Trip Reports

Bolivian Climber - 7 to 26 July '07

Dawn breaks on Huayna Potosi, Bolivia
Trip Report

Written by Leader Mic Rofe, July 2007

Bolivia lived up to its reputation as a fine climbing destination: postcard perfect peaks with beautiful lines providing engaging climbing, friendly locals always willing to help make our stay rewarding, and importantly after some hard work in the mountains, many fine restaurants to replace the pounds lost. Nine out of ten in our team bagged a gem in Pequeno Alpamayo, and six went on to join (or renew their membership of) the 6,000m Club with ascents of Huayana Potosi and Illimani.

Half of the group flew from Heathrow and enjoyed getting a bit of sand between their toes on South Beach Miami as well as being entertained by all the people; fair and freaky! I wish I had packed my board shorts.

In La Paz we were delighted by the comfort of the Ritz Hotel where some of the rooms were large enough to be used as film sets. Filming "Once Upon a Time in Bolivia" a prequel to "Twice Upon a Time in Bolivia" seemed to fill most rest days for Simon & Andy. "Twice Upon..." provided the basis for much hilarity throughout the trip, which was not all about the light sabres, and we found time to view it twice at the hotel so as to include all in the northern humour and post Pequeno Alpamayo & Huayana Potosi reflect on what we had climbed.

Heavy snowfall closed the airport for twenty four hours, thus diverting Walt, Mike & Ryan to Santa Cruz. In La Paz we spent a damp chilly day sightseeing. Apparently atypical weather for this time of year. After the landing strip had been cleared by hand they were able to fly in and we all headed across to Copacabana.

At our hotel on the shores of Lake Titicaca we were treated to some live music. During dinner Steven enquired of our host as to what CD was playing and before returning to his seat he had somehow arranged for the seven piece band to play live for us after dinner, pan pipes and everything. It was perfect entertainment for the Northern bandits who had been lingering that day.

The sun came out in time for our boat ride to the Isla del Sol. It is a healthy little island and a great location to stretch our legs after a number of fairly sedentary days. Simon claimed three first ascents of 4,000m peaks during the day, duly witnessed by those who had watched "Twice Upon" by that point in the trip. Through this part of the trip we had a wonderful cultural guide called Theodore whose knowledge of Bolivia was inexhaustible.

We then moved up into the mountains to Condoriri Base Camp, surrounded by the next week´s objectives and overshadowed by the mighty Condor de Cabeza. We got our hill legs working with 625m of ascent to take us to the top of Pico Austria at over 5,000m. Mike, Ryan, Andy, Simon, Kathryn, Gerard, Walt, two of our guides Sergio & Rene, as well as myself, all posed for photos on top. The last stretch to the summit was reminiscent of the Caneletta on Aconcagua. John, Sue, and Steven all rested in BC with ill health.

We spent a short morning brushing up on snow skills an hour above camp on the glacier. Then those who thought that they were up for Lakeland 4b attacked twenty metres of steep waterfall ice throughout the afternoon. Sergio led the route with his fancy new leashless tools and the rest of us swung wildly in his wake. Simon reckoned Scottish grade IV, though it had dropped to grade II by the time his mate Andy gracefully danced his way up. Ryan was the star; after a few false starts he got stuck in and took to the ice like a duck to water.

After a peaceful rest day and a huge lunch of trout caught by a local fisherman in the lake below camp we made an early start for Pequeno Alpamayo. A few hours of determined effort took us to the rocky summit of Tarija and classic views of Pequeno Alpamayo. A short scramble down the rocks and across some snow and we were able to bite our crampons into one of the finest lines of the Cordillera Real. Good conditions meant we could move together through the steep sections, and all of the group who set out summitted. The front rope was led by Bolivian Guide Roberto who was just back from Chamonix. He had been on a course with ENSA with whom the Bolivian Guides have a strong association. Back in camp and Pequeno Alpamayo had marked all of the group with summit grins the likes of which I have not seen before.

