El Misti volcano (16°17'S, 71°24'W, 5822 ra), 18 km from Arequipa (S Peru) has no glaciers or any glacial or periglacial landforms. The aim of this study is to determine what influence geothermal heat may have on cold geomorphologic processes in El Misti. The data (2004-2008) of the three sampling stations installed on the northern slope of the volcano show that on El Misti the geothermal heat completely changes the ground temperature regime and it even affects the air temperature. The geothermal alteration means that there is no relationship between temperature and altitude.