Facts About Vinicunca: The Rainbow Mountain

Located in the Andes Mountain Range in Peru, this mountain is known for its rainbow colored appearance. It was discovered by hikers only 6 years ago.

It lies in the Cusco district in Peru and is part of the Andes.

The mountain has a height of 5020m.

The mountain was initially covered in ice and snow but due to global warming the thick layers of ice melted away revealing beautiful color patterns on the mountain’s surface.

The different colors are attributed to the presence of different type of minerals on the mountain.

Each type of mineral on the mountain has a unique color and hence different types of color patterns can be seen on the mountain’s surface.

The red colored patterns are due to the presence of iron oxide. Green color is associated with chlorite. White is associated with sandstone.

And more color patterns are produced by other types of minerals. Also, some mineral sediments mix together producing new colors on the mountain surface.

The mountain was discovered in 2013.

Ever since the Vinicunca mountain was discovered, it has become an important hiking spot and tourist paradise. However, this has had a negative impact on the mountain’s beauty. Continuous hiking has caused erosion on the mountain surface and is damaging its geography.