BOLIVIA

w e l c o m e BOLI

VIA

Breathtaking landscapes, four vegetation zones and friendly people. A forgotten land in the heart of the Andes.

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The capital La Paz lies between 3500 and 4000 mabove sea level. Crowded in together up the

steep slopes, the raw brick houses are extremelyexposed. In this fascinating city, the golden rule

is “The lower down the slopes, the better thearea and the cooler it is at night!”.

But actually we’ve come for the mountains. On the programme is a four-day trekking tourin the impressive world of the Andes. The mainproblems are acclimatising to the altitude andthe remoteness of many regions. The localsrecommend chewing coca leaves to help usget accustomed to the thin air.

we’re on our way A t l a s t

t o t h e CORDILLERA R E A L

A minibus takes us into the Cordillera Real. When the mightyglaciers of the Condoriri come into view, we stop to take photos.

This mountain will be watching over us for the next few days and will hopefully look upon us kindly – it’s no fun

walking in this desolate landscape unless the weather is good. A storm doesn’t just spoil the wonderful view but can quickly

lead to losing one’s way too, as our group was later to experience firsthand.

We arrive at our starting point, the trekking rucksacks are packed,water bottles filled and sun cream

applied once more.

We have to keep forcing ourselves not to go too fast.Even long conversations while on the move are difficultto maintain at this altitude. But it’s not just us who aregetting slower and quieter, the whole mountain world

seems to be in a deep sleep. The only living creatures uphere are llamas and alpacas. Otherwise, total stillness

and untouched nature as far as the eye can see.

We pitch our tents by the shores of Lake and get readyfor our first night. As soon as the sun disappears behind

the mountains, it gets very cold and we are glad ofevery single layer of clothing that we’ve got on. But uphere in the Cordillera the spectacular sunset light andcolours quickly take our mind off the cold. As soon asthe last of the daylight has disappeared, a canopy ofstars appears such as no-one in our group has ever

seen before. The clean, dry air gives them even moreintensity as they shine down on our two tents.

well below zero T h e t e m p e r a t u r e o u t s i d e m i g h t b e

b u t w e ’ r e s n u g a n d w a r m

I N O U R S L E E P I N G B A G S .

W i t h t h e MIGHTY GLACIERS TOWERING ABOVE US,

w e c a r r y o n . . .

Often the paths are just tracks made by the llamasbut sometimes there are really good hiking trails. For example here along a water channel whichprovides drinking water to lower-lying areas.

We stop for a break on the Huayna Potosíglacier. We have now been trekking for twodays and are still under the spell of thesemountains. We have not seen many other

walkers, just a shepherd now and again. Themountain folks here are quiet-natured with ashy smile lighting up their round faces. That’sas far as things go because the locals do notspeak Spanish. But you can always get by if

you smile a lot and use your hands.

5100

MET

RES

From Zongo Pass we follow an irrigation channel that hasbeen hewn through a rockface with awesome results.

The precipice seems to go down and down for ever so wehave to be extra careful. But the mood in the team is relaxed. We have successfully acclimatised ourselves to the altitude

and can look forward to the highest point of our tour: a 5100-metre-high unnamed pass.

500

S

During the ascent clouds roll up from the low-lying, humidregion of the Yungas. In our long TEXAPORE jackets we are

perfectly equipped to cope with the weather and a little mistdoes nothing to dampen our spirits. As the saying goes,

“There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.”

A t e s t o f c o u r a g e : who is daring enough to walk across the viaduct?

CAM

PSIT

EWe reach our campsite just before darkness falls. The tunneltents are quickly pitched, the night camp sorted and there is

still time for us to enjoy the brilliant view.

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imposing east face C l o u d s e n v e l o p t h e

OF THE HUAYNA POTOSÍ.

The next day brings snow showers but that doesn’t stop us fromcontinuing our trek. The steep ascent focuses our minds in amountain world that is almost mystical in the middle of nowhere.

We’ve made it! We’ve reached our final goal. The Laguna Canada issupposed to be really bright turquoise when the sun shines.

In these weather conditions, it is difficult to see the intense colourbut we are overjoyed that we have managed the whole stretch.From now on it’s down all the way and we soon reach the pass

road where a minibus is waiting to take us back to the capital city.

On the way back we meet llamas for the last time. We stop again to saygoodbye to our new pets. Sadly, we rarely got close enough to them totest out whether these animals actually spit.

To b e c o n t i n u e d …

Lightweight (810 g/size L) and weatherproof finish inone: this jacket has an extremely high hydrostatichead (50 0000 mm), the main seams are sealed insideand out, and it features a storm hood. No matter howheavy the rucksack or how long it rains for: this jacketkeeps you dry.

E S C A L A D E J A C K E T M E N

The lightest JACK WOLFSKIN trekking jacket for womenweighs only 640 g in size M. It is made of lightweight yetrobust weatherproof material and is equipped with ventingpit zips and high-set pockets.

G R E A T E S C A P E J A C K E T W O M E N

This trekking shoe offers extra stability: a plastic cross piece stabilises the foot at the ankle – a useful detail particularlyfor the high mountains. The waterproof, exceptionally breathable TEXAPORE O3

membrane additionally guarantees both weather protection and

excellent wear climate.

E S C A L A D E M I D T E X A P O R EM E N / W O M E N

TRIED AND TESTED EQUIPMENT

There is room for three people in this stormproof tunnel tent withits giant vestibule – and it only weighs 3750 g! The light, rip-proofnylon material is coated with silicone on both sides, which makesit waterproof. The ingenious convex pole design and vertical polesin the vestibule corners allow full use of the internal space rightinto the last corner.

There is nothing to beat theheat/weight ratio of down! Theexpedition sleeping bag provesthis fact even during snow falls

in the high mountains. Available in three sizes.

S A N C T U A R Y R T I I I

F R O S T F I R EWith these huge high-load rucksacks, the main part ofthe weight is transmitted directly to the waist belt viaV-shaped rods – providing comfortable distribution.Practical details: the carry system cover (particularly

useful for the flight) and removable front pocket whichcan be used as a daypack on short trips.

E S C A L A D E P A C K 8 0 M E N / 7 0 W O M E N

Phot

os: M

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Tex

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