Bolivia Expeditions

Bolivia

Bolivia's most distinctive geographical feature is the Altiplano, a high arid plateau between 12,000 and 15,000 feet, 500 miles long and in places over 150 miles wide.

The Altiplano extends in a series of broken highlands from Colombia southward to northern Chile and Argentina, but it is at its highest and widest in Bolivia and Peru.

The Altiplano is bounded on the west by the Cordillera Occidental, and on the east by the Cordillera Oriental. The Cordillera Real, the highest and most often climbed of the Bolivian ranges, rises north and east of the Altiplano, in the area surrounding La Paz, the highest capital city in the world (11,910 ft.)

The Cordillera Real is a high mountain range, rising to the immediate north and east of La Paz, the highest capital city in the world (11,910 ft.).

Five mountains rise to over 20,000 feet. The snowline is high, at about 18,000 feet, above which glaciers cling precariously to the mountain faces.

The Cordillera Occidental rises to the west of the Altiplano, and extends along the frontier of extreme Northeastern Chile, Southwestern Peru, and Bolivia. It is comprised primarily of high isolated volcanic peaks, many of which are perfectly symmetrical cones that are relatively easy to ascend.

The highest peak of Bolivia, Sajama (21,424 ft.), is one such volcanic cone. The Cordillera Oriental is the easternmost Bolivian range, stretching along the eastern edge of the Altiplano. It is comprised of various sub-ranges, and is generally lower than the Cordillera Real.

Many of the mountains here have excellent rock summits, and are more suited to rock climbing than are the higher, more heavily glaciated mountains elsewhere in Bolivia and throughout the Andes. The highest of these peaks is Jachacuncollo (19,652 ft./ 5990 m). The Cordillera Apolobamba is a remote high range that stretches from southern Peru into northern Bolivia. Apolobamba is a vast snowy wilderness.

The remoteness of its high peaks, coupled with extreme glaciation throughout the range, lend an expeditionary quality to the approaches here.

The highest peak is Chaupi Orco (20,013 ft./6100 m). Like much of the central Andes, the dry season runs from May through September.

KL Adventure offer the 3 combined classic climbs to reach Pequeño Alpamayo, Huayna Potosi & Illimani, Huayna Potosi & Sajama, the highest Bolivian peak and finally the Sajama with a western climb plan starting from the beach of Iquique in Chile, acclimatizing in the Chilean altiplano a really unique mountaineering program.

History

Civilization in the Bolivian Andes is thought to stretch back some 21,000 years. The most influential Pre-Columbian cultures were the Tiahuanaco, who were based around Lake Titicaca and who ruled the region between AD 600-1200, and the Incas, who headed a vast empire comprising most of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and northern Chile.

The Spanish conquest of the country began in 1531 under Francisco Pizarro. The conquistadors made rapid progress, exploiting the trust (and later the disunity) of the Indians to secure the territory that within two years became known as Alto Peru. In 1544, deposits of silver were discovered at Potosí. The wealth generated by this find finance the Spanish economy (and the extravagance of its monarchs) for more than two centuries.

The impulse to achieve independence from the inefficient Spanish colonial administration finally came in the form of Simón Bolívar's lieutenant Antonio José de Sucre, who waged the Battle of Ayacucho in 1824. Bolivia was formally declared a republic the following year.

Bolivia's territory had always been coveted by its neighbors. Chile's desire for more land first bore fruit in the War of the Pacific, which it fought with Bolivia between 1879 and 1884. Chile triumphed, securing 850km (527mi) of coastline and robbing Bolivia of the port of Antofagasta, leaving the country without any sea access. Soon after, Peru, Brazil and Argentina also began incise Bolivia's borders.
In 1932, a border dispute with Paraguay over oil deposits in the Chaco region took of another piece of land. The ensuing Chaco War (1932-35) served to foment civil discord within the country, promulgating reformist associations and leading to a series of coups by reform-minded military leaders.

Perhaps the most significant development during this time was the formation of the populist Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario (MNR). In 1951, the MNR, under the leadership of Víctor Paz Estenssoro, prevailed in the general elections but was dead end by a last-minute coup. This provoked a popular armed revolt which became known as the April Revolution of 1952. The military was subsequently defeated and Paz Estenssoro was brought back.

In 1964, a military junta headed by General René Barrientos knocked over the MNR. A long period of instability followed, characterized by constantly changing regimes and a brief moment in the world spotlight when Ernesto 'Che' Guevara mounted an unsuccessful rebellion in 1966-67. This period ended with the election of the leftist civilian Movimiento de la Izquierda Revolucionaria (MIR), under Dr Hernán Siles Zuazo, in 1982. Three years later, Zuazo was defeated by the long-lived Paz Estenssoro, who immediately tried to contain the stratospheric inflation levels (at one point reaching 35,000% annually) and implemented austerity measures.

Since the election of Bolivia's first indigenous president, Evo Morales, in December 2005, whirlwind changes occur on a daily basis.

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