Little Alpamayo, Huayna Potosi and Illimani

Little Alpamayo 5,400m/17,704ft
Huayna Potosi 6,094m/19974ft
Illimani 6,439m/21,125ft

Tour Description

This immensely scenic and challenging mountaineering expedition in the dramatic western and eastern side of the Cordillera Real in Bolivia, features ascents of three of Bolivia’s most popular peaks.

We begin by climbing Pequeño Alpamayo (5,400m / 17,704 ft) and continue with an ascent of Huayna Potosi (6,094m / 19,974 ft), where we’ll enjoy outstanding views of Lake Titicaca, the altiplano, and the Cordillera Real chain.

Our final challenge is Illimani (6,439m / 21,125 ft), the highest peak in the Cordillera Real and a demanding high-altitude climb. Illimani’s impressive glacier massif has five different summits. Approached through the Valley of the Spirits, we’ll have stunning views of Bolivia’s Andean landscapes.

To see a Topographic Map of Huayna Potosi : Click here

To see a Topographic Map of Illimani: Click here

                                   To order a topographic map: Click here 

Itinerary

Day 1 La Paz
Picked up at La Paz airport and transport to hotel. Afternoon group meeting with guides to review schedule and check personal gear.
Elevation – 3,650m / 11,942 ft / Hotel

Day 2 La Paz - Copacabana
This morning we make the 155 km / 96 mile drive to Copacabana, a journey of about 3 ½ hours. We’ll stop for lunch at the picteuresque town of Huatajata, beside the majestic Lake Titicaca. Arriving at Copacabana, an attractive lakeside city named for the pre-Columbian Andean deity Copakawana, we’ll take a gentle two-hour hike up the Cerro Calvario (Calvary Hill), where we’ll watch the sunset.
Transfer distance – 155 km / 96 miles / Transfer time 3 ½ hours / Trekking Time – 2 hours / Elevation – Min 3,650m / 11,942 ft - Max 3,840m / 12,598 ft / Hotel

Day 3 Copacabana - Island of the Sun (Pilcocania) - Copacabana
Early this morning we’ll travel by boat to the north side of the Island of the Sun, a large island in the middle of Lake Titicaca. Disembarking at Chincana, we’ll hike down the island to Pilcocania where we’ll have lunch. In the evening we return by boat to Copacabana.
Transfer time – 3 hours / Trekking Time – 2 hours / Elevation – 3,840m / 12,598 ft / Hotel

Day 4 Copacabana – Tuni - Plaza de Llamas – Janchallani base camp
This morning we drive to Tuni village, gateway to the Condoriri National Park, whose name in the Aymará language means ‘head of the condor’. We arrive to Plaza de Llamas (3,900m / 12,795 ft) where we meet the llameros (llama drivers). We make a three-hour trek to our base camp at beautiful Laguna Chiarkhota, and set up camp.
Transfer time 2 hours / Trekking time– 3 hours / Elevation – Min 3,840m / 12,598 ft - Max 4,680m / 15,354 ft / Tent


Day 5 Janchallani base camp – Janchallani summit - Janchallani base camp
Today we make the un-technical ascent of Janchallani peak (5,100m/ 16,732 ft), a 6 to 7 hour trip, which serves as an excellent acclimatization climb. We’ll have panoramaic views over the spectacular Condoriri mountains, Pequeño Alpamayo, and Aguja Negra. We return to our base camp for the night.
Trekking time– 6 - 7 hours / Elevation – Min 4,680m / 15,354 ft - Max 5,100m/ 16,732 ft / Tent

Day 6 Janchallani base camp - Illusion Hill summit - Janchallani base camp
Leaving in the pre-dawn we ascend Illusion Hill (5,300m / 17,388 ft), a trip of approximately seven hours. On the glacier we’ll review ice techniques—the use of crampons, rope, and ice axe—and return to base camp in the afternoon.
Trekking time– 7 hours / Elevation – Min 4,680m / 15,354 ft - Max 5,300m / 17,388 ft / Tent

Day 7 Janchallani base camp - Pequeno Alpamayo summit – Tarija summit - Janchallani base camp
This morning we’ll make a very early start from base camp to ascend Pequeno Alpamayo (5,400m / 17,704 ft), one of the most beautiful mountains in Bolivia. We will also make an ascent of Tarija (5,300m / 17,388 ft) in a 7 to 8 hour trip. We return to base camp for the night.
Trekking time– 7 to 8 hours / Elevation – Min 4,680m / 15,354 ft - Max 5,400m / 17,704 ft / Tent

