| Distances Always check with the local residents about the state of repair and condition of roads. However, they should not be relied upon to provide accurate information on time and distance since their replies are based on subjective impressions. The usual "just over the hill" answer usually implies long hours of strenuous uphill climbing at great altitude. “Leave nothing but foot prints, take nothing but pictures.” Plants must not be uprooted or cut. Do not start fires in high altitude forests. Do not deface road signs. Fishing and hunting are forbidden in the dry season (when trout fishing is strictly banned). Always tell local authorities or the mountaineers’ association when you are entering a mountain area. Never trek or climb by yourself. Do not litter. Bring back all disposable materials and wastes. Leaving them on the mountain trail causes pollution. Andean mountains are also subject to global warming and glacial retrenchment which translates into the loss of about two meters (6 ft.) of snow every year with the ensuing ongoing changes of aspect and feasible approaches to the mountains. Large masses of serac or compacted snow blocks break off. Above 4,500 masl, rain falls as snow. Generally, snow in the Andes sticks firmly to steep slopes and may even form shelves near the leeward side of the summit. Exceptionally, shelves may appear on both sides of a ridge. Another peculiarity of mountains in this region is the appearance of stepped or grooved snow walls. Mountain faces in the Southern Hemisphere have a number of features that make them different from those in the Northern Hemisphere. North faces are sunnier. The sun and cold modify snow and ice. The best climbing snow can be found here. South faces are more stable. Snow remains unchanged due to scarce sunlight and temperatures usually drop below 0º C. Plenty of soft snow is found at the beginning of the dry season from May to September. East and West faces show mixed features. Quite often, a hike along a west- or east-oriented shelf will reveal substantial changes in snow conditions.
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