Trip Reports

Bolivian Climber - 25 Jul to 14 Aug '11

Written by Leader Greg Coe, August 2011

By 11:00am on August 10th, after eight hours climbing, all six climbers who had left high camp reached the summit of Illimani (6,462m) in excellent conditions: a cold wind blew steadily from the west, but the skies were clear, and it seemed our good luck with the weather was holding for the fourth and final summit of the trip.

We had begun three weeks earlier, with Jack and Jordan arriving in La Paz 24hrs earlier than the rest, and making a start on their filming project around Tihuanaco and the city. The rest of the team arrived late next evening (after the inevitable delays at Santa Cruz) in time for a quick sandwich and bed. Next day saw us experiencing the highlights of La Paz on foot: a good way to kick-start the acclimatisation, and get our bearings in this fascinating city.

Then it was off to Copacobana, and a couple of nights by the Lake Titicaca, as we explored the town, and made a day-trip to the photogenic Isla del Sol, where we were treated to clear blue skies, and distant views of the Cordillera Real: our objective for the next few weeks.

Then back on the bus, and finally into the hills: we arrived at our first campsite to meet the local crew, and take a short acclimatisation walk in the afternoon, giving views of the nearby Huayna Potosi, which was to be a later objective. But first, the Condoriri group, and we headed up into the massif the following day, under some high cirrus, and with a cold wind blowing strongly at times. We established camp and settled in, after another brief climb up the side of the valley, to aid acclimatisation, and which gave us a view of Pico Austria: our target for the next day.

The winds remained strong, but we wrapped up warm and made good progress up the side of the valley, apart from Steve and Jane, who were suffering stomach upsets. They returned to camp early, and as Jane’s condition worsened they elected to descend to La Paz, and later return home. This was a sad loss to the group, and the mess tent seemed unusually quiet that evening...

However, the mountains remained to be climbed, and after a day’s training on the nearby glacier, and a day of rest to recharge batteries, we were ready for our first main objective: Pequenyo Alpamayo (5,337m). After several days of strong winds (strong enough to batter the mess tent into submission, at one point) we were delighted that our summit day dawned clear and still. The hard ice on the snout of the glacier proved the first technical challenge, but all rose to the task, and we made good progress up to the summit of Tarija, from which the full beauty of Pequenyo Alpamayo is revealed.

Alan and (his water-carrier) Neil were making great progress, and they went ahead to allow Eduardo to place the fixed line, which protects the exposed summit ridge (a good job in this case, as a self-destructing crampon episode caused some excitement high on the ridge). Mike and Shae, on Nelson’s rope, were close behind, and all were on the summit by 8:30am, basking in sunshine, and stripping off for topless calendar photos. Bala and Noelle had arrived in Bolivia with mild respiratory problems, so they both did extremely well to persevere with their acclimatisation, and made steady progress on the day – coughing and gasping their way to the top: a really good effort. Jordan also made the summit in a strong and determined fashion, guided by the ever-patient Rene.

A final night, in what was now a somewhat crowded international basecamp, before we shifted operations to our first 6,000er: Huayna Potosi. The first night in the lower hut brought more medical incident, as Mike began to suffer chest pain and difficulty breathing. Dr Bala was on hand to lend additional expertise, and Mike was made comfortable with bottled oxygen and medication while a vehicle was summoned from La Paz. Both Mike and partner Noelle remained extremely calm throughout, and they were accompanied to the excellent clinic in La Paz by Eduardo, with remarkably little fuss. (Mike later made a full recovery, and accompanied us to the base-camp of Illimani).

The remainder of us sorted kit, to be carried up to the higher hut by some willing porters, and we made the ascent in two groups: the first of us just missing the weather, which suddenly came in hard, dumping five inches of snow in the next few hours. Noelle and Eduardo rejoined us later that afternoon, having made the ascent to the top hut without the benefit of porters, and forging a trail up the now snow-covered moraine. Despite what looked like a drastic change in the weather, we set alarms for 2:00am, and awoke to find the sky had cleared (and that several teams had departed early, re-establishing the trail for us). With a new moon already set, the stars were astonishingly bright, and as we made our way up the mountain, the lights of El Alto twinkled far beneath us. A breathtaking sunrise found us high on the eastern side of the mountain, and sheltered from the wind from the west.

Neil (freed from the burden of Alan’s water) made fantastic progress on a rope with Nelson, summiting in a little less than four hours. Alan and Shae soon followed with Eduardo, but by this time the final summit ridge was exposed to a biting wind, and they didn’t dawdle long on the top (nor, indeed, pose topless for photos). Once again Noelle and Bala dug deep, and we made the summit in a respectable six hours, and were back in the hut by midday, enjoying soup, and the prospect of treats in La Paz: hot showers and cold beers, a reunion with Mike (and too many bottles of wine in the convivial La Comedie).

A well-earned lie-in was enjoyed, and some desultory shopping, in what seemed like a hung-over La Paz, following Saturday’s Independence Day celebrations. Then it was off again, on the spectacular four-hour journey to the Illimani roadhead. We enjoyed a fine lunch, before the pleasant two-hour stroll up to base camp.

The next day we sorted porter loads again, and leaving all surplus kit at base camp, began the hike to “the Condor’s Nest”: the high camp perched on a rocky ridge, at 5,500m. Several groups were converging there, so space was at a premium, but our trusty porters and cook team had raced ahead to bag the best spots, and we settled in for an afternoon of rehydrating, and mental preparation. As usual the afternoon clouds rolled in, but the forecast looked good, and sure enough we arose at 1:30am to a still, clear night, with a three-quarter moon setting over the sparkling lights of La Paz.

This time Alan forged ahead on a rope with Eduardo, followed by Shae and Neil with Nelson. They quickly overcame the initial steep slopes, protected by a fixed line placed the previous afternoon, and were soon overhauling the other parties on the hill. Dr Bala’s medical skills were called upon once again at the top of the fixed rope, staunching a bleeding facial wound (which he’d inflicted on Rene’s nose, with a wayward crampon). First aid administered, we continued with Noelle, leaving a bloodstained patch in the snow, and Rene to continue with Jordan.

Noelle’s asthma had worsened, and it soon became clear that, unless we picked up the pace, we would be moving too slowly to reach the summit, and descend within safe margins. After a quick discussion, Noelle simply dug deeper; the pace picked up, and we were back on track. Choosing a route up the headwall that skirted any patches of hard ice, we were able to move together up the 50-degree nevee. We took a final breather beneath the bergschrund, choosing to put on an extra layer before emerging onto the windswept summit ridge, and from there it was simply a case of getting our heads down, and plodding up the interminable slopes to the top.

Amazingly, we met Jordan on the descent, who was still plodding ahead with Rene: a remarkable effort for his third mountain. By 6:00pm that night, we were reunited in the base camp, and enjoying the banter and camaraderie that was the hallmark of this team. A celebratory dinner was enjoyed with our dedicated local team, and generous tips distributed.

Thanks again everyone, and best wishes for the future.

Greg Coe, Expedition Leader « Previous report | Next report »

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