Opening up a new mountaineering area: Chachacomani

A week in the mountains seems so simple. But nothing ever is simple. In a way just getting here is a big deal.

First, the local community has to agree to the area being used for tourism. Cordillera Real areas like Condoriri and Huyana Potosi crossed that hurdle long ago. The Chachacomani area we spent the last week in was opened only three years ago. That makes us one of the earliest groups to visit there.

Jose is a local man from the Chachacomani community who has encouraged opening this area for climbing, i.e. tourism.  Only since 2010 can climbers access this area. It remains very little visited today.

Second, equipment and food for a week takes lots of help to move into the mountains. To get here takes a 4x4 ride from La Paz to Peñas where the dirt road starts. The dirt road eventually deteriorates considerably into basically an adventure ride for folks used to precipitous views. Finally, three to four hours later, we park at Jose´s house where we meet with porters and pack animals.

Third, the hike in to base camp takes close to three hours. It is not steep at all -- we gained perhaps 100m in elevation. There is a lot of wind though.And the views are typical Cordillera Real, that is, stunning.

Here´s the valley near the start of the hike in. It gets drier higher up.

Thanks to burros for carrying our stuff ...

... and thanks to the llamas and porters, too! 

First view of Chachacomani, one of this area´s 6,000+ metre summits.

Fourth, local community people have to be recruited to act as porters and helpers. This in a place without communications. To talk to someone, you have to show up at their house. Imagine!

The breakfast table. Juan, our cook, made sure we were well fueled.

Our job is really to be acclimatized, stay healthy, eat food and climb.

There are lots of superstitions locals have about the mountains they live amongst. Eduardo told about meeting with practically every person  in the community to talk about mountaineering and allowing climbers to use this area. Jose was instrumental in creating that conversation. Coming from places where mountain tourism and mountain culture is normal, it is valuable to understand better the work needed to establish access in new places where neither really exists. And I am happy to be able to experience a part of the world few have seen up close and personal as we have over this last week.

Climbing Pico Aguila (Chachacomani Zone)

We are back in La Paz. Both with colds (mine almost 2 weeks old and fighting off bronchitis with anti-biotics and Jan with a head cold), we decided to leave the mountains a few days early so we could recover in time for our attempt at Illimani, later this week. We will arrange day climbs with Eduardo nearer to La Paz so we can sleep at Casa Hermanos Manchego in the comfort of our home away from home.

Meanwhile, we summited Pico Aguila (Eagle Mountain) , about 5,500m (18,045 feet), in the Humajalanta area of the Chachacomani zone on September 11. It was a gorgeous day that featured a 5am start, enablilng us to reach  the glacier around 7:30am. We summited at about noon, leaving us plenty of time for the descent. The normal route Eduardo climbed last year no longer exists (changing glaciar conditions and unsafe crevasses having formed). We got to pioneer a new one, that featured an impressive ridge walk at the very top.

First light hits the mountain tops across the valley from Pico Aguila.

Suiting up for glacier travel. Eduardo Mamani Quispe, Bolivian Mountain Guides.

A short break on the glacier. In the background is the broken off former ¨normal route¨. We took the long way around and on top of the summit ridge.

The summit ridge. Nearly there now!

Jan and Inga on top of the very highest rock overseeing the massive  Cordillera  Real.

The view toward the Amazonas side - that is where all the clouds come from. Laguna Leche below.

From the summit, down to the moraine and high and low valleys we hiked through the get here. Way in the back is Lago Titicaca. 

This is Pico Aguila taken in the afternoon light. About 5,500m (18,045 feet). From our high camp we ascended about 700 metres.

Mountain Pose

Inspiration in life comes from many places: people, landscapes, loves, family, experiences, events and unexpected happenings. And sometimes inspiration comes from the serendipidous combination of what moves your soul: yoga and mountains.

Mountain pose at high camp, Chachacomani.

Glaciers are a source of life. Global warming is having a tremendous negative effect on these life sources. The glaciers in the Bolivian Andes are, for one, receding at an alarming rate. Offer up the silent power of the warrior to provide hope.

Finding a connection with nature. Triangles provide solid footing for  moving  further  into  the centre.

Feeling grateful for the strength of my body that allows me to have these experiences in the mountains. 

Namaste.

Chacaltaya to Huayna Potosi

Yesterday was an even bigger day: Our first ascend to 5,400m (17,700 feet). The cool part is that Chacaltaya  used to be a ski resort, until about the mid 2000s when the glacier receded so much that skiing is no longer possible there, so that there is a road that leads to 5,200m. This is a happy thing, as it means we only ascended 200 more metres for awesome summit views.

