BOONE, N.C. — While trekking in Peru during a summer 2018 study abroad with Appalachian State University students and professor Dr. Baker Perry, a pivotal moment for me came as we gathered at the base of Ausangate Mountain, preparing to begin our hike of the Jampa Pass — an elevation of 5,071 meters, or roughly 16,000 feet.

One of our trail guides, Don Severino Crispin Huanca, who said he has made the trek many times since he was a child, described his eyewitness account of the Ausangate glacier’s recession over the last 69 years and the impact this has had on the villages downstream. He said the glacier meltwater is part of the villages’ water supply, but this is not always a dependable source.

Perry provided further explanation: “As the glaciers have begun to melt faster, the water supply increases initially, but then there is an adjustment that occurs, and there is less water.”

Crispin’s words became a tangible tie-in to the research Appalachian students and professors are doing to understand climate change and the effects it has on populations worldwide.

From the Appalachians to the Andes

A Peru study abroad becomes a metaphor for the Appalachian Experience

March 15, 2019

In summer 2018, two groups of students, led by Appalachian professors, trekked the highest peaks of Peru and explored the Amazon rainforest, sharing sustainability practices and conducting critical climate research along the way.

Stories

• Climbing into thin air for climate research
• Appalachian’s international collaboration yields renewable solutions for Peru village
• Dr. Baker Perry: collecting critical data at 18K feet
• The graduate experience: conferences, collaboration and scaling the Andes
• A different point of view

Videos

• Peak to peak — Mountaineers study abroad in Peru

Photo gallery

• Peru study abroad programs, summer 2018

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About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.