La Rinconada

La Rinconada is the highest human settlement on Earth in the heart of the Peruvian Andes Mountains sitting at 16,730ft. Over 50,000 people have settled in this place with the most harsh unforgiving conditions. People first started settling here in hopes of finding gold and other precious minerals. Miners live and work under the brutal Cacherreo system trading labor for the chance to find gold. They work for 30 days without payment only to get a chance to mine for themselves for one day only. Miners are often exploited in the process by the mine owners but the chance to find gold continues to draw people from all corners of Peru. This reflects the human capacity to endure hardship in the pursuit of wealth.

Not only does La Rinconada have harsh working conditions but it has extremely harsh climate conditions. At altitudes exceeding 177,000ft, the air holds less oxygen each breath we take delivers fewer of the vital molecules to our bodies. The brain is the most oxygen-hungry organ. Being at that elevation with that little oxygen could cause slowing mental functions and decisions become harder. This is a warning from your body and survival response to an extreme environment. If this sustains, prolonged exposure without proper climatization can lead to increased heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing to compensate which can lead to a fatal health risk.