In the very center of ancient Andean cultures.

ZIA EXPEDITION

Duration

14

Minimum

4

Maximum

8

Season

MAY-SEPT

Difficulty

4

From

ON DEMAND
In La Paz two mountains attract the eye: the Illimani to the SE and the ice pyramid of Huayna Potosí, the most popular mountain of the Bolivian Royal Mountains. Of this young hill (in Aymara) whose ascent has no greater technical demands is said to be the six thousand easiest in the world. It has two summits, the north being the highest with 6,090 meters above sea level. Without a doubt the Nevado Huayna Potosí has a special appeal not only for mountaineers but for all who are lucky enough to admire it up close. It is majestically white, lone and enjoys the prestige of being a six thousand whose ascent is relatively easy. The entire area around it, especially its western slope concentrates numerous high lagoons still as mirrors, sometimes frozen but always located within the impressive environment of the Bolivian Royal Range. From Khotia Lagoon to Surakhota and Ajwani, where large flocks of ducks meet, each is a gift to the eye in the diaphanous atmosphere of Andean heights that highlights natural colors. The unparalleled Condoriri Massif approaches day by day impressing the observer with its beauty praised by all mountaineers and the icy Chiakhota lagoon, at 4,880 meters above sea level, is a place that imposes admiration. Then comes the effort to pass the Jallaiko Pass, above 5,000 meters above sea level, to descend to a cozy valley and climb another step, circle more Andean lagoons while by far guarding the Huayna Potosí that proposes the hiker to continue the adventure and enjoy at dawn a wide view over La Paz. Mountaineers around the world praise the Condoriri Massif, a notable part of bolivia’s famed Cordillera Real, because of its unique beauty and resemblance to the Himalayas. The Nevado Condoriri (5648 meters above sea level), the main mountain, has three summits that look like the head and wings of a condor, the symbol of the Andes. They also form the massif another fourteen summits five thousand, among them the Little Alpamayo. On a five-day tour we will explore this Massif knowing its slopes and the whole set of high lagoons that give it highlight. Little Alpamayo is a beautiful mountain of 5,410 m. which has this name for its resemblance to one of the faces of the great Alpamayo. It is barely visible from the base camp in Chiar Khota Lagoon, hidden by tarija hill a little lower than must be ascended to reach Little Alpamayo. A sharp edge leads to the summit and the eastern slope abruptly falls to the jungle anvils of the Bolivian amazon in contrast to the 800 m with which it rises on its west side over the plateau, which is the best route. The Andean tour started two weeks ago will have a different ending. A descent of two thousand meters of altitude by bike from the picturesque village of Sorata, at the foot of the Illampu massif, to the gold town of Mapiri on the banks of the river, 50 km further down difficult mountain roads. And then a hours trip by canoe along the Mapiri River and then along the great Beni River will take us to the port of Rurrenabaque in the middle of the territory of the Amazonian yungas, in four days from the snow-capped peaks to the jungle in the heart of Bolivia!

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