The Peruvian police and mountain rescue workers teamed up to recover the body of an American climber, who disappeared 22 years ago on the country's highest peak. His mummified remains emerged from the glacier as temperatures rose. Clad in ancient boots, crampons, and clothing, his frozen time capsule endured the decades.
A driver's license and passport were found alongside the body, identifying him as William Stampfl. An avalanche is believed to have sealed his fate, trapping him where he could not escape, leading to his tragic end under a blanket of snow.
Source: aajtak
Mount Huascarán stands as Peru's tallest peak at approximately 6,768 meters. Stampfl's remains were located at an altitude of 5,200 meters or 17,060 feet on July 5th. The glacier has been rapidly diminishing due to global warming, shrinking relentlessly over the past decade.
In the views of Huascarán National Park Ranger Edson Ramirez, the melting glacier is under threat from increasing temperatures. As it continues to recede, it reveals buried relics, creatures, and organisms, painting a picture of a buried past. According to a report, Peru is home to 65% of the world's tropical glaciers, which are at the highest risk of melting.
The Peruvian government reports that over the past six decades, 56% of all their glaciers have melted away, predominantly within the Cordillera Blanca mountain range, where Huascarán and other towering peaks reside.
