In this May 24, 2016 photo, a young boy descends the Qullqip'unqu mountain looking out at the tens of thousands of pilgrims gathered to celebrate the three-day festival Qoyllur Rit’i, translated from the Quechua language as Snow Star, in the Andean Sinakara Valley, in Peru's Cusco region. The celebration that mixes Catholic and indigenous beliefs honors Jesus as well as the area’s glacier, which is considered sacred among some indigenous people. While the native celebration is far older, the Christian part of the ritual stretches back to the 1700s, when Jesus is said to have appeared to a young shepherd in the form of another boy. (Photo by Rodrigo Abd/AP Photo)





In this May 23, 2016 photo, a Quechua woman waits for a religious procession to file past so she can cross the road, during the second day of the syncretic festival Qoyllur Rit’i, translated from the Quechua language as Snow Star, in the Sinakara Valley, in Peru's Cusco region. The festival coincides with the reappearance of the star cluster Pleiades in the Southern Hemisphere, signaling the harvest season. (Photo by Rodrigo Abd/AP Photo)





In this May 24, 2016 photo, a pilgrim carrying his son on his back, plays a traditional Andean flute known as a quena, as he walks the five miles to the Sanctuary of the Lord of the Qoyllur Rit’i, to take part in the syncretic festival of the same name, translated from the Quechua language as Snow Star, in the Sinakara Valley, in Peru's Cusco region. (Photo by Rodrigo Abd/AP Photo)





In this May 24, 2016 photo, men dressed as “Ukukus”, mythical half-man, half-bear creatures, huddle together to keep warm, as they take a break from their spiritual trek to the top of the Qullqip'unqu mountain, as part of the syncretic three-day festival Qoyllur Rit’i, translated from the Quechua language as Snow Star, in the Sinakara Valley, in Peru's Cusco region. On the last night of the festival, the ukukus climb more than 4,500 meters in freezing temperatures to the mountain’s glacier, carry crosses up the slope to spend the night at the top. They later descend with their crosses as the first rays of the morning sun spread across the mountain range and are met by reception groups of women and children. (Photo by Rodrigo Abd/AP Photo)





In this May 23, 2016 photo, pilgrims wait for the start of a procession to the Sanctuary of the Lord of the Qoyllur Rit’i, as part of the the syncretic festival of the same name, translated from the Quechua language as Snow Star, in the Sinakara Valley, in Peru's Cusco region. Tens of thousands of pilgrims crowd into the Andean valley, with dancers in multi-layered skirts and musicians with drums and flutes performing non-stop for the three-day festival. (Photo by Rodrigo Abd/AP Photo)





In this May 24, 2016 photo, “Ukukus”, men dressed as mythical half-man, half-bear creatures, light candles on the glacier of the Qullqip'unqu mountain, as part of the syncretic three-day festival Qoyllur Rit’i, translated from the Quechua language as Snow Star, in the Sinakara Valley, in Peru's Cusco region. In recent years, the pilgrims have noted a decline in the size of the glaciers because of warming trends. In hopes of preventing additional ice melting, the ukukus no longer use the large candles that were once common in the ritual. (Photo by Rodrigo Abd/AP Photo)





In this May 24, 2016 photo, men dressed as mythical half-man, half-bear creatures called “Ukukus”, descend the Qullqip'unqu mountain glacier carrying a cross on the last day of the syncretic festival Qoyllur Rit’i, translated from the Quechua language as Snow Star, in the Sinakara Valley, in Peru's Cusco region. The ukukus also used to cut away blocks of ice from the glacier to bring down to share with the community in the belief that the melted held magical healing powers, but no longer noting a decline in the size of the glaciers because of warming trends. (Photo by Rodrigo Abd/AP Photo)





In this May 24, 2016 photo, children mount a horse after breaking camp at the base of the Qullqip'unqu mountain, in the Sinakara Valley, in Peru's Cusco region, where they spent the last 3 days at the Sanctuary of the Lord of the Qoyllur Rit’i, taking part in the festival of the same name, translated from the Quechua language as Snow Star. The gathering is held every year shortly before the Christian feast of Corpus Christi and draws as many as 100,000 people to the Quispicanchis province. It also coincides with the reappearance of the star cluster Pleiades in the Southern Hemisphere, signaling the harvest season. (Photo by Rodrigo Abd/AP Photo)