16-Day Mountaineering Expedition to Bolivia

You will leave home to start your amazing adventure.

Upon arrival at the airport, we will head to La Paz, the capital city of Bolivia and the highest capital city in the world at 3,650 meters. Our schedule includes a city tour and cable car ride while acclimatizing to the altitude. We will also go over our equipment and itinerary for the days ahead. We will stay in a hotel for the evening.

Our day includes a visit to Tiwanaku, an ancient ceremonial center from a pre-Incan civilization. It has fascinating megalithic stone figures alongside temple ruins, and even what is believed to be a solar calendar dating back to 600 BCE. Travelling across the altiplano, we arrive at the shores of the world’s largest high-altitude lake – Lake Titicaca.

We will cross the Strait of Tiquina via boat to reach Copacabana for the night, staying in a hotel.

A morning departure by boat leads us to the Isla del Sol, home of the small Incan ruins of Pilko Kaina. We will take a trek across the island over roughly three hours and see archaeological sites and captivating views of the surrounding landscapes.

Our evening concludes with an optional walk to the highest point of the island to watch the sunset. We will stay at an ecolodge in Yumani.

After a wonderful morning waking up on the island, we will boat back to the Copacabana and onto our journey. We head for Rinconada and the Condoriri to load up our donkeys. After a couple of hours, we will reach Laguna Chiar Khota, where we will set up base camp (4,700m) for the next few days.

Our day features an acclimatization climb of Pico Austria (5,320m), a wonderful trekking mountain with great views of the mountainside.

This is a relatively easier day with a hike to the glacier terminus. We will review glacier traverse technique and other necessary skills for the ascent of Pequeno Alpamayo.

We will use this day to prepare for our upcoming ascent, with some possible small climbs near frozen waterfalls.

This is our ascent day for Pequeno Alpamayo (5,370m). Passing our training glacier from days before, we continue to Pico Tarija (5,200m) and put our goal in sight. The summit features a fabulous airy ridge near the top, and its exposure allows for great views in every direction.

We will descend back to the Condoriri Base Camp for the evening.

A relatively short hike will take us from Condoriri Base Camp back to Rinconada. From there, we will return to La Paz for some rest before tackling the next portion of the adventure.

Our focal point on this day is travelling through Alto Cruz Pampa (4,450m) and setting up base camp, our point of departure for the Chachacomani summit. Donkeys will again transfer our equipment, and we will stay the evening at the base camp (4,470m).

It will take three or four hours to transfer our gear from Alto Cruz Pampa to the Chachacomani High Camp (5,130m). Camping at the base of the mountain will get us ready for the next day and the next step up Chachacomani.

The distinguishable glacial mass of Chachacomani (6,074m) and its peak are our primary objectives today, rising from the middle of the Cordillera Real. We will traverse the glacier and enjoy some steep climbing at the final ascent to reach the top, where the miraculous views will take your breath away.

From the altiplano and the Cordillera Real to the vast expanse of the subtropics and the Amazon Basin, you will see the world from this incredible mountain. We will descend back to the Chachacomani Base Camp for the night.

After our day at the top of Chachacomani, we will make our way back along the route we came. After passing again through Alto Cruz Pampa, we will return to La Paz for the evening.

We will relish our adventure by spending a touristic day in La Paz, which includes museums, shopping, and relaxing. Should we need additional time on the mountain, this day may also be used for a summit attempt.

With life-long memories in tow, you will say goodbye to Bolivia and the adventure of a lifetime.