Climbing in the Bolivian Andes
Classic Climbs in the Royal Range

Bolivia is a huge country, which sits along the great mountain chain of the Andes. The Andes comprises two main ranges, the Eastern Cordillera and the Western Cordillera, and these two ranges cross Bolivia from north to south, separated by high and quite barren plains known as the "altiplano." From the point of view of the trekker and mountain climber, the most interesting part of this geographically varied Andean country is the Cordillera Real or Royal Range. Arriving at the El Alto Airport, the first impression that the visitor has of Bolivia is of clear mountain air and the impressive snow-capped peaks of the Cordillera Real. Illimani, at 21,180 feet, dominates the south-east skyline. Our expedition starts out by acclimatizing in La Paz and Lake Titicaca, taking time to visit Inca ruins close to the lakeside resort of Copacabana. Now reasonably well acclimatized, we make our 3 day trekking approach to the mountains and our first climbing objective, Pequeno Alpamayo (17,613ft.). Pequeno Alpamayo provides a technically interesting snow climb via its long west-south-west ridge. Transferring to the base camp for Huayna Potosi (20,000ft.), we make a 2-day ascent of this popular mountain and then return to La Paz for a day of rest before our attempt on Illimani. This trip involves challenging, high-altitude trekking and climbing and is suitable for those with previous alpine climbing experience.