Bolivia Expedition Dispatch

June 25, 2008 – Arriving at Sajama Base Camp and Hot Springs

It is Wednesday, the 25th of June. I’m calling you from the western edge of Bolivia. We are about 14,200 feet above sea level; looking off in one direction at high volcanic peaks on the Chilean border and in the other direction I’m looking at Sajama, the highest peak in Bolivia and our goal this week.

On the 23rd when we came down from Condoriri into La Paz the showers were very welcomed of course and there was a flurry of activity when we got back into the city. Leila, Roy and Keith went quickly down to the American Airlines office to schedule them out of the country. They ended up on a flight to Santa Cruz and left at 7:00 on Monday evening.

We’ve lost 4 members now who are only doing the Condoriri introductory climbing phase of the trip. Roy and Keith, Rob and Yael flew out early on Tuesday morning. Monday evening we all went for a farewell dinner up at the top floor restaurant, it’s our favorite in La Paz, where the bright lights of the city reach up toward the canyon rim. We savored a lot of memories of great times together. The first part of this BAI Bolivia climb has had team members aged 30 – 72. We were all very compatible; there was a lot of laughter and good natured humor. We did give one another a lot of grief at times but we made lifelong friends on our climbing trip to Condoriri.

Now the rest of this team has continued up to this remote place I’ve just mentioned. Yesterday we drove on a really nice bus on the lonely highway that stretches out towards Chile across western Bolivia. We stopped at a church that dates back to the 16th century, wandered around and marveled at the landscape around us as well as all the history. We had a picnic lunch and came across this lodge or hostel that we are staying at now. We are the first guests that have ever stayed here. It’s located right beside the hot springs in Sajama National Park that BAI has used for years. We’ve always loved coming out here but we used to have to drive a few kilometers to the town of Sajama to enjoy the hot springs. The local folks have built a really nice hostel here and were so proud and glad to see us because we are literally their first guests. The rooms are sparkling clean and the beds have never been slept in and it’s just a few steps out the door to the wonderful hot springs and the views of Sajama above. Bonnie and Adam were the first ones to come out in the evening to enjoy the hot springs.

Today we are going to Sajama base camp and our climb will be under way. With luck on Friday or Saturday we will be standing at the highest point in Bolivia. Please stay tuned as we give you reports along the way on this climb.