Submission by Rachel Molstad.
Wait… There Are Mountains In Bolivia?
Yes indeed, and it’s one of South America’s best kept secrets!
Bolivia is a landlocked country in the heart of South America and home to the spectacular high altitude glaciated Cordillera Real (Royal Range) of the Andes. The Cordillera Real is an extremely rugged portion of the Andes that forms the abrupt dividing line between the Amazon basin and the Altiplano (Bolivian High Altitude Plateau). The Bolivian Altiplano fills in the space between the western and eastern Andean ranges at the widest part the of Andes and is the world’s second highest plateau, one of the highest altitude inhabited areas of the world, and the center of rich cultural traditions. Rising above the Altiplano, the Cordillera Real contains seven peaks above 6,000 meters and over 600 peaks above 5,000 meters, all packed within a range that stretches a mere 80 miles in length. This topography creates ready opportunity for accessible high altitude mountaineering in a unique part of the Andes and off the beaten track adventure alongside cultural exploration.
I have called La Paz, Bolivia home for the last twelve years and although I guide a variety of peaks around the world every year, there is something special about the Cordillera Real and the experience of climbing in Bolivia. This is the range that draws me back time and time again for my own personal climbing and exploration and I love sharing the experience with other climbers.
The Bolivia climbing itinerary centers around exploration of the Cordillera Real, with acclimatization and cultural touring on the Altiplano.
Cultural Touring Highlights Include:
- A tour of the city of La Paz (including riding the world’s highest and longest urban cable car network)
- A visit to the archaeological site of Tiwanaku (where ancient belief systems contribute greatly to our understanding of modern day Altiplano culture)
- Two nights alongside beautiful Lake Titicaca (the world’s largest high altitude lake)
- Hiking across the Sun Island on Lake Titicaca (and admiring the Mediterranean turquoise water of the island’s many coves)
After acclimating to 13,000 ft in hotel style luxury, we progress to the mountaineering portion of the trip, gradually building skills and acclimatization through a series of four peaks, with a thorough day of glacier skills practice included. One of the pieces that I love most about this trip is coaching climbers through a progression of summits beginning with a 17,000 ft trekking peak and ending with an over 21,000 ft steep glaciated summit. The Bolivia trip provides climbers a unique opportunity for lots of skill growth on a wide variety of terrain.
Our summit progression in Bolivia:
What I love about climbing in Bolivia:
- Mountaineering off the beaten path on remote but highly accessible peaks in the Andes
- Excellent climbing on scenic high altitude glaciated peaks on a variety of terrain
- An itinerary that supports progression in skills on bigger peaks, higher altitude, and more technical terrain
- Exploration of an area and country that is authentic and rich in cultural depth and conservation of an ancient way of life
This trip is a good fit for:
- Recent mountaineering school graduates and beginners at high altitude, while also a unique destination for climbers who have already explored the popular destinations
- Climbers looking to practice or advance their skills on more challenging terrain with a skills progression designed itinerary
- Climbers looking to combine mountaineering with cultural exploration
- Climbers looking for a fully supported trip with porter and donkey transport of personal and group gear in the mountains included in the trip price. The trip is also accompanied by a cook team in the mountains.
- This is a trip for the adventurous traveler as less touristed and less climbed has its advantages and disadvantages. You’ll need to be ready to be patient and go with the flow in a chaotic country that is minimally developed for tourism.
If you’d like to learn more about climbing in Bolivia check out our Great Peaks of Bolivia trip page and our Great Peaks of Bolivia Webinar.