The former ski lodge now serves to receive hikers. It is run by the Bolivian Club Andino.
This must havebeen quite a place in its heyday.

After our brush with altitude queaziness yesterday, we were happy to feel good and ready for this day. We ascended truly to 5,400m, despite what the altimetre says.

Height of the first peak on the way to the second, higher peak.

Looking good with Huayna Potosi in the background.

Just wow. Really. The Cordillera Real is majestic, and we got to see all 200 km of it from here.

We spend about four hours around 5,300m hiking and admiring. The hiking was challenging as there are no well-trodden paths in this area. In fact, our guide, Cesar Renjel, who guided us here and at Condoriri, had not done this hike since last year. Most who visit Chacaltaya just hike up the short distance to the second peak and go back to the lodge and descend.

The very top of Chacaltaya at 5,400m. Again, starring Jan, Inga and Huayna Potosi. Amazed we actually climbed that 6,088m mountain three years ago.

The morain side made for a steep and fluid descend. Ceasar led the way and we employed our skiing skills, keeping our bodies facing the fall line.

Lunch at 5,100m. I am feeling this excursion a bit, with little appetite I choke down half a
sandwich,two cups of mate de coca, peanuts and a coconut chocolate bar. Not bad for staying energized
for the final descend to 4,800m where the car awaited us.

Amazingly, we both fared overall much better than yesterday at the lower altitude of Condoriri. We both just relaxed a bit when we got back to our casita, but were up and about to catch an unscheduled coffee date with Isabel, our lovely hostess.

It helps to be sleepnig low at about 3,500m, so we recover fully.

This morning we met with Eduardo, our mountain guide for the next 16 days. We will leave tomorrow at 8 am, for an 11 day stint in the Chearoco and Chachacomani areas. Depending on snow and ice conditions, we will have lots of time to practice glacier travel skills as well as make ascents of mountain peaks around 5,400m or so. If all goes well, we are also looknig at those two mountains over 6,000. Vamos a ver.

Tuni to Chiar Qota/Condoriri

Wednesday was a big day: our first foray well above 4,000m hiking from Tuni to Chiar Qota in the Condoriri area. This area features mountains up to about 5,800m. And with the snow of late, many peaks at ¨lower elevations¨like Pico Austria, which we climbed 3 years ago, with its 5,300m had some snow.

A perfect mirror: laguna and sky. Great shot by Jan :)

We drove to about 4,300m by car, basically up the valley on some unmaintaned dirt road, then hiked over about 2.5 hours to roughly 4,700m (about 15,400 feet). While the hiking is easy using well trodden paths, the altitude does make for slow but steady progress. And the vistas are awesomely beautiful.

In the background is La Cabeza de Condoriri (head) and to the north and south are its wings. Pico Austria, which we climbed three years ago, is the nearest snowy peak.

After a fine lunch at the refugio at the laguna Chiar Qota, we took a walk around the laguna and admired the views along the way.

On the way back down I started to feel a bit of that queaziness that comes from active acclimatization: the beginning of a slight headache, slight oddity in the stomach. But I made it back to the car fine. Jan was just motoring along. On the car ride back, I felt quite bad but recovered by dinner time. Jan on the other hand developed that queazines and didn´t have much appetite at all. The good news: by morning we had both fully recovered our wits and got ready for Chacaltaya.

Happy, but starting to feel altitude effects on the way down. 

Totally gorgeous laguna Tuni with the Cordillera Real as backdrop. This is at about  4,350m at the end of this day´s  excursion.

On horseback to the Muela del Diablo -- que lindo!

Combining the grandeur of nature south of La Paz with horseback riding surely is a winning combination. On yet another blue sky day (!) we headed off with our guide to experience a three hour ride to the Muela del Diablo (the Devil´s Tooth). As well as being an impresse rock formation, the Muela del Diablo has a few myths attached to it. One is the story of a black slave who fled his keepers and found refuge in the rock. Folklore has it that he stole food and clothing from the locals and, once found out, met with his death in their hands. Another story has it that the Muela del Diablo was (is?) the spot locals went to in order to practice their sacrificial offerings (I like the first version of the story better, I must say, notwithstanding the death of the  poor man). In any event, as an adventurer on horseback, the Muela del Diablo and the "Lost Valley" we rode through made for some magnificent moments in nature.

At 3,850m with the infamous Muela del Diablo behind them, Jan and her horse, Muñeca, stand tall  (as they can),
beside Inga and her horse, Mulata.

