Berg Adventures International: Expedition to Bolivia

Ola amigos, it’s John Freeman calling in again from Bolivia. We are on an acclimatization hike here in the Condoriri and after hiking yesterday in some wind and overcast conditions with some light snow, today is a very beautiful day. The clear skies allowed us to have wonderful views of Cabeza de Condor, in fact earlier in the day we were able to catch a glimpse of our objective here in the Condoriri, which is Pequeno Alpamayo.

When we saw Pequeno Alpamayo I was asked many questions from all the guys, which way would we go, how steep would it be, how long it would take. This is completely normal and a very good sign that they are anxious to start climbing and that they are a very motivated group.

Today we took an easy day and made it up all the way to 16,000 feet (4900m). We kept a steady pace. Everyone is doing really well and we are just going to stop for lunch before we go higher. We are hoping that we can gain a pass that will allow us to see Huayna Potosi, which is off to the southeast from where we are staying. We will stay at that higher elevation for a while to help with our acclimatization, which is very important on these trips. Then we will make our way back down for an early day at base camp where we can rest and relax.

One of the things that always amazes me when we come here is despite the fact that many travelers overlook this country is that people who do actually visit here are always shocked at how beautiful this country is. I just wish we could share this special place with more people.