Bolivia Bond and Team Summit Huanya Potosi!
Yesterday was our second summit of the trip, and the first time above 6000m for several members of the team! We had the luxury of being the only group in the refugio on Sunday night so it was easy to get to bed early in advance of our midnight wake up.
We left the hut at 1 am under a beautiful starry sky. A short rock scramble brought us to the toe of the glacier, which started out as the loud, crunchy ice we’d become accustomed to on Tarija, but quickly transitioned to grippy neve. The night was cold but dead calm, and it was a really pleasant few hours of climbing in the darkness until we finally caught the first rays of sun at the base of the summit pyramid.
The final few hundred feet to the summit made for the hardest climbing of the day. The challenge of steep, at times rocky and loose walking was compounded by the thin air at almost 20,000’! The team took it in stride and soon we were all on top, admiring the views of La Paz and the surrounding peaks. After high fives, photos and a brief rest we began making our way back down to the hut. Everyone moved well and we made it off the glacier well before noon. With showers, comfy beds and cold drinks in La Paz in mind we only spent about 45 minutes resting at the hut before continuing the descent all the way back to the road. A few hours later we were enjoying a delicious dinner at Hotel Mitru Sur before turning in early for a well deserved night of sleep.
This morning everyone headed out to explore the city and do some site seeing and souvenir shopping. This afternoon we’ll pack up for Illimani and head south to Pinaya first thing tomorrow.
RMI Guide Andy Bond & Team
Comments (1)
That TV and those speakers!!!! The best part is the fireplace. Glad you got time to rest before the next climb!
Posted by: Sheila Forsyth on