> Spend an afternoon of basic mountaineering technique practice on a glacier
> Spend your nights at refugios
> Begin your summit attempt at midnight
Huayna Potosi is Bolivia’s most popular major peak in the Cordillera Real. Located just 32 km away from the city of La Paz, Huayna Potosi is known for its easy access and imposing beauty as well as the fact that it is 88 meters above the 6000-meter figure.
Huayna Potosi can be climbed by beginners with a competent guide and technical equipment. Beginners yes, but fit beginners; it’s quite steep toward the end and it’s a tough climb, but well worth the effort! Our three-day itinerary includes an afternoon of basic mountaineering instruction and a night of acclimatization at the 4700-meter base camp level, both of which increase your chances of summit success.
The day starts at 8:30am with a meeting at our office in La Paz. After half an hour we'll take a scenic 2-hour drive to Huayna Potosí, arriving at Base Camp (4,700m) at 11:30am. Here we'll take some time to prepare our backpacks and get ready for the adventure ahead.
At 12:00pm we'll have a hearty lunch before starting a 2 hour hike to High Camp (5,200m). We'll reach it around 3:00pm, where we'll relax with hot tea and drinks to keep us hydrated as we take in the stunning surroundings. As evening falls, around 5:00pm, we'll enjoy a delicious dinner and settle down for the night in the high camp shelter, resting up for the challenges of the next day.
Our day will start very early as we wake up around midnight. We will get dressed with our climbing clothes and equipment and have breakfast.
Around 1:00am we will start the ascent with short breaks to rest, eat chocolate and drink water. We plan to reach the summit (6088m) around sunrise to enjoy the wonderful views of the highlands, the surrounding Cordillera Real, Lake Titicaca and the ever unique sunrise itself.
Our descent to high camp will take 2-3 hours and on arrival we will have vegetable soup and hot drinks. At high camp we repack our backpacks and make the 1 hour descent to base camp. We usually arrive in La Paz City (3600m) between 13:00 and 14:00.
