Tierra helada

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (March 2008)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Tierra helada (Spanish for frozen land) is a term used in Latin America to refer to the highest places found within the Andes mountains.

Unlike two of the other terms in the same series - tierra templada and tierra fria (and like tierra caliente) - the term "tierra helada" is accurate from a climatological standpoint, as its land is indeed "frozen," situated above the snow line. In the northern Andes, the latter is located at an altitude of approximately 4,500 meters (or about 15,000 feet). When you are in the Tierra Helada it is so cold, you might need hats and gloves. Any bare skin will be frozen over a period of 5 hours.