Bolivia Part 2-Alpine Mountaineering and Ascents offers a wide range of opportunity for climbing at basic or more advanced levels on peaks up to 20,000 feet. They include skills instruction and review among some of the most impressive peaks of the Andes. Bolivia Part 3 is a five-day expedition to the highest peak in the Cordillera Real, 21,201-foot Nevado Illimani.

The Institute also offers expeditions for experienced alpinists to four of the most important summits on the continent. The Ancohuma/Illampu Expedition in Bolivia runs simultaneously with Bolivia Part 2 and can also be preceded by the Cuzco / Machu Picchu trip and the Bolivia Part 1-La Paz and Remote Bolivia Trek. Expeditions to Huascaran and Alpamayo in Peru follow the Cuzco and Machu Picchu tour. AAI also leads two-week trips of first ascents and new routes for experienced climbers in remote areas of Bolivia's Cordillera Real.

Aymara village. Dunham Gooding

No countries in the world have greater geographical diversity than Bolivia and its neighbor Peru. Lying within their borders are deserts, lush jungles, dry altiplano, fertile valleys, and numerous glaciated mountain ranges. But while the scenery is spectacular, the startling physical contrasts of each area have put different requirements upon humanity and have offered varied possibilities for life. While geographical differences and physical barriers normally isolate civil groups, develop in each distinct cultural characteristics, and make them independent if not hostile to one another, in Bolivia and Peru their challenge to humanity brought development of one of the world's most sophisticated civilizations.

In contrast, modern times have been typified by a complexity of political problems. In 15 to 20-year cycles we see South American countries that were thought of as stable fall to the trials of hyper-inflation and to ruling bodies that are either too laissez-faire or too heavy handed in their government, while at the same time we see countries that seemed condemned to insurmountable problems make remarkable progress and install governments of fairness and foresight.

The regularity of change in Bolivian governments used to make that country the butt of jokes and earned for it the informal designation as the world's least stable political arena. Military coups d'etat occurred on an average of every 11 months, and while they were almost always peaceful, they nonetheless prevented any long-term policy planning to be put in place and never fostered the development of any visionary government. Since 1982, however, the country has been governed by a multi-party democracy, and it now enjoys its highest degree of stability in this century.

On this seven-day acclimatization program we fly directly to western Bolivia where we explore La Paz and parts of the vast 13,500-foot altiplano, make a four-day trek in the southern Cordillera Real that takes us through Aymara mountain villages which function in a manner largely unaffected by the modern world, and explore Inca and Aymara archeological sites throughout our journey. This program can be taken by itself as an introduction to one of South America's most remarkable historic, cultural, and geographical regions, or it can be used as preparation for Bolivia Part 2-Alpine Mountaineering and Ascents, or for the Ancohuma/Illampu Expedition. It may also be preceded immediately by a tour of Cuzco and Machu Picchu in Peru.

At 12,300 feet, La Paz is the highest capital in the world. Illimani is in the distance. Doug Nelson

Though it lies in a basin 1200 feet below the altiplano on which we land, at 12,300 feet La Paz is the highest capital in the world, and our process of acclimatization begins immediately upon arrival there. We keep our pace moderate on the first day, visiting colonial sites that include the National Palace, Congress, and Museum of Art. We also explore the city's busy traditional markets, including those devoted to fresh, dried, and live foods, clothing, witches' supplies, and household goods and run by bowler-hatted Aymara women. Those with an interest in native handicrafts, especially weaving, will be pleased to find that the goods sold here are the finest of their type in South America.

On our way into the Cordillera Real, we gain tremendous views of Illimani. Andrew Wexler

The next morning we drive east into the Cordillera Real, gaining beautiful views of the immense, triple-summitted Illimani (21,201'). Crossing very rugged terrain and repeatedly dropping into little valleys and climbing back to ridge crests, we move steadily higher, enjoying expansive views of the 13,500-foot altiplano and the spectacular string of 20,000-foot alpine peaks that rise above it.

