La Rinconada is a unique gold mining village high in the eastern Andes, on the edge of human endurance. It is acknowledged as the world's highest permanent community at an elevation of almost 5,000 meters above sea level. Here, almost 50,000 individuals lack access to basic amenities including sewage systems, running water, and structured garbage disposal. Gold is practically the only reason the town exists. Beneath a receding glacier, it clings to the slopes of Mount Ananea in southeast Peru. Here, extraction, cold, and altitude shape life. What started out as a makeshift camp has solidified into a permanent settlement, raising concerns about labour, health, and the lengths individuals will go to in order to survive economically in harsh conditions.
