Bolivia Expedition Dispatch

June 14, 2011 – Leaving Copacabana and Hiking to Base Camp

This is Leila Silveira reporting from Condoriri base camp. Today we had an early start from Copacabana and after a big breakfast, we started our scenic drive to Condoriri.

The journey began with a boat ride across the lake and that went quite smoothly. Once across, we drove towards La Paz and just before we reached El Alto, we made a sharp left turn and started driving off-road to the trailhead.

We saw many llamas and guanacos today as we drove and as we hiked. The hike was not too long taking under two hours because our group is energetic and strong. Upon arrival we had a wonderful BBQ. We spent the rest of the day organizing our gear and relaxing.

It was a long day, but we are all here at Condoriri base camp, at 14,800ft/4600 m. From Copacobana to base camp is quite a big jump in altitude, so we will take it easy as we acclimatize.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to enjoy our time in Bolivia!