Prismatic peaks
© DanielPrudek/iStock/Getty Images Plus
Prismatic peaks
High in the Peruvian wilds, Vinicunca—also known as Rainbow Mountain—unfurls its vibrant stripes like a geological tapestry. This natural marvel stands at over 16,500 feet above sea level and owes its varied hues to a rich mineral composition: rust-red iron oxide, olive-green phyllite, chalk-white limestone, mustard-yellow sulfur, and more. Once hidden beneath layers of ice, this watercolor landscape was revealed in the 2010s as Vinicunca's glacier melted away entirely. A bad sign for the climate, but a boon for tourism—the painted peak became a bucket-list item virtually overnight, despite its hard-to-reach setting deep in the Andes.
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