Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CORDILLERA QUIMSA CRUZ
The Cordillera Quimsa Cruz, although close to La Paz, is a largely undiscovered wilderness
of 5000m-plus peaks, some of which have only been climbed for the first time in the last
few years. Basque climbing magazine
Pyrenaica
once labeled it a 'South American
Karakoram.' In 1999, near the summit of Santa Veracruz, the Spaniard Javier Sánchez dis-
covered the remains of an 800-year-old ceremonial burial site with ancient artifacts and
weavings.
The Quimsa Cruz is not a large range - it's only some 50km from end to end - and the
peaks are lower than in other Bolivian ranges. The highest peak, Jacha Cuno Collo, rises to
5800m, and the other glaciated peaks range from 4500m to 5300m. Granite peaks, glaciers
and lakeside camping make the Quimsa Cruz an unforgettable, untouristed Andean experi-
ence. It lies to the southeast of Illimani, separated from the Cordillera Real by the Río La
Paz, and geologically speaking it's actually a southern outlier of that range.
The Quimsa Cruz lies at the northern end of Bolivia's tin belt, and tin reserves have been
exploited here since the late 1800s. While Bolivia's tin industry has gone through numer-
ous boom-and-bust cycles, with international prices up miners are returning to the region,
and many of the major mines that were closed during the price drops of the 1980s are now
open for business.
Activities
The Quimsa Cruz offers some of the finest adventure climbing in all of Bolivia, and in
every valley mining roads provide access to the impressively glaciated peaks. Although all
of the
nevados
of the Quimsa Cruz have now been climbed, there are still plenty of un-
climbed routes, and expeditions are likely to have the mountains to themselves. If you have
no previous climbing experience you should take a guide from a La Paz agency who really
knows the area.
Trekking is also possible throughout the range, which is covered by IGM mapping. The
main route is the two- to three-day
Mina Viloco to Mina Caracoles trek
, which crosses
the range from west to east. Of interest along this route is the renowned site of a 1971 air-
plane crash, which had already been stripped by local miners before rescue teams arrived at
the scene two days later. Mina Viloco is 70km southeast of La Paz, and is centered on a
major tin mine. Mina Caracoles is still worked by cooperatives, and is 13km northwest of
Quime.
Staples are available in both Mina Viloco and Quime, but it's still best to carry
everything you'll need (food, fuel and other supplies) from La Paz.
