The ice merchant of Chimborazo | DW Documentary

Baltazar Ushca is one of the last ice merchants in Ecuador. The traditional occupation is dying out. The Chimborazo is a majestic mountain reaching 6,300 meters high. Its ice-covered top towers above the plateau of the Ecuadorean Andes. Every week Balthazar Ushca hikes for several hours up its slopes to harvest glacial ice, which he then sells at the market in the nearby city of Riobamba. Buyers use it for cooling and ice cream. Being an ice merchant or “hielero” is a recognized and respected profession in Ecuador. In recent years, however, the tradition has been under increasing threat from modern refrigeration technology.
_______

Exciting, powerful and informative – DW Documentary is always close to current affairs and international events. Our eclectic mix of award-winning films and reports take you straight to the heart of the story. Dive into different cultures, journey across distant lands, and discover the inner workings of modern-day life. Subscribe and explore the world around you – every day, one DW Documentary at a time.

Subscribe to DW Documentary:
@dwdocumentary
For more documentaries visit:
http://www.dw.com/en/tv/docfilm/s-3610
Instagram
Instagram: dwdocumentary
Facebook:
Facebook: dw.stories

DW netiquette policy: http://www.dw.com/en/dws-netiquette-p...

• #education
• #glacier
• #ecuador
• #climate_change
• #ice
• #chimborazo
• #glacial_ice
• #dw
• #documentary
• #deutsche_welle