Bolivian mountain trip
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Let's get to know the mountains of South America!
This time we will take Bolivia and its Huayna Potosi mountain (6088 m)This mountain probably offers the world one of the easiest options to climb a peak at least 6000 meters high. But not the easiest either, because there is still snow, ice and a glacier at the top - so crampons, picks and ropes are necessary for the summit climb.
During acclimatization we practice moving on snow-ice-glacier and safety and we will gain one or two more high peaks in our mountaineering luggage - Pico Austria (5315 m) and Pequeno Alpamayo (5370 m). In addition to mountain climbing, we will be able to do other interesting things during our trip - explore the capital La Paz, take a boat ride on Lake Titicaca, which is almost 4 km above sea level, and race down the famous El Camino de la Muerte, or "road of death", on mountain bikes.
A Bolivian mountain trip is best suited for those who have previously have already climbed at least once or twice in the lower mountains is, preferably at an altitude of 4000-5000 meters. Participants should preferably be familiar with crampons and a pickaxe and have been exposed to easier types of movement on snowy and icy slopes. However, you do not need to have extensive mountain experience, because we will do what is necessary preparatory program also on site in the mountains. So even mountain enthusiasts with little experience can do it well.
Read more below and come along!
Overview - short & sweet
Goal: climb Huayna Potosi (6088 m)
Dates: 21.12.2024-5.01.2025
Activity: mountain climbing
Accommodation type: tent, hotels and mountain huts
Adventure guides:
Marko Aasa - traveled several times in the mountains of South America
Kerttu Olveti - our experience climbing to the top of Huayna Potosi
Technical difficulty level: 2/5 (cats-pickaxe-ropes, but easy climbing on the glacier)
Physical difficulty: 3/5 (moderate effort, but long peak day)
Group size: min 6, max 10
Early bird (until 12.05.2024) — €2650
Late Registration (from 13.05.2024) — €2950
Please note: For community members discount -5% applies (2510 € / 2790 €)
👉 SEE EQUIPMENT LIST HERE 👈
Travel cost
Price includes
Entire trip organization and on-site management
Two experienced Elamus+ mountain guide
Bolivian local mountain guide services on Huayna Potosi mountain
All local transportation in Bolivia
All overnight stays throughout the trip (hotels, mountain huts) with breakfast
Meals during the acclimatization hike, eating in a mountain hut on Huayna Potosi mountain (M, L, T)
Special climbing equipment for the group (ropes, ice augers, carabiners, and other glacier equipment)
Cycling on the “Death Road” - complete package (including transport, bike rental, safety equipment, lunch)
Stylish Elamus+ sports shirt for each participant
Group pharmacy (including medications for altitude sickness)
Price does not include
Flight tickets Tallinn-La Paz-Tallinn (from €1400)
Insurance (travel insurance and mandatory sports insurance suitable for mountain hiking)
Personal hiking and climbing equipment (sleeping bag, crampons, pickaxe, climbing harness, helmet, carabiners) (these can also be rented if necessary) Elamus Pluss)
Drinks and snacks (i.e. lunch) on the mountain
Lunches and dinners outside the mountain
Tips for on-site helpers
Unscheduled excursions, transportation, etc. (or if you want to do something extra)
Registration for the trip
Before registering, please read travel conditions. To secure your place on the trip, you must pay an advance payment (3 EUR) within 400 working days of receiving the confirmation and invoice by e-mail; if there are less than 30 days left until the trip, the total cost (100%) must be paid. Read more: frequently asked questions ja package tour information sheet.
Schedule and activities
🌋 DAYS 1-5: ARRIVAL IN LA PAZ AND ACLIMATIZATION
Preparing for the mountains and acclimatization begins upon arrival in Bolivia. The airport there is located at an altitude of over 4000 meters, and La Paz itself, at 3650 meters, is the highest capital city in the world. These heights can already make your head spin, so we take the first few days easy without much physical exertion.
We will explore the city streets and life in La Paz, admire the city view from the cloud line (Mirador Killi-Killi), take a trip to the city of Copacabana to take a boat ride on the world's highest navigable lake Titicaca (3800 m), and hike on the Isla del Sol (approx. 4000 m) with its rich history. The activities are physically easy, but the altitudes are high, so acclimatization to the mountains is in full swing. Before the mountain days, we can stay overnight in hotels and eat in restaurants.
🌋 DAYS 6-8: WE'RE HEADING TO THE MOUNTAINS AND THE FIRST PEAKS
Now it's time to pack our backpacks, because we're leaving civilization and heading higher into the mountains. For the next few days, our base camp will be Condorir Base Camp (4600 m), located on the shores of a beautiful alpine lake and surrounded by mighty peaks.
The days pass under the star of acclimatization - we rest, hike, practice moving on the glacier and belaying. The highlight of the acclimatization period is the night ascent along the glacier with crampons, a pickaxe and rope to the top of Peak Austria (5315 m) and/or Pequeno Alpamayo (5370 m). We live and spend the night in tents at the base camp.
