100 Places To Remember: Chacaltaya Bolivia
Geschreven op 11-5-2010 - Erik van Erne. Geplaatst in Natuur
Where the Skiers Meet the Sky. Glowing under the moonlight in the thin air above the Bolivian capital of La Paz, the snow-covered peaks of the Chacaltaya Mountain rise 5,421 metres above sea level.
The Chacaltaya glacier is more than 18,000 years old, and its melt water serves as an important resource for the 1.6 million inhabitants of La Paz and the neighbouring town, El Alto.
For decades, the glacier has also been a favourite destination for the capitals middle classes. Since the 1930s, it has been the site of the countrys only ski resort and the worlds highest lift-served skiing area, from where the famous Lake Titicaca is visible. The snow is too icy for safe skiing during the dry winters, so high season is in the South American summer, from November to March.
Over the last 20 years, the Chacaltaya glacier has lost more than 80% of its volume due to global warming. Although still covered in snow several times a year, these periods are shorter now. As a result, the once famous ski resort has lost much of its appeal, and the old ski-lift has ground to a halt.
Chacaltaya is just one of several small-scale glaciers in the tropical Andes mountain range that have shrunk significantly, posing a severe threat to water supplies. Temperatures are expected to continue to rise, so the Chacaltaya glacier may soon disappear completely, taking with it an important part of Bolivian cultural and natural heritage as well as vital reserves of fresh water.
