Rasac
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| Rasac | |
|---|---|
South face of Rasac, July 2010 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 6,017 m (19,741 ft) |
| Coordinates | 10°16′31.0″S 76°55′15.0″W / 10.275278°S 76.920833°W |
| Geography | |
| Parent range | Andes, Huayhuash |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | unknown |
| Easiest route | glacier/snow/ice climb |
Rasac[1][2][3] (possibly Quechua for toad)[3] is a mountain in the Huayhuash mountain range in west central Peru, part of the Andes.[2] It has a summit elevation of 6,017 metres (19,741 ft),[1][2][3] although other sources cite a height of 6,040 metres (19,816 ft).[4] Rasac is a long, relatively squat mountain on the western edge of the Huayhuash range, across the glacier from the tallest peak in the range, Yerupajá. Although it is a 6,000 metre mountain, Rasac's broad profile is dwarfed by Yerupajá.
As the rest of the Huayhuash, Rasac is made mainly of limestone, interbedded with sandstone and shale. These sediments were originally laid down on the ocean floor and have been pushed up and folded due to the convergence started about 90 million years ago when the Nazca oceanic plate started to slide under the South American continental plate. The limestone has a coarse, sharp texture and is light to dark grey in colour (although sometimes a slight bluish tint can occur). Marine fossils (bivalves and ammonites) may be found within some of the limestone beds. Some volcanic activity has also influenced the geology of the Huayhuash.