Day 8 Janchallani base camp - Plaza de Llamas - Huayna Potosi base camp
We descend to Plaza de Llamas and transfer to Huayna Potosi base camp located in the valley of Zongo Dam (4,700m / 15,419 ft). Here we stay in a hut owned by the Altamirano family.
Trekking time– xx hours / Elevation – Min - 4,680m / 15,354 ft ft – Max 4,700m / 15,419 ft Hut

Day 9 Huayna Potosi base camp - Huayna Potosi high camp
Today we climb to Huayna Potosi’s high camp (5,100m / 16,732 ft), a hike of 3 to 4 hours. We follow the shoreline of the Zongo dam, until we reach the trail head, which rises over rubble from the moraine. The trail ascends a steep scree slope until reaching the glacier. We continue to climb until reaching the high camp, known as Camp Argentina. We will prepare for tomorrow’s summit day with a delicious dinner.
Trekking time – 3 - 4 hours / Elevation Min– 4,700m / 15,419 ft - Max 5,100m /16,732 ft / Tent


Day 10 Huayna Potosi high camp - Huayna Potosi summit – Zongo camp – La Paz
Today we make our summit bid of Huayna Potosi (6,094m / 19,993 ft), a trip of between seven and eight hours. We set out at dawn and begin to climb the ridge at the top of which we can see the pyramidal silhouette of the summit. We reach the summit by way of an extremely steep and narrow summit ridge. After admiring the beautiful summit views and recording this achievement with photographs, we’ll return to the Zongo camp where we’ll eat, rest, and then make the return trip to La Paz.
Trekking Time – 7 - 8 hours / Transfer distance – xx km / xx miles / Transfer time – 30 minutes / Elevation – Min 3,650m / 11,942 ft - Max 6,094m / 19,993 ft / Hotel

Day 11 La Paz
We’ll restore our energy with a rest day in La Paz. In the afternoon we take an optional tour of this unique Andean city, with its rich traditional cultures.
Elevation – 3,650m / 11,942 ft / Hotel

Day 12 La Paz - Illimani base camp
Early this morning we’ll make the three hour drive to Pinaya village. On the way we will see Palca and the Soul valley, places famous for their enormous figures carved in gigantic stone blocks. We arrive to Unna village from where we’ll set out on the three-hour trek to Illimani`s base camp at Puente Roto, where we’ll have clear views of the snowy peaks of the Illimani massif.
Trekking time– 3 hours / Elevation – Min 3,650m / 11,942 ft - Max 4,450m / 14,599 ft / Tent


Day 13 Illimani base camp - Nido de Condores high camp
Today we ascend to the Nido de Condores high camp (5,500m / 18,044 ft), a 5 to 6 hour hike. The route takes us across a broad grassy plain, up a trail that crosses a talus slope, up a ridge to the glacier. Porters will help us with our gear and provisions. We’ll set up camp on a protected flat place. With clear weather we’ll enjoy a beautiful sunset with distant views of Sajama.
Trekking time– 5 - 6 hours / Elevation – Min 4,450m / 14,599 ft /- Max 5,500m / 18,044 ft / Tent

Day 14-15 Nido de Condores high camp – Illimani summit - Nido de Condores high camp / Illimani base camp
With an extra day to allow for poor weather, we’ll set out in the pre-dawn to make our Illimani summit push. This will be a trip of approximately 8 to 10 hours. The route continues in the same line as the previous day, a very steep path which ascends a chain of peaks. The view from the summit is exceptional with the green plain of Yungas directly below, the Cordillera Real towards the north, and the Altiplano to the west. If we are not too tired, we will try to reach our base camp at Pente Roto.
Trekking time– 7 - 9 hours / Elevation – Min 5,500m / 18,044 ft (or 4,450m / 14,599 ft)- Max 6,439m / 21,125 ft / Tent

Day 16 Illimani base camp – La Paz
Today we return to La Paz and Little Alpamayo, Huayna Potosí & Illimani comes to an end!
Transfer time 4 hours / Elevation – Min 3,650m / 11,942 ft - Max 5,500m / 18,044 ft (or 4,450m / 14,599 ft) / Hotel

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Tour Details

Service includes

• Professional Bilingual Mountain Guide.
• Ratio Guide Clients 1-4.
• All local organization and supervision by KL Adventure Staff.
• Private transportation including airport pick up.
• La Paz four Hotel nights double occupancy with breakfast.
• Copacabana two Hotel nights double occupancy with breakfast.
• All meals during the expedition. 
• High quality expedition common gear; The North Face tents, Mountain Hardware and Marmot tents, isolate mattress, high camp stoves & gaz...
• Lightweight base camp set up: dining tent, tables, etc.
• Permanent access at base camp tent to hot drinks, tea, coffee, biscuits, etc.
• Burritos to carry individual gear up to 20 kg per person to Sajama base camp.
• First aid kit, hyperbaric chamber, oxygen bottles, oximeter.
• Radio communication VHF 2.
• Satellite phone at base camp on a per minute payment basis.

