What do the colors on the contour map of Nevado Salkantay (6270m) mean?

The contour map uses a hypsometric color scale where green represents lower elevations, yellow and orange indicate mid-range altitudes, and white marks the highest zones near the summit. Thicker contour lines (index contours) are drawn at wider intervals to help you quickly estimate elevation.

What is the contour interval for Nevado Salkantay (6270m)?

The contour map of Nevado Salkantay (6270m) uses a 100m contour interval. This means each line represents a 100m change in elevation. Closely spaced contours indicate steeper terrain, while widely spaced contours show gentler slopes.

What does the elevation profile of Nevado Salkantay (6270m) show?

The elevation profile is a cross-section through Nevado Salkantay (6270m) from west to east, passing through the summit at 6,270m. It reveals the mountain's shape, steepness, and relative height compared to the surrounding terrain. The horizontal axis shows distance in kilometers from the peak.

What is the snow line on Nevado Salkantay (6270m)?

At Nevado Salkantay (6270m)'s latitude (13°), the estimated permanent snow line is approximately 4,800m. Since Nevado Salkantay (6270m) reaches 6,270m, about 1,470m of the mountain extends above the snow line. This is shown as a dashed blue line on the elevation profile.

Why does Nevado Salkantay (6270m) have elongated ridges?

Nevado Salkantay (6270m) was formed by tectonic folding, which compressed rock layers into long, parallel ridges. The contour map shows elongated lines that follow the axis of the fold, rather than circular patterns.

Nevado Salkantay (6270m)

Nevado Salkantay stands at 6270 meters in Peru, part of the Cordillera Blanca, South America. This peak is classified as a Fold Mountain.

Elevation

6270 m

Prominence

— m

Coordinates

-13.336944, -72.546944

Type

fold_mountain

Elevation Comparison

About This Mountain

Nevado Salkantay (6270m) is a fold mountain in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru. Grade 4/5: technical ascent requiring mountaineering skills. A high Andean summit demanding altitude acclimatization and technical glacier travel.

Routes

Normal Route (Nevado Salkantay) 4

16.00 km · 9.0h

West Ridge (Nevado Salkantay) 5

14.00 km · 10.0h

Seasonal Conditions

Topographic Analysis

Contour Map

The topographic contour map of Nevado Salkantay (6270m) in the Cordillera Blanca shows elongated parallel contours following the ridge axis. Contour lines are drawn at 100m intervals, with index contours (thicker lines) every 500m. The hypsometric color scale ranges from green (lower elevations) through yellow and orange to white (highest elevations near the 6,270m summit). Above 4,800m, the estimated snow line at this latitude, contours transition to cooler tones indicating permanent snow and ice.

Elevation Profile

The east–west elevation profile of Nevado Salkantay (6270m) in the Cordillera Blanca shows the terrain cross-section through the summit at 6,270m. The color gradient transitions from green (valley floor) to white (summit zone), with the red summit marker indicating the peak. The dashed blue snow line at 4,800m marks the approximate elevation above which permanent snow persists year-round.