Bolivia’s Indigenous women climbers fear for their future as the Andean glaciers melt

By PAOLA FLORES
Associated Press

EL ALTO, Bolivia (AP) — Dressed up in colorful, multilayered skirts, a group of 20 Indigenous Bolivian women have been climbing the Andes peaks for the past eight years, working as guides for tourists. But as the glaciers in the South America country continue to retreat as a result of climate change, they are worried about the future of their jobs. Known as the Cholita climbers, the Aymara women remember when practically every spot on the glaciers was covered in snow. Now, there are parts with nothing but rocks. Lidia Huayllas, one of the climbers, says “the thaw is very noticeable.”