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Mountains Of Bolivia Expedition

Mountains of Bolivia Expedition
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Mountains of Bolivia Expedition

Intermediate 16 Days Bolivia
Join our Mountains of Bolivia expedition to climb Pequeño Alpamayo and Huayna Potosí. Spend two days exploring the vast Andean highlands and the bustling city of La Paz, followed by two more days on gorgeous Lake Titicaca. There is an option to add a 5-day extension and climb Illimani (21,122’/6,438m), the tallest mountain in the Cordillera Real, for just $1,350.
Jul 20, 2024 – Aug 04, 2024 Optional Extension Through Aug 09, 2024
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Mountains of Bolivia Expedition

Bolivia is a climber’s dream.

Of all the Andean countries, Bolivia remains the least touristy and most adventurous. It offers all the attractions of its more popular neighbors but remains a well-kept secret from the masses. This provides a unique opportunity for adventurous climbers.

FITNESS

Climbers must be in excellent physical shape to join this expedition. Regular, challenging exercise for many months in advance of departure is the only way to gain the necessary level of fitness that is needed on big peaks. Climbing in the Cordillera Blanca is a large physical undertaking, and climbers who are joining our teams should have at least a general understanding of what it takes to train for an expedition like this. For a personalized training schedule, please reach out to our in-house trainer: lynette@alpenglowexpeditions.com.

TECHNICAL

Prior roped climbing, cramponing, and ice axe skills are required.

ALTITUDE

It is required that climbers have prior experience at altitudes up to 14,000′, and it is strongly recommended that climbers have prior experience at altitudes over 15,000′.
An alpine climber descending a glaciated slope during a guided Bolivia Expedition

Mountains Of Bolivia Expedition Itinerary

Day 1
Arrive in Bolivia

Arrive in La Paz International Airport (13,200’/ 4,023m). Spend the day acclimatizing, followed by a team welcome dinner.

Day 2
Explore and Acclimatize

Visit the ruins of Tiahuanaco. Close to La Paz, the largest archaeological site in Bolivia lends insight into this country’s past, and its Amyara civilization. The ruins date back to 1600 BCE. Exploring these high altitude ruins will also aid our acclimatization. In the afternoon we will continue driving to Lake Titicaca.

Day 3
Explore Lake Titicaca

The world’s largest navigable lake, Titicaca sits at over 12,400’ / 3780m. We spend the day on the water, visiting Sun Island and the indigenous people who live there. We spend a second evening in the lakeside town of Copacabana.

Day 4
Drive to Tuni + Acclimatization Hike

By now, we are ready to climb! Today we drive to Tuni, a collection of alpaca herder’s huts at 14,000’ / 4267m. We set camp here and take an acclimatization hike.

Day 5
Hike to Basecamp

Hike (with llamas to carry our gear) to Condoriri Basecamp. Perched on the edge of a lake below six peaks over 17,000’/ 5,182m in height, it is a stunning place. We set up our base camp at 15,000’/4,572m.

Day 6
Climb to Pico Austria

Climb Pico Austria, a non-technical 17,000’ / 5182m peak with fantastic views of all the surrounding peaks. It is a 3-4 hour hike up sand and scree to the summit, and is ideal for acclimatization.

Day 7
Skills Day on the Glacier

After a big pancake breakfast we head onto the glacier below Pequeño Alpamayo for a full day of skills. We practice crampon and ice axe use, self-arrest techniques, roped travel, and crevasse rescue.

Day 8
Rest Day

Rest day in base camp. This is an opportunity to let our bodies recover, as well as to practice any skills that needed more work from the day before.

Day 9
Summit Day

Summit day! A 2am start means we will cross most of the low angled glacier by headlamp. By dawn we should be moving up the steeper rock and ice slopes, a perfect introduction to more technical big mountain routes. The final steep knife-edge ridge to the summit is one that will never be forgotten! We return to base camp for the night.

Day 10
Head back to La Paz

Return to La Paz, where we take much-needed showers, eat a big meal, and sleep.

Day 11
Rest Day

Rest in La Paz, exploring the local markets and neighborhoods. No trip to La Paz is complete without a visit to the Witch’s Market!

Day 12
Head to Base Camp on Huayna Potosi

Today we drive to base camp on Huayna Potosi, near Laguna Zongo (15,700’/4,785m). After establishing camp, we head to the nearby glacier, where perfect ice serac walls up to 100 feet tall allow for some technical ice climbing practice.

Day 13
Move to High Camp

With the assistance of high altitude porters, we move to a high camp at 18,000’ /5486m.

Day 14
Summit Day

Summit Day! 7-9 hours of climbing takes us through crevasse fields and moderate to steep slopes before finishing on an exposed ridge looking over the massive West Face. After some hero photos on the 19,974’/6,088m summit we descend all the way to base camp and drive back to our hotel in La Paz.

Day 15
Weather Day

Extra contingency day for summiting if necessary. If not, we enjoy a day of pampering ourselves in La Paz.

Day 16
Depart La Paz

Another day of necessary rest. We enjoy more of the history and great food La Paz has to offer, and possibly do some rock climbing at the local sport crag. Those not climbing Illimani will depart.

Day 17
Drive to Illimani Trailhead

Drive east to the trailhead of Illimani. With the help of burros, we make the easy walk into our base camp at 15,000’/4,572m.

Day 18
Move to High Camp

Move to high camp, the Nest of the Condors at 18,372’/5,600m. Again, porters help to make this move more manageable and allow us to enjoy the stunning surroundings.

Day 19
Illimani Summit Day

A pre-dawn start takes us across Illimani’s glaciers. As the sun rises, we will be nearing the steeper upper slopes, which will test all of the skills we have learned through our two weeks in Bolivia. Reaching Illimani’s summit (21,125′/6,439m) will be a moment for each of us to savor, before descending all the way back to base camp.

Day 20
Return to La Paz – Or extra Summit Day

Return to La Paz. This day can also be used as an additional summit day if weather necessitates it.

Day 21
Depart for Home

Depart La Paz for home.

Mountains of Bolivia Trip Packet

Our Guides

Get to know some of the guides that you might be climbing with in Bolivia.

Mountains Of Bolivia Expedition Questions

Below are some answers to commonly asked questions about climbing in Bolivia
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