Fourteen colours
In saw-tooth bands.
Havardtl — CC BY 4.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Serranía de Hornocal is a mountain range about 25 kilometres from the town of Humahuaca, known as the Mountain of Fourteen Colours for slopes striped in zigzag bands of pink, green, yellow, violet and brown, like a row of saw teeth. It belongs to a limestone formation called Yacoraite that runs from Salta through the Quebrada de Humahuaca and the Bolivian Altiplano into Peru, and its peaks reach 4,761 metres. A winding gravel road climbs from Humahuaca to a viewpoint at about 4,350 metres, where the whole range opens up in front of you, and a short path drops to a closer viewpoint. The light is best in the afternoon, when the sun falls on the slopes. The altitude is very high and can bring breathlessness and dizziness, so move slowly and do not overdo it. The road is rough and needs a suitable vehicle or a tour from Humahuaca or Tilcara. A small fee is collected at the viewpoint by local people.
In saw-tooth bands.
The full range.
From Humahuaca.
About 25 km east of Humahuaca on a gravel road, Jujuy
The afternoon, when the sun falls on the slopes and the colours show clearly; mind the high altitude and the cold.