don’t hike this on your first or second day in Huaraz. Give yourself time to acclimate—do some lower hikes first, drink plenty of water, and take it slow.

You can also start with a day hike to Paron Lake, also at a high elevation, but with a significantly easier hike to the lake (the road basically gets you there).

Some people use Diamox (acetazolamide) to help their bodies adjust. It’s worth talking to a doctor about before your trip if you’re concerned. Either way, listen to your body. Headaches, nausea, dizziness, and loss of appetite are common signs of mild AMS (acute mountain sickness). These symptoms might make you miserable, but they’re manageable if they stay mild.

However, if you—or someone in your group—starts showing signs of more serious altitude sickness (confusion, difficulty walking, trouble breathing at rest, or a dry cough that gets worse), that’s no longer a “push through it” situation. That’s a turn-around-immediately-and-descend situation.

The mountains will still be there tomorrow. Don’t try to conquer them if your body’s waving a white flag.