🌋 DAYS 9-10: VACATION AND CYCLING ON THE DEATH ROAD
After the acclimatization period, we descend once more to civilization in La Paz to rest and recover at a lower altitude. To complete the day off, those interested can take a mountain bike ride down the famous “Death Road”. Once called the most dangerous road in the world, it is closed to motorized vehicles, but it still offers great experiences for mountain bikers. Participants and bikes are initially taken to an altitude of 4650 m, from where a four-hour adrenaline-filled downhill bike ride amidst scenic mountain views follows, with the descent continuing for a full 3600 meters.
DAYS 11-16: CLIMBING HUAYNA POTOSI MOUNTAIN
Now we are ready for our main goal, which is to climb to the 6088-meter peak of Huayna Potosi. We need at least three days for this. On the first day, we drive down the mountain from La Paz to the base camp, where we refuel and go to see the La Viejo glacier. The next day, we begin the journey upwards: after a three- to four-hour hike, we reach the high camp at an altitude of 5100 m. We eat and sleep in the mountain hut there, and at midnight we begin our long climb to the summit.
To reach the summit, you have to take into account a 5-7 hour work day, we start right on the glacier, so everyone has crampons on their feet, a pick in their hand and a rope on their back. Early in the morning around 6-7 am we can enjoy the view of the summit and then we start the descent, first back to the high camp, but also further down the same day and by evening we will be back in La Paz to celebrate our summit achievements in a dignified manner.
At the end of the trip before departure, we also leave two spare days, which we can use as a backup day in the mountains in case of bad weather or in the city below for the last cultural and shopping experiences.
NB! There may be minor changes to the schedule and planned activities - for example, due to weather and conditions or passenger requests.
Bolivian specificities
Official data:
11 million inhabitants and an area of 1 million km2
currency unit Boliviano (BOB or Bs), 1 EUR = 7.5 BOB
Spanish is spoken mainly, with dozens of local languages
Bolivian time is 6 hours behind Estonian time.
Bolivia is located in the central part of South America and is very diverse geographically and climatically. The western part is mountainous - the Andes mountain range runs through it and there is the Altiplano high plateau. The highest peak is over 6500 meters and the snow line begins at 5000 meters. The northern and central parts have a flat Amazonian lowland, the lowest point is only 90 m above sea level.
The country has essentially two seasons - a dry and colder winter period, which lasts from May to October, and a rainy and warmer summer period, which lasts from November to April. The best months for mountain climbing are May-September, because then the weather is clear and dry. However, you can climb mountains in Bolivia all year round, you just need to leave a spare day(s) for waiting out the weather. The temperature in the mountains can drop to -20 degrees, while in the tropical rainforest the average temperature can reach +30 degrees.
Bolivia is also very diverse ethnically, with dozens of peoples living there - the most numerous of which are the Quechua and Aymara. Native American peoples make up more than half of Bolivia's population, so there is a lot of authentic Native American culture to be found in Bolivia.
Travelers to Bolivia are advised to be vaccinated against yellow fever and hepatitis A, and malaria is also present in the country. The diseases are more common at altitudes below 2500 meters, i.e. in the northern and central parts with a tropical climate, while the risks are lower in mountainous areas.
Travel documents and footnotes
The participant is responsible for the validity and condition of their travel documents. For this trip you will need:
pass (visa is not required for Bolivia);
sports insurance suitable for mountain hikingA suitable sports insurance policy must be carried and is a prerequisite for participating in the mountain hike;
travel insurance (including travel disruption, baggage, medical assistance);
If Bolivia requires a Covid-19 test or other related documents prior to travel, these are also the responsibility of the participant.
Read more also Elamus Pluss OÜ travel conditions.
Don't worry, let's do it!
Is this mountain hike within my reach?
Huayna Potosi is a relatively easy 6000+ m mountain in terms of climbing techniques and is also suitable for novice climbers. Previous climbing experience on 4000+ or 5000+ m mountains and the ability to use crampons, a pickaxe and rope are useful.
But I don't have any hiking gear, who can afford to buy it?!
You'll still have to spend a little, but not much. For Huayna Potosi, you'll need regular hiking clothes, warmer winter clothes, and simpler mountaineering equipment. Climbing equipment includes crampons, a pickaxe, a climbing belt, a helmet, and carabiners - we can get all of this on site. Of course, those who wish to do so are also allowed to bring their own equipment. You could bring your own mountain boots and sleeping bag, but you can also rent them from Estonia.
Okay, I registered. Now what?
To make your mountain hike more enjoyable, we recommend that you participate in our preparatory events before the trip - it's also part of the fun. We organize preparatory hiking training, give advice on suitable insurance and equipment, where to rent cheap equipment, what to train for, etc. We will definitely check the collected equipment just before the start of the trip and send reminders about important things.
Read more also frequently asked questions.
