Nevado Huascaran with the north peak to the left and the higher south peak (6768 m) to the right. Visible from many points throughout the length of the valley of the Santa River, Huascaran is the highest peak in Peru, the forth highest in Americas, and the highest mountain in the world's tropical zone. The highest south peak was first ascended in 1932 by the pioneering Austrian expedition of Philipp Borchers, Erwin Schneider, and Hans Kinzl, which made many first ascents and important scientific studies in the range during the '30s.