Baltazar Ushca: The Last Ice Merchant of Mount Chimborazo Passes Away at 80

For six remarkable decades, Baltazar Ushca devoted his life to the demanding profession of ice harvesting on the glaciers of Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador, a vocation that has nearly disappeared due to modern refrigeration. Ushca trekked to the summit of Ecuador's highest peak, often making the climb twice a week, to harvest large blocks of ice with his pickax. Weighing around 60 pounds each, these ice blocks were wrapped in hay and carried back to his village on the backs of donkeys for sale to those in need of cooling solutions in a world edging towards electrification.Ushca's ice business was a family affair. He inherited the tradition from his father, Juan, and his brothers joined him in sustaining this modest livelihood. Despite the advent of modern cooling technologies, Ushca persisted with his ice trade for as long as he could, becoming a vivid embodiment of a fading craft. He was often referred to as "the last of his breed," a title imbued with both respect and sense of loss for a way of life that was rapidly becoming obsolete.His ice was prized for its quality, often preferred over synthetic alternatives. "The natural ice from Chimborazo is the best ice," he shared in the documentary “El Último Hielero,” directed by Sandy Patch. Villagers regularly relied on his harvest for a variety of needs, from making ice creams to keeping their perishable foods fresh. However, as modern conveniences spread into rural areas, Ushca faced questions about the sustainability of his labor. “Why suffer so much?” his children would ask, highlighting the generational shift away from traditional methods as society evolved.Even after suffering a foot injury that limited his work five years before his passing, his legacy as an ice merchant remained significant. Ushca’s life story serves as a poignant reminder of cultural adaptation and the invaluable heritage tied to sustainable practices in the face of climate change and technological advancement. His passing marks the end of an era, highlighting the need to preserve such cultural traditions in an ever-evolving world.