Alturas Announces Appointment of Walter Henry as Chairman

TORONTO, ONTARIO and LIMA, PERU--(Marketwire - March 12, 2012) - Alturas Minerals Corp. (TSX VENTURE:ALT)(LMA:ALT) ("the Company") is pleased to announce that the board of directors has elected Mr. Walter Henry as the Chairman of the Corporation. Mr. Henry joined the board in 2009. Mr. Miguel Cardozo resigned his role as Chairman but will continue as a director as well as President and Chief Executive Officer. The board of directors was of the view that this step would enhance corporate governance and allow Mr. Cardozo more time to focus on the business of the Company. The board will also be undertaking a review of its composition in the coming months to ensure that it is providing effective oversight.

Mr. Henry, Chartered Financial Analyst, is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Frontline Gold Corp., and has extensive experience in the areas of international project financing, capital markets financing, commercial bank financing, financial reporting, controls and taxation matters, and treasury and financial risk management. Mr. Henry previously held the positions of Vice-President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer with a number of public companies listed on the TSX and TSX Venture Exchange, including Royal Nickel Corp., Tiberon Minerals Ltd., Juno Special Situations Corp. and Alturas Minerals Corp. In 2010, he successfully completed the Institute of Corporate Directors Course and obtained the ICD.D. Mr. Henry is currently an associate member of AIMR/Toronto Society of Financial Analysts as well as an associate of the Institute of Canadian Bankers.

Currently, Mr. Henry serves as a Director of Frontline Gold Corporation, Merrex Gold Inc., Satori Resources Inc. and Consolidated Westview Resource Corp.

About Alturas Minerals Corp.

Alturas is a Canadian corporation, and is the indirect parent of the Peruvian company, Alturas Minerals S.A. ("Alturas Peru") and of the Chilean company, Alturas Chile Limitada ("Alturas Chile"). Alturas Peru has been exploring various mineral projects in Peru since January 2004. Alturas Chile initiated exploration activities during the second quarter of fiscal 2010. Alturas' exploration strategy is focused on the discovery of large copper-gold porphyry/skarn deposits and epithermal gold mineralized deposits.

The principal assets of Alturas are four drill-ready mineral exploration projects located in Peru and Chile, including the Chapi Chapi-Utupara, Sombrero and Huajoto projects in Peru, and La Corina property in Chile. In addition, Alturas Peru has interests in the Ccaccapaqui gold project that has been optioned to Compañía de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. (see press release dated January 31, 2012) and in three other less-advanced exploration projects in Peru (Callejones, San Antonio and La Divina).

For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.alturasminerals.com.

Should you wish to receive Company news via email, please email investor@alturasminerals.com and specify "Alturas News" in the subject line.

Cautionary Language and Forward Looking Statements

This press release may contain "forward-looking statements", which are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Investors are cautioned that such statements are not guarantees of future performance and results. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed in the Company's disclosure documents filed from time to time with the Canadian securities authorities.