We then headed out from Condoriri and around to Huayana Potosi. We stayed in a large partially built refugio where we were woken by the smell of bacon and eggs before a short day moving up to our high camp in a smaller, slightly cosy, refugio at 5,230m from which we made our summit bid. After a couple of hours moving up the glacier in the dark we got a great view of the twinkling lights of La Paz and El Alto and then a stunning sunrise. Sergio led Mike, Ryan and Simon to the top in 3h 50m finishing directly up a 200m face at 50 degrees. Closely followed by Roberto who dragged Andy up, just kidding ;-) Throughout the trip I was constantly impressed by Mike´s speed and strength at altitude. Fortunately his son, Ryan, who is sixteen inherited the powerful Kraft genes and had no problems keeping up. Sue & I and Rene & Kathryn took the easier but more exposed knifeblade arete to the top.

After our ascent we headed all the way back to La Paz, for an extra hotel night and a full day of Rest Day Mischief in La Paz. Walt added one more line to his already impressively broad CV, that of Guest Director for one infamous scene of "Once Upon a Time in Bolivia".

We shifted to 4WDs for the drive to Illimani. Though close as the crow flies, the drive takes a while as the road twists and turns down to the bottom of two deep gorges and then slowly back up again. At lunch before walking up to Illimani Base Camp we celebrated our Cook, Virginia´s birthday. She is famous in Bolivia for being the First Bolivian woman to climb Huayana Potosi. She and Apollina, her assistant, were the backbone of the expedition working pre-dawn to post-dusk to supply us with all the water we needed and the delicious meals.

Illimani is a big massif, a little daunting, and I noticed a few changes amongst the team as we approached. Having summitted at over 6,000m on Huayana Potosi and climbed waterfall ice at nearly 5,000m Simon was sated, and struck by mountain lassitude. My Jagged Globe First Aid Kit contained no champagne so it was fortunate he woke up his irrepressible self on summit day. Kathryn and Ryan spent the whole walk to Illimani BC discussing world politics and foreign policy, ignoring the hulking mass above us!

The move to High Camp was a long day, 1,000m of ascent to get us to 5,500m, and had some engaging, though easy, scrambling over rock slabs near the end. High Camp had a raw alpine feel about it with just enough space to squeeze in the required number of tents. On one side a sheer rocky drop off to scree slopes and on the other steep snow. Looking on it from above camp it seemed reminiscent of Camp II on Ama Dablam.

We woke to a moderate wind on Illimani summit day, though it sounded stronger from inside the tent. All but two downed some cinnamon & sultana porridge, cinched tight their hoods and headed up. Nearing 6,000m John and Gerard both decided to return to camp, whilst the others battled upwards into stronger winds and fierce cold. I felt for John who had been plagued by illness for the whole trip and all the summits alluded him. Though talking to him highlighted the pleasure to be taken in simply being in the mountains. The rest of the group benefited from his stories of numerous first ascents in Greenland as well as some cracking stories of close shaves with polar bears.

Kathryn was the powerhouse on Illimani, surging past the others on one of the steep sections leading up to the summit ridge. Sergio, Mike, Ryan, Roberto, Andy, Simon, Sue & LA O´Cardio (local assistant guide) all summitted but few photos recorded the event as camera batteries froze and they were blasted by strong winds and spindrift.

We moved down to BC that night and on to the roadhead the next day for some football with the locals and a Pachamancha, a traditional feast of the food of the earth cooked underground. Our drive back to La Paz was uneventful, though long, until right at the end when the leading 4WD had a rear wheel lock up. The bolts sheared and the huge off road wheel went bouncing up the road whilst the driver fought to retain control and sparks showered from the dragging rear axle. It certainly woke us up and it was many hours until we made it to bed after a celebratory dinner, champagne, a little dancing and one or two beers.

Our "Once Upon a Time in Bolivia" had had it all: stunning mountains, climbing as good as any Lakeland 4b classic, delicious food, bandits, a few tears, but many more laughs. My thanks to a great team: Sue, Kathryn, Andy, Simon, Gerard, Ryan, Mike, Walt, Steven, John, Apollina, Rene, Roberto, Sergio & Virginia.

Mic Rofe
Expedition Leader« | »

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