A participant in the Ruta del Hielo (Ice Route) competition carves out a block of glacial ice to carry on his back on the slopes of the Cayambe volcano, 45 kilometres north of Quito, August 27, 2006. The competitors carry blocks of glacial ice on their backs down the 5,790 meter-high volcano to the town. The annual competition evolved from the tradition of ice harvesting to make ice cream, a practice that died with the advent of electric ice-makers. [Reuters]

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