The easiest way to touch ice in the Cordillera Blanca is by making the day trip to the road-accessible Pastoruri Glacier, 70 km south of Huaraz. Though not spectacular by Cordillera Blanca standards, the ice caves and walls of this receding glacier are an alternative for those not able to climb or trek.

Catching combis into the area is complicated and time-consuming, so the best way to go is with an agency tour from Huaraz (US$8 pp, 9 hours). Tours spend about two hours walking up and around the glacier to about 5,240 meters (17,190 feet). Prior acclimatization in Huaraz is necessary.

A tour highlight is a stop along the way to see the gargantuan Puya raimondii plant, common to Peru’s high-altitude grasslands, it is considered the largest bromeliad in the world and a cousin to the pineapple. In an adaptation aimed at casting its seeds as far as possible, this agave-looking plant with spiky, waxy leaves shoots up a 12-meter-high stalk only once during its 100-year life.

When in bloom around May, the stalk erupts into as many as 20,000 flowers in the last three months before dispersing six million seeds. Even when not in bloom, these giant plants stand out on Peru’s high-altitude grasslands and are worth seeing. Peru’s biggest forest of these monsters, however, is outside Ayacucho.

If you prefer to visit Pastoruri independently, a private car rental costs US$60 per day.