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Title image - BAI takes you to: Bolivia

Bolivia Expedition Dispatch

June 22, 2008 – From the top of Tarija

It’s June 22 and it’s Ayamara New Year, the first full day after the winter solstice in Bolivia. I am calling you from the top of Tarija, 17,580 feet above sea level, far up the glacier above our base camp. I’m proud to say that this team has done another successful climb.

Yesterday we went up to the glacier for a little bit of training. We put the crampons back on the ice (transmission interrupted).

Today we had the staff bring us a wake up coffee and tea at 2:45 am in our tent. By 4:20 am we had eaten our breakfast and were on our way as we put our crampons on in the darkness and began slowly climbing up the moraine towards the glacier in the beautiful morning dawn.

Keith and Roy `Father and Son Team` on Kilimanjaro last year

Keith and Roy `Father and Son Team`

on Kilimanjaro last year

Back below at base camp are those two incredible guys from Atlanta, “the father and son team”. Roy, the father, is 74 and his son, Keith, is 53. These guys are remarkable characters to be in a group with and they have shared the best stories I have ever heard on an expedition (transmission interrupted). They climbed Kilimanjaro with Berg Adventures last year and they have done great on this trip even though they decided to sit this steep climb out today. The rest of the team has climbed all the way to the summit of Tarija (transmission interrupted) as you look across you gasp with excitement because of the beautiful steep, steep ridge. It’s a breathtaking view and it is the top of our next peak that we are going to try to climb today: Pequeño Alpamayo, about 17,600 feet. It is a beautiful day today and I think we have a good shot at it. Also, as I look far off to the west across the clear horizon where I can see Sajama, over 21,000 feet, shimmering off there in the distance.

The team is doing great and we have another fabulous day of climbing ahead of us. I hope to be talking to you in a couple more hours from the top of Pequeño Alpamayo.