The Muela del Diablo was only one of the several "western movie" rock formations.

Although inviting, the rock is not suitable for climbing as it is  more like  dense mud than rock. These  artistic shapes were formed over time by the downpours of the rainy seasons.

Inga was pleased with her ride. Ride´em, cowgirl.

The stable we went to had 12 horses, seven ponies, a couple of  alpacas, one lamb (who thought it was an alpaca),  as well as some pigs and chickens. Our horseback riding ended up being an afternoon at the farm.

Get it while the getting is good.

Tiwanaku civilization

Yesterday, we went on a day trip to a major archeological site near Lago Titicaca, called Tiwanaku. It is amazing to think that a civilization that developed over close to 2,700 years and achieved obviously significant scientific knowledge would simply disappear into oblivion. And yet, there is so little known about this civilization and its apparent capabilities, it is almost shocking. I mean, the Inka empire lasted barely one century, and yet we seem to be fascinated by its achievements. Like Machu Picchu, Tiwanaku had to be discovered again to gain some importance as something more than a ¨quarry¨ for local construction and for looting of all its metal ornaments. Indeed, Isabel, our La Paz hostess told us that a museum in Berlin has the largest collection of gold from the Tiwanaku civilization.

For Tiwanaku we do not even know the name it was known by its original inhabitants. And, yet, the empire expanded to perhaps 2 million square km at its height. That´s one fifth of th size of Canada, which is huge.

Excavations are ongoing now, but proceeding slowly. The whole site was a jumble of stones, many impressive ones, but no one knows how they fit together. Reconstruction has been problematic as efforts are made to recreate the temples, but in some cases that has meant using adobe blocks to fill in blanks and in others cement has been used to aid that reconstruction.

This site is 72 km from La Paz and 20 km from Lago Titicaca in a valley that parallels the Cordillera Real. It sits at about 3,850 metres above sea level.

Detail of the Puerta del Sol. It served as a calendar. Like most ruins it is not in its original place.

A monolith that is well conserved, even though the Spanish tried to cut off its head. The stone was too hard. The images throughout the monolith are symbols important to this culture and some also serve a bit of time keeping.

The rebuilt Kalasasaya temple with another Puerta del Sol and a monolith that aligns perfectly on June 21 for solstice. Apparently thousands converge here to celebrate this event.

Semi-subterranean temple has many carved heads in the wall. I took pictures of the orignal ones but there are also seven copies that have been embedded in another wall to show what they might have looked like before erosion and looting.

How does an ancient civilization know to carve such perfect H? I´m just here for scale :)

The mathematical know-how and crafty skills are obvious in the detail of these carved rocks. No-one knows how this puzzle fits together now. 

Pumakuna featues huge stones, some weighing several tons. They carry obvious markings of areas where precious metals once adorned them. 

A small door with Jan offering scale this time :)

And yes, it is windy on the Altiplano! 

El día del peaton

Imagine this: Toronto or Montreal or Vancouver dedicating one day a year to a car-free day. Sounds quite unlikely, doesn't it? Well, that is exactly what La Paz does every first Sunday of September. This city of 1 million people, the world's highest de facto capital, celebrates El día de peaton (the day of pedestrians) to bring awareness to both the environment and health. It was mind blowing to experience La Paz without cars. This city bustles with cars and taxis and buses like no other city I have seen. As well, the carbon emissions are not controlled like in Canada, for instance. What you are left with is a lot of heavy spewing of exhaust. So for this city to turn around and be car-free is obviously a night and day experience.

We celebrated El día de peaton with the thousands of others who took part in the many activities set up across the city. On El Prado, one of the city´s main streets, Bolivians enjoyed more than three kilometres of fun such as skipping, art making, live street music, karaoke, not to mention getting around on various forms of transportation like stilts and inline skates and skateboards and bikes. This is not normally a city of biking so it was an unusual site. I must say that I held my breath a few times as I watched kids blasting downhill with great abandon. Good times.

These fine artists from El Alto, the city on the altiplano (the Andean plateau that sits at 4,100m) added to the festivities with their bright colours and enthusiastic music.

Ready and waiting for the budding artists.

Literally taking art to the street.

Giggling teenage boys testing out their double-dutch prowess. Hysterical.

A group of dancers put on an impromtu performance to the delight of all.

"Saxoman", as he called himself, put on a very fine, spirited performance, playing everything from traditional Bolivian music to jazz to Santana. Music truly is a universal language.

Can I be a "Saxoman" one day, too?