Quechua
Quechua may refer to:
*Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru
*Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language
**So ...
for "rock cave") is a
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
cave
A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...
located in the
Yauyos Province
The Yauyos Province is a Provinces of Peru, province located in the Lima Region of Peru. It is one of the eleven that make up that region.
Boundaries
*North: Huarochirí Province
*East: Junín Region, Huancavelica Region
*South: Ica Region
*West: ...
of the
Lima Region
The Department of Lima () is a department and region located in the central coast of Peru, the ''seat of the Regional Government'' is Huacho.
Lima Province, which contains the city of Lima, the country's capital, is located west of the Departmen ...
in central
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
, high in the
Andes
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
Mountains that was explored and surveyed in 2004 by an international expedition. At 4,930m above sea level, it is the highest
surveyed
Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the land, terrestrial Two-dimensional space#In geometry, two-dimensional or Three-dimensional space#In Euclidean geometry, three-dimensional positions of ...
cave in the world. The entrance to the cave is in the mountain named
Wamp'una
Wamp'una (Quechua ''wamp'u'' boat, ''-na'' a suffix, also spelled ''Huampuna'') is a mountain in the Cordillera Central in the Andes of Peru, about high. It contains one of the highest surveyed caves in the word, Qaqa Mach'ay. Wamp'una is lo ...
.
Cave description
"It is thought that Qaqa Mach'ay is an abandoned glacial sink formed on a geologically-favourable bedding plane. Its enormous entrance, approximately fifty metres long, thirty metres wide and fifty metres deep, leads to a square-shaped descending passage twenty metres high and twenty metres wide. Although this large passage is almost completely blocked by boulders, two possible continuations were noted. Blue Lips Passage essentially follows the left (as you face into the cave) wall down past boulders and ice masses. Four pitches of 20m, 10m, 10m and 5m lead to a disappointing boulder ruckle 104m below the entrance. Red Face Passage descends down pitches of 18m, 9m, 4m and 38m to a breakdown floor at –125m. Both passages draught slightly. These passages were named for the effects of high altitude, cold and sun on the cavers’ complexions. About a third of the rigging in these passages was off
ice screw
An ice screw is a threaded tubular screw used as a running belay or anchor by climbers on steep ice surface such as steep waterfall ice or alpine ice during ice climbing or crevasse rescue, to hold the climber in the event of a fall, and at bel ...
s. No open leads remain in the cave."
- excerpt from ''Pumaqucha 2004 Expedition Report'' (unpublished)
*McKenzie, I. ''A Hole in the Sky'' Alpine Karst Vol 2, 2006
*''
The Canadian Caver
''The Canadian Caver'' is a semiannual publication that documents the activities of Canadian cavers exploring caves within Canada and overseas.
''The Canadian Caver'' was created by members of the McMaster University Climbing and Caving Club from ...