Bolivia Trek

Bolivia Trekking

Bolivia’s Cordillera Real (Royal Range) contains 7 peaks over 6000 meters and over 600 peaks over 5000 meters all packed within a range that stretches a mere 78 miles in length. Despite the immensity of trekking possibilities, Bolivia’s premier mountain range remains one of South America’s best kept trekking secrets. This trek itinerary is specially designed to take in a variety of the best scenery along the length of the range.

This expedition to Bolivia provides the opportunity to experience the beauty of stark high altitude landscapes and panoramic views of glaciated peaks along with authentic Andean culture. As tourism infrastructure in Bolivia is delayed behind that of other neighboring Andean countries, travel here is well-suited to the adventurous traveler. However, the intrepid visitor to Bolivia will find endlessly fascinating cultural depth, authenticity and natural beauty. Rachel Molstad, our highly accomplished Alpine Ascents lead guide, has lived and climbed in Bolivia since 2013. She has completed many first female ascents of the highest peaks of the Bolivian Andes, as well as first ascents of lesser explored Bolivian peaks. Rachel guides full time, and she has led climbers to 6000 meter plus summits on over 200 occasions. Her fluency in Spanish and culture, as well as familiarity with both the highest peaks and lower elevations, make Rachel a huge asset to our Bolivia Trek.

The goal of the Bolivia trek is to complete a hiking traverse alongside the most heavily glaciated part of the range, beginning above the scenic hill town of Sorata and rounding around the immense Ancohuma/Illampu massif, and finally continuing along the western side of the Cordillera Real range. The Alpine Ascents itinerary in the Cordillera Real has been developed with close local knowledge and follows a higher more remote route than the common trek with camps deeper in the range and expansive views from rarely trekked passes.

These harsh hills and idyllic valleys have been the home of Aymara llama herders for hundreds of years and more recently to miner’s settlements. Trekking here provides a fascinating perspective on life in a harsh but spectacular corner of the globe. In order to gain a better understanding of the Bolivian high plains and as a part of our acclimatization plan, we will spend a couple of days with local communities on the shores of Lake Titicaca prior to beginning our trek.

Our epic trek is a high altitude adventure, with camps generally between 13,500 ft to 15,500 ft. Most days of the trek include ascents to and descents from passes in the mid 16,000 ft range. The trip is physically demanding but requires no technical experience. Mules carry the camp gear, food, and all trekker gear except day pack supplies.

Aymara People and the Altiplano

The Bolivian Altiplano, where the Andes reach their widest point, is one of the world’s greatest high altitude plateaus. Bolivia is a land of geographical extremes and superlatives made all the more fascinating by the rich authentic cultural background found in daily life. A nation landlocked in the heart of South America, over sixty percent of Bolivia’s population is of indigenous descent, more than in any other country in South America. The altiplano, or high altitude plateau, we will explore during our expedition is the land of the Aymara people. The Aymara trace their culture, language, and descendency from the advanced pre-Incan Tiwanaku civilization. Today, the Aymara in the countryside raise alpaca and llama while living off potatoes, barley, and quinoa, which are grown in the altiplano.