TTL_BOOK_v8 30.07.25 - Flipbook - Page 51
BEYOND THE FRAME
Photographer Daniel Kordan captured this image at
Pallay Punchu, a mountain located in the southern
Peruvian Andes near the city of Cusco.
Daniel remembers that reaching the summit of Pallay
Punchu was “both a physically demanding and rewarding
experience, as the high altitude made every step more
challenging, with thinner air making breathing more
di昀케cult.” He says the 3-kilometer trail has a steep incline,
and usually takes between 1.5 and 2 hours to complete,
depending on acclimatization and 昀椀tness level. Daniel
says the view from the top made it all worthwhile, and
he remembers how “the silence and isolation of the place
emphasized its raw beauty.”
Rainbow mountains such as Pallay Punchu are the result of mineral deposits scattered through the rock. Different minerals are responsible for these colors, including hematite (orange shades), manganese oxide (purple
shades), goethite (red shades), calcite and malachite
(green shades). Standing at 4,700 meters above sea level,
this geological wonder is part of a mountain range that
was formed over 250 million years ago.
51
