Bolivia Expedition Itinerary
Days 1-2: Depart Miami and arrive La Paz, Bolivia. La Paz, the highest capital city in the world, stands at 11,900' above sea level. Its population of roughly one million people is diverse and rugged. The air at this altitude is quite thin and for most people it takes a few days to acclimatize. However, the sheer magnificence of the mountains that cradle the city more than makes up for any physical discomfort. We will spend some time here wandering the hilly streets and acclimatizing for our climb. We also have a thorough equipment check and orientation including discussion of Leave No Trace practices.
Day 3: Visit Tiwanaku, Bolivia's most important archaeological site. We spend the day wandering through the monumental stone figures, courtyards and the impressive Gate of the Sun. The Gate of the Sun is part of an elaborate observatory that is believed to have functioned as a solar calendar dating back to 600B.C. While not as imposing as Machu Picchu, it provides a fascinating glimpse into the Amyara ancient peoples.
Day 4: Visit Isla Surique, Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, and the "holy land of the Incas."
Day 5: Drive from La Paz to village of Tuni. Burros carry all our gear to our basecamp near the shores of Lake Tuni Condorini (15,000 + feet).
Day 6: Acclimatization hike to about 16,000 feet at the glacier terminus. This is an easy day geared toward acclimatization & reviewing cramponing & running belays.
Day 7: Early departure for climb of Ilusion. This climb traverses a heavily crevassed glacier and steep snow ridges with excellent views of nearby peaks.
Day 8: Rest day and preparation for climb of Alpamayo.
Day 9: We attempt Pequeno Alpamayo. This stunning peak remains hidden until we reach a subsidiary peak before the summit. The route is quite beautiful, following an aesthetic, airy ridge. From the summit, we have breathtaking views of the Amazon Basin, the barren altiplano, the impressive bulk of Mt. Sajama and our next objective, Huayna Potosi.
Day 10: After a leisurely hike out we drive back to La Paz for some much needed rest.
Day 11: Rest day in La Paz. We visit museums, go shopping and relax. (We may use this as an extra summit day at the end)
Day 12: Drive to Huayna Potosi overnight in tents or hut near the beautiful Laguna Zongo (elev. 15,700).
Day 13: After hiring porters to assist with gear, we move to high camp at almost 18,400 ft. (5600m) at Campo Argentino. This is a full day of climbing.
Day 14: Summit day. Early wake up as our ascent can take up to 8 hours. After some interesting glacier travel through ice falls and around crevasses we reach the final exciting ridge leading to Bolivia's famed summit. Fantastic views of the Cordillera Real await us on the top. We descend to basecamp in the afternoon for some much needed rest.
Day 15: After a leisurely morning we drive to La Paz and have an afternoon of sightseeing and rest.
ILLIMANI EXTENSION:
Day 16: Depart for USA or Drive to Illimani trailhead where we begin our approach to base camp from the village of Pinaya. Burros will carry our food & equipment, making the 3-5 hour approach more reasonable. Base camp is at approx. 14,500 feet.
Day 17: Climb to Camp I at 16,700 feet.
Day 18: From Camp I, we scramble over easy rock and to our high camp known as Nido de Condores (The Condor's Nest) located at about 18,372 feet (5600m).
Day 19: Summit Day. After threading our way through a series of crevassed areas we reach moderately steep slopes (30-400) for several hours before reaching the scenic summit ridge. The view from the summit of one of South America's finest peaks is outstanding; a great reward to a strenuous and fantastic day of climbing. We descend to base camp and spend our last night in the mountains.
Day 20: Optional summit day.
Day 21: After our summit climb we return to the trailhead for the drive back to La Paz.
Day 22: Fly USA
Day 23: Arrive USA