Trip Reports

Bolivian Climber - 4 to 25 July '09

Written by Leader Tom Parkin, August 2009

The Brazilian Security Officer was livid with rage, having just established we'd all entered his country illegally. It had been a long flight to Sao Paulo & we'd managed to bypass Immigration in order to collect our bags. Trying to leave his country for Bolivia caused him apoplexy, someone was going to get a real going over. Fortunately it wasn't going to be us as we caught our onward flight to La Paz. We didn't know it then but we had to change planes at Santa Cruz. Relatively straightforward unless someone loses their Boarding Pass & another gives it to some random official by mistake. AeroSur were very helpful but it still meant a run across the tarmac for some.

Mid-evening saw us land at El Alto, above La Paz, where we were met, loaded aboard a bus & driven down into the nightime cauldron of light that is La Paz. By moonlight we could make out the distant mountains, rising jaggedly out of the Altiplano. A weary, but gelling well, team went straight to their rooms in the smart Ritz Hotel.

Walking on the flat & going downhill seems fine at 3600m, just try running up stairs. It would take us several days to acclimatise & to remember that we were already as high as many European alpine summits. "Sight-seeing" around La Paz and then wandering through Copacabana, crossing Lake Titicaca & going over the Isla del Sol really shouldn't leave you feeling that you've just lost a lung. At around 4200m we were already feeling the strain.

Within days of arriving we were headed for Condoriri base camp. A spectacular setting, past two alpine lakes, one of which was filled with tasty N. American trout. We met our excellent Guides: Sergio, Roberto & Rene, & quickly took to Dora's excellent cooking & Claudio's tomfoolery.

The weather was with us as we hiked up to Pt. Austria, at 5300m, although all was not well in camp. Apart from the usual stomach troubles one of our number was deteriorating with what we would later find out was HAPE & pneumonia. Whether Richard's recent chest infection was a factor, as soon as it became clear that he was deteriorating, we sent him back to La Paz. The team very much regretted his departure as his enthusiasm and camaraderie infected us all.

After a further period of acclimatisation & glacier training we were ready, or so we thought, for our first alpine ascent of Pequenya Alpamayo. Starting in the pre-pre-dawn hours we left camp for the foot of the glacier, at the head of the valley. A steady ascent saw all four ropes crossing the dry glacier on to the crevassed slopes & over the snow bridges above. The ropes spread apart slowly as they encountered steeper ground. The first real surprise for some was the 50m or so scramble down over a loose rock buttress in crampons. Probably just as well that the weather chose that moment to close in. Next surprise was just how steep 55° ice can get, only this was crushed ice barely covering the blue ice beneath. Occasional breaks in the cloud helped us appreciate just what a spectacular summit this must be. First to summit were Tony & Terry, followed shortly by the English Exiles, Mad Swede and the Manxmen. The Belgium team were lagging behind somewhat, but then one of their number was still enduring being violently ill.

It was not over yet as we all still had to get down. Alright for the more experienced and suitably sure-footed, less so for those with limited experience of downclimbing steep ice ridges with sharp drops on both sides. Were we sure this wasn't 65°+ ice, it certainly felt like it. So we left Condoriri behind, a wonderful cirque of mountains well worth a return visit.

Another bus journey took us to the Refugio at the base of Huayana Potosi. There we rapidly became convinced that a Brazilian team had been sent to hunt us down, as they reappeared once more in our tracks. Dark mutterings of revenge were uttered for their unwelcoming behaviour. Fortunately it soon became obvious that we were easily burning them off. Once established at the upper Refugio we were in position for another summit bid. Early start and cold, clear skies meant that we were all positioned high on the mountain when the sun seared the horizon. A beautiful dawn light and steady ascent lulled us in to a false sense of ease, for the summit ridge held a sting in its tale. Two of the ropes were lagging a little, one due to illness & the other due to choice of line. Even so all made it to the summit in the cold, but clear wind, for some stunning views. Hiking down off the mountain we were suitably careful as we had heard that a three man team had just fallen 1000m down the West face, and that the previous day a young woman had fallen to her death from our descent path.

A couple of rejuvenating nights in La Paz were soon forgotten as we contoured round dirt roads barely clinging to the sides of the canyon lands. 4x4's absolutely essential as well as excellent driving skills. Somehow mountaineering seemed safer, when looking straight down 1000m to the canyon floor. At Pinaya roadhead we were treated to a wonderful meal in beautiful surroundings before making the short walk up to Base Camp. A magnificent setting with Illimani towering above and horses roaming around camp. The team really had the bit between the teeth now & were keen to make swift progress. The following day we climbed the loose rock ridge up to the high camp of Nido de Condores, treated to a close encounter with the bird in question in the process.

The weather began to look ominous, however, with cloud building all day from the North, with what looked suspiciously like snow falling in the distance. We made camp, settled in & tried to rest for our summit bid the following day. Around dusk though the storm hit, first a crack of thunder then the rattle of snow showers. Gradually the tent sides started to sag under the increasing weight of wind driven snow. At -7°C inside the tents & 20cm of new snow plastering our previously bare rocky platform the decision to stay put made obvious sense. As it was our ability to do anything but sit tight was a concern. The dawn showed us avalanche prone slopes above & a snowline down to below our Base Camp. Options were discussed & consensus gained that we had to attempt a retreat down the ridge. Lines were fixed on the steeper sections, though that barely stopped one porter from taking a very short trip down onto the glacier, & one of our three ropes also tried experiencing a slide into the unknown. Eventually we all made it safely down to Base Camp, and hiked out to the roadhead. Although we were all looking forward to a relaxing day in La Paz, our abiding memory is probably sitting down to a magnificent mixed grill BBQ. Prepared by our Guides & Dora we were treated royally, in a high alpine setting with stunning views & the strains of Pink Floyds "Wish You Were Here" summing up the trip perfectly.

Tom Parkin, Expedition Leader « Previous report | Next report »

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