At the trailhead we meet our Aymara arriero with his pack animals that will be used to carry our gear on our mountain journey. He makes his home in a 14,000-foot high village right on the world's highest borderline of feasible agriculture, where he grows potatoes and husbands llamas, horses, and sheep. Loading our gear on his animals, we set off with day packs towards the crest of the Andes, enjoying glimpses ahead to the glaciated Illimani and Murata (19,256') and back over the altiplano towards Lake Titicaca.

We climb high and cross the fantastic Valle de las Animas (Valley of the Spirits) where unusual vertical tubes of rock create an organ pipe sound as the wind rushes through the valley. We drop dramatically into the canyon, enjoying views of its half-mile-high vertical walls. The sandstone here displays many hues of brown, orange, and yellow with occasional pinnacles in contorted shapes. We walk through this beautiful landscape beside the Rio Uni on the 10,500-foot valley floor, exit the canyon through a side opening, and then pass through an area of traditionally tended agricultural lands.

Valle de las Animas (Valley of the Spirits). Miles Newby

On our way to the village of Palca, we trek along the waters of Rio Choquekhota where we see gold panning and pass hand-excavated gold mine shafts. These are some of the signs of a nineteenth century lifestyle that was part of a South American "Wild West" that included such colorful characters as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid who hid out in this area after their adventures in Argentina. Hiking through a eucalyptus plantation, we reach the village of Ventilla, and establish a camp above it at 12,000 feet.

Climbing steadily the next morning, we leave agricultural lands and approach a subalpine area, gaining views of Murata peak and the striking, glacier-capped Cerro Zorra, with its ebony colored rock and fortress-like flanks. We trek to a group of small lakes and establish our camp next to one at 14,000 feet, and later in the day make a short hike to a large abandoned mine, Mina San Francisco.

The next part of our trek takes us across the Andean chain and close to Murata. The views become steadily more impressive as we move higher, cross 15,420-foot Taquesi Pass, and then embark on a five-mile-long section of Inca road, the most perfectly preserved of the Inca Empire. With sophisticated drainage systems and grading to keep the path dry, and with use limited to small numbers of beasts of burden, no damage has been done to the individually carved and fitted stones that pave the length of this ancient roadway despite five centuries of use. As we begin to descend the road, we turn our gaze towards the Amazon Basin. There is more moisture here than on the western side of the range, and the mists that sometimes rise and wander through the thickening vegetation add a new atmosphere and range of colors to the landscape.

This remarkable road that we walk seems to take us even further back in time, and the Aymara settlement that we come upon has a striking, medieval quality about it. Taquesi is a village of small stone buildings and thatched roofs, functioning on a subsistence agriculture based on several varieties of potatoes, and living according to traditions unchanged for centuries. Aside from some of the young and middle-aged men, the village is mono-lingual Aymara, and from the youngest to the oldest, all are involved in either the growing of potatoes or the raising of small family llama herds. Although similar to visiting the intriguing remnants of medieval life in Europe, a visit to a remote village like this allows one to step into an ancient way of life and actually see it being lived.

The terrain below Taquesi is quite steep and the vegetation continues to thicken as we descend through a high jungle of small-leafed trees and wispy lichens, and then pass through a series of ecological zones, each successively supporting a more complex array of flora and fauna. The final leg of our trek begins to take on an "Amazon feel" as we walk through plantings of banana, cacao, and papaya. And here too, as we reach the mining settlement of Chojlla, we get a good introduction to one of Bolivia's "Wild East" towns, new, adventurous, and rough around the edges. We meet our vehicle at a mine in Chojlla and from there make a scenic drive back to La Paz where we have a day to prepare for the beginning of Bolivia Part 2-Alpine Mountaineering and Ascents. Those participating only in Part I can elect to join us for the first spectacular day of Part 2 during which we make a trip by motor launch on Lake Titicaca and drive up into the mountains to our trailhead.

Pre-Trek Program

Flight arrangements should be scheduled so that you arrive in La Paz on the first scheduled day of the trip. Please schedule your departure so that you leave the day after the last scheduled day of the trip. Please contact our Travel Coordinator if you need assistance with travel arrangements.