Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Access
There is no public transportation from La Paz to Condoriri. A 4WD to the start of the
walk-in at the dam at
Laguna Tuni
costs around B$550. If you don't want to use a 4WD
transfer, you can trek the 24km from Milluni to the Laguna Tuni dam on the road to Paso
Zongo. Take everything you will need with you as there is nowhere to buy provisions
once you begin the trek.
It isn't possible to drive beyond the dam because there's a locked gate across the road.
Some drivers know a way around it, but if you need to hire pack animals you'll have to do
so before you reach the dam. Locals charge B$70 per day for mules, and a bit less for lla-
mas, which can carry less. You also might have to sign into the Parque Nacional Condori-
ri.
From Laguna Tuni, a rough road circles south around the lake and continues up a drain-
age trending north. Once you're in this valley, you'll have a view of the Cabeza del
Cóndor and Las Alas.
From the end of the road, follow the obvious paths up along the right side of the valley
until you reach a large lake,
Chiar Khota
. Follow the right shore of the lake to arrive at
the base camp, which is an easy three hours from Laguna Tuni. There are toilet facilities
here and the community will charge you B$20 to stay the night.
The Route
Leave base camp at about 3am and follow the path up the east-trending valley through
boulders, passing some lakes on your left. Keep heading up the main trail, on the right-
hand side of the valley, until you reach the glacier. You should reach this point in about
1½ hours from base camp.
Here you should rope up and put on crampons. Head left across the glacier before rising
to the
col
(lowest point of the ridge), taking care to avoid the crevasses. Climb to the right
up the rock-topped summit
Tarija
(5240m), which affords impressive views of Pequeño
Alpamayo, before dropping down (100m) a scree and rock slope to rejoin a glacier on the
other side. From there, follow the main ridge to the summit. The ridge has some exposure.
Ancohuma
Ancohuma is the highest peak in the Sorata Massif, towering on the remote northern edge
of the Cordillera Real. It was not climbed until 1919 and remains a challenging climb.
