High Altitude Mountaineering: 23 days – Cordillera Real, Bolivia
04-26 August 2024
Instructors: Lars Bukkehave & Juliana Garcia “IFMGA” International Mountain Guide
Language : Danish, Norwegian, English and Spanish
Price: 4.700 USD (first 1.500USD are paid as deposit when sign up)
High altitude mountaineering in Bolivia is off the beaten part. It is remote but still accessible peaks in the Andes. It is excellent climbing on scenic high altitude glaciated peaks. The itinerary has a progression in skills and technical and altitude.
A great introduction to technical high altitude mountaineering. Exploration of an area and country that is authentic and rich in cultural depth and conservation of an ancient way of life.
Be aware that it is a less touristed and less climbed country so it will have advantages and disadvantages, so be ready for an adventure
We aim to climb:
Pequeno Alpamayo 5450m, Huayna Potosi 6088m & Illimani 6438m and some acclimatisation peaks along the way.
We will acclimatisation slowly to make sure the group feel well and suited for the high altitude peaks in the end of the trip. We will use the days to build up climbing technics, glacier rescues, route finding on glacisers, rope work
and ice climbing.
We will have maximum an increase of around 300 meters pr night.
Day 1 – 04 august: Depart from home country
Day 2 – 05 august: Transfer in to La Paz airport El Alto International Airport. Where you land in 3649 meters above sea level. We will take a city tour, get some local food and stay at the
Ritz Apart Hotel: Plaza Isabel La Católica N° 2478, La Paz, Bolivia.
Day 3 – 06 august: Today we head to Lake Tikikakka in bus with our local charter. On the way we will visit mysterious Tiwanaka Ruins. In Copabana we will sleep at the Eco Lodge where we will do an afternoon hike along Lake Tikikakka .
Day 4 – 07 august: We take a small ferry and use the day on a hiking trip across the Isla Del Sol island with beautiful view of mountains that we later on the trip will climb. We will be around 4000m so its great acimatisation. We start out slow which will benefit in the end. No rush about packing we will stay another night at the Eco Lodge.
Day 5: 08 august – We leave the lake to head in to the mountains. The bus will drop us at Tuni campsite from where we start the trek to our tent Base Camp in Condoriri. The hiking in valley will give stunning views of the condoriri mountain range. We will camp in 4500 meters
Day 6: 09 August – We brush up on our glacier skills
Day 7: 10 August – Climb an Grade AD 2 ridge line
Day 8: 11 August – Do some ice climbing on the glaciser
Day 9: 12 August – One rest day
Day 10: 13 august – With an early alpine start we head to Pequeno Alpamayo 5450m via west Ridge Alpinegrade AD max 55 degrees. This will test all the skills we have trained to this point. It will be a long day out.
It is a pyramid of snow, with the standard route being about 55 degrees, snow, nice in the morning, but sticky later in the day.
Day 11: 14 august – Pack up in the morning and hike out to Tuni. We return to lower altitude for rest in the jungle in Zongo.
Day 12: 15 august – We sleep in and enjoy a leisurely breakfast with fresh fruits from the jungle. The day is to recover in low altitude. Maybe a small walk to keep blod pumping and take a swim near a waterfall in the jungle.
Day 13: 16 august – Its about time to head back to the mountains. This time our sight are towards Huayna Potosi “Casa Blanca Refuge”.
We get transferred to “Zongo Pass” and hike to a cosy mountain hut that serves as Huayna Potosi basecamp, Casa Blanca Refuge.
Day 14: 17 august – South Peak of Pico Milluni grade 4 scramble
Day 15: August 18 – We depart early in order to reach the summit of Huayna Potosi 6088m Normal Route PD or South Ridge AD+ and encounter a variety of terrain on our way to the summit. This will be a challenging day of 10 – 14
hours round trip to the summit and return to the pass. From the summit we will be rewarded with beautiful views of Lake Titicaca, the Amazon Basin, and the Cordillera Real. Descend and stay the night in the hut
Day 16: August 19 – Transfer to La Paz and enjoy a rest day
Day 17: 20 August – We will depart for our final objective, Nevado Illimani. A scenic drive through the countryside of Bolivia ends at the small village of Hacienda Una. From here we drive through small farming villages
and alpine meadows to base camp.
Day 18: 21 August – Extra day
Day 19: 22 August – Today we accomplish a strenuous climb up a rocky ridge to high camp, known as the Condor’s Nest. We establish High camp and get some well-deserved rest to prepare us for the summit.
Day 20: 23 August –
Summit day entails an early departure in order to climb Pico Sur, the highest of Illimani’s three summits. Ilimani 6438m Alpine AD-, max 50°
Interesting glacier travel along varied terrain leads us to the summit of this impressive peak. This is a long day of 12 – 15 hours roundtrip. After enjoying the views from the summit we descend to high camp, or if time
permits to base camp.
Day 21: 24 August We sleep in and enjoy a leisurely breakfast before we break camp and hike out. In the afternoon we drive to La Paz for our celebration dinner.
Day 22: 25 August – Depart La Paz Airport and fly home
Day 23: 26 August – Arivel in your home country
Instructors: Lars Bukkehave & Juliana Garcia “IFMGA” International Mountain Guide
Signup & questions: LarsBukkehave@gmail.com
See you in the mountains
Includes:
– 4 nights in a hotels double accommodation
– 2 nights in Eco Lodge in Copacabana double accommodation
– 2 nights in hotel in Zongo (jungle)
– Nights at the Huayna Potosí refuge
– All transport in Bolivia
– Mountain cook and kitchen assistant
– Entrance fees to the mountains
– Food in the mountains
Not Included:
– Tips for local assistant
– Food in the city of La Paz & Copacabana
– Personal mountain equipment
NB. It’s not a skitrip, it’s an old picture from Volcano Antisana 5753m in Ecuador.
