August 15, 2017

IMG Guide Luke Reilly checked in from Huayna Potosi Base Camp today reporting ‘all is well’ and that everything went as planned today. They got down to their ride by mid-morning and were in El Alto in time for some pizza and a resupply of rations for their next climb. By early afternoon they were at Base Camp enjoying a little R & R.  A very efficient day.

The plan for tomorrow is to get up and moving about 9am and head up to Campamento Argentino, aka high camp. If the weather holds, Luke’s got his sights set on Thursday as their summit day.

Tye Chapman

 

August 14, 2017

Luke just checked in from Base Camp after a great climb of Pequeno Alpamayo.  The weather was perfect.  Not a cloud in the sky and no wind on top for the Team today.

The climb starts off with a short trek to the tongue of the glacier.  Once on the glacier, they climb to the first summit where they get a great view of the rest of the climb.  From the first summit they down climb some class 3 rock and head across the saddle to the summit ridge.  The summit ridge holds your attention and gives you great views to the East and West.

Everyone is back in camp relaxing and getting ready for their first post-summit dinner.  Tomorrow, they will get up early, pack camp, have breakfast and trek down two hours to the pickup point.  From there, they load the bus and head to Huayna Potosi Base Camp at 15,300 ft.

Great climbing is happening in Bolivia!

Greg Vernovage

August 13. 2017

Yesterday, Luke and the Team had a nice climb up Pico Austria (17,454 ft). Luke said it was a great day with no wind and clear skies.

Today, the team had a great day out on the glacier brushing up on some fundamentals. They wrapped things up with an early dinner so they could get to bed early, in anticipation of their early morning wake up call.  The plan for the entire team is to head out of Base Camp at 4am for the summit of Pequeno Alpamayo.

All members of the Team are ready to take a shot and the weather looks favorable!

All continues to go well in Bolivia!

Greg Vernovage

August 11, 2017

Luke just checked in from Pequeno Alpamayo Base Camp.  The Team broke camp and hit the trail early today and had a great trek up to 15,000 feet.  The scenery is always enjoyable as they head up the valley and see the mountains of Pequeno Alpamayo and Condoriri for the first time.

Trekking over the last hill, they are greeted by one of the most beautiful lakes we get to see on the trip.  Trout swim in this lake and with any luck, after the summit climb of Pequeno Alpamayo, they will dine on fresh caught trout out of the lake!

Tomorrow, the Team is planning on taking their acclimatization hike to the summit of Pico Austria (17,454ft).  Later, they will finish up rigging their harnesses and training for the climb.  The weather has been nice and the Team is enjoying their home for the next few days.

All is well in Bolivia!

Greg Vernovage

August 10, 2018

Luke reported that the Team is doing well and they are on schedule in Bolivia.  The Team was up at a reasonable hour this morning, got breakfast and put Copacabana in their rearview mirror.  It is time to fine tune their sights on the Cordillera Real Range.  To do this, they will spend one night at an intermediate camp called Tambo Condoriri.  This camp is quiet, in fact, I call it an IMG camp because there has never been another team in this location at the same time as IMG.  To the left is Condoriri and Pequeno Alpamayo and to the right is the west face of Huayna Potosi.

The afternoon was spent sorting gear and taking an acclimatization hike to around 15,000 ft.  “The Team did great and are now ready for some home cooking and a good night sleep,” Luke said.

Tomorrow, the team will wake up, pack up camp and load the donkey’s and llamas for the trek to Condoriri and Pequeno Alpamayo Base Camp.  It is a mellow trek with great views up and down the mountain range.

All is well in Bolivia!

Greg Vernovage

August 9, 2017

As scheduled, the Team was up early, heading to the boat for their Sun Island adventure.  Lake Titicaca was like glass as they headed out on the cool morning.  Once on the island the Team then trekked up through the small village to the summit of Sun Island (13,900 feet).  From the top they could see much of the Cordillera Real Mountain Range, including Illimani, way off in the distance.

Lunch was lakeside and included a lot of traditional foods like freshly caught trout, corn, vegetables and a number of different varieties of potatoes. (My personal favorite is the purple one, it tastes like a baked sweet potato).

Back on the boat in time for a little rest at the lodge before a final dinner in town.  The Team will be up early tomorrow to head to their first camp at Tambo Condoriri (14,000 feet).  With some good weather and staying awake until dark, they might get a great look at the moon rising above the west face of Huayna Potosi.

All is well in Bolivia!

Greg Vernovage

August 8, 2017

Luke checked in after a good day on the road to Copacabana and the shores of Lake Titicaca.  The team got settled into the lodge and is going to take a walk along the lake and then head up to the high point of town for sunset.

Tomorrow, they will get up early and head for the boat ride to Sun Island.  Legend says that if you fall in, you are to be made a sacrifice to the lake.  Let’s hope they all stay on the boat.

All is well in Bolivia!

Greg Vernovage

August 7, 2017

Luke just checked in from La Paz, Bolivia.  It has been a busy couple of days with travel and gear checks for the Team in La Paz.  A couple of the big hurdles with the Bolivia trip are, arriving to the Highest International Airport in the world, and not running to get your bags.  With an altitude over 13,000 feet, you can feel it immediately, and if you run to customs, you will learn your lesson.  Once there, collect your gear and head to the Hotel.  We’re happy to report that all climbers arrived with their gear and the gear checks went great!

Today was the City Tour.  The Team visited the old center of La Paz, San Francisco Cathedral and of course the Witches Market.  As long as you are not looking for modern medicine, you can literally find the cure to whatever problem you think you are having on this street.

Tonight the Team will have the Welcome Dinner, followed by finishing touched on gear sorting.  Tomorrow will be an early morning to get out of La Paz before rush hour and head towards the tough days of acclimatizing on the shores of Lake Titicaca.

The 2nd Bolivia Trip has officially started!  Big mountains are in our sights!

Greg Vernovage