This rainbow-striped mountain in Peru may resemble an abstract painting but is, in fact, an entirely natural phenomenon, drawing visitors from far and wide committed to finding out if the candy-colored rumors are true.
Vinicunca, otherwise known as Rainbow Mountain or Montaña de Siete Colores (Mountain of Seven Colors), is part of the South American Andes mountain range in the Cusco region of Peru. Its peak rises 17,060 feet (approx. 5,200 meters) above sea level.
(Michaellbrawn/CC BY 4.0)
The mountain’s colorful facade owes to exposed sedimentary rock layers. As ice covering Vinicunca gradually melted, the ground continued to erode, and different mineral layers were uncovered leaving a myriad of colors….