Service does not include

• All personal climbing equipment gear.
• International & domestics flights.
• Any cost involve in a early or late departure.
• Any drinks (soda, beer or wine) in Iquique & Arica.
• Arrival and last day dinner.
• Cancellation, accident and rescue insurance.
• Any cost involve during waiting days in Punta Arenas or anywhere.
• Cash for extra expenses.
• Any other service not mentioned in the list.
• Gratuities are not included.

Important

• All itineraries are subject to change due to changes in the weather, individual’s acclimatization rates and the guide’s criteria.
• Private Porter to be share between two expedition members carrying 10kg each, service available upon request at additional cost.
• Any departure dates can be re-scheduled with a minimum of 6 persons.

Physical conditioning for your trip with KL Adventure

Whether your trip involves trekking, mountaineering, or technical climbing, your training program should involve the following:

• Alpine-specific training (via hiking with a pack and specific skills development pertaining to your trip)
• Strength training (via free weights, a weighted backpack, bodyweight exercises, or gym machines)
• Cardiovascular training (via spinal-loading aerobic training)

Alpine specific training - During your training, progressively ramp up your speed, duration (time or mileage), and pack weight of weekly training hikes to give you alpine-specific conditioning that cannot be matched by any other type of training. Hike steep outdoor trails, gradually increasing your pack weight with each outing until you are at your target trip pack weight. A reasonable target for multi-day trips would be to ascend 3,500 feet in a 2-2.5 hour period, or roughly 1,750 vertical feet in an hour, with your target trip pack weight. In early season, you might start out with a 15# pack on hikes that gain up to 1,500’ elevation over 6-8 miles round trip; each hike try increasing the total elevation gain, distance, and/or speed, then begin adding several pounds per trip until you are comfortable with your target trip pack weight. When you can gain 3,500 feet with your target pack weight, start to decrease rest breaks and increase speed.  Include overnight trips in your training regimen to get accustomed to successive days of sustained work with little to no recovery time.

Strength training - Training with free weights, a weighted backpack, bodyweight exercises, or gym machines will help you build overall strength, particularly in the core (lower back and abdominals), upper back, and legs. Developing strength in your upper back and shoulders will help you with such tasks as carrying a pack and using ice axe, ice tools or trekking poles effectively.  The calves, hips, quads, hamstrings and glutes are all involved in ascending and descending alpine routes, and strength endurance is required in all areas of the legs and hips.  Technical climbing will require a solid foundation in upper body strength training as well. Training primarily with free weights will give you the functional, alpine-specific strength that will help you most in the mountains. In early phases of strength conditioning, focus on building a foundation for harder workouts, starting with 2-3 sets of each exercise for 8-10 repetitions. As you continue to train, you will shift focus to building strength through lower repetitions (5-8) to build maximum strength. Finally for the last 4-6 weeks before your trip start increasing the repetitions to build strength endurance and mental and physical stamina; each phase varies the weight used, repetitions completed, number of sets, and rest interval.  Most important in strength training is to be sure you maintain proper form at all times in order to prevent injury or strain.

Cardiovascular training – Activities you can add several times per week to supplement your alpine-specific pack carrying training include spinal-loading exercises such as trail running, walking on an inclined treadmill, doing stair stepping or stepmill training, working on an elliptical machine, or walking up and down hills or stairs with a weighted pack.  In early season, include at least 3-4 sessions of 30-45 minutes of sustained activity at a moderate intensity, and gradually build to 4-5 aerobic sessions of sustained effort for an hour or more as you approach your trip. If you will be at high altitude for portions of your trip, include interval training in your weekly program. To do this, find a steep hill or sets of stairs that will allow you to climb steadily for several minutes. Push as hard as you can while you go up, then recover coming down, and repeat for anywhere from 30-45 minutes.  For hill walks, add weight to your pack on a regular basis until you can carry slightly more than your target pack weight (referred to as over-weight training) the whole time. Participate in as many hikes or climbs that take you above 8,000’ as you possibly can, in order to learn how your body responds to high altitude.

This training information brought to you by KL Adventure conditioning partner, Body Results. For more conditioning information, products and services and special pricing for KLA’s clients go to www.bodyresults.com/kla