July 22, 2016

Base Camp at Pequeno Alpamayo is tucked in a little valley with mountains all around.  As the Team comes over the last of the rolls, about 20 minutes from camp, there is a lake as blue as you can find.  Around the lake, they will set up Base Camp for Pequeno Alpamayo (15,100’)

The Team is doing well and will take another hike up Pico Austria tomorrow followed by some training and rigging of the harnesses.

All is well in Bolivia!

Greg Vernovage

July 21, 2016

The team has left the shores of Lake Titicaca and is tucked into Tambo Condoriri for the night.  No cell phone or email for a few days while they go climbing.  We stop off just before the road ends on this leg of the trip in order to continue to acclimatize.  Tambo Condoriri is right at 14,000 feet and offers a nice area for acclimatization hiking and a view of Huayna Potosi at night that is amazing.

Tomorrow, the Team will hike for about 4 hours up to Base Camp (15,100’) where they can settle in for the next few nights and get ready for the first mountain, Pequeno Alpamayo.

Greg Vernovage

July 20, 2016

There are great views in every direction when we visit Lake Titicaca.  A boat ride during a mountaineering trip can be difficult to understand sometimes but on this trip, we cannot pass up the opportunity to hike to the top of Sun Island (14,000’)…for acclimatization.

Once on top, we can see the Cordillera Real Mountain Range and on a clear day, all the way down to Illimani.  After the hike, we have a picnic on the shore with local food usually consisting of 4-5 different varieties of potatoes, chicken, eggs and of course trout.

Tomorrow is an early morning, off to our first camp near Pequeno Alpamayo with a quick stop to visit the home of Senor Paulino the famous Ra reed boat builder.  His work is amazing to look at and his welcoming smile and handshake are always a welcome stop on our way to the first climb.

Greg Vernovage

July 19, 2016

The Team was out the door early this morning to get out of the city and beat traffic.  Once out of the city, they caught their first glimpse of Huayna Potosi and then further down the road, Lake Titicaca.  The Cordillera Real is a beautiful range with tall peaks keeping the Team company all the way into Copacabana.

Once in Copacabana, they will tour the town and find a spot to watch the sunset.  The weather forecast is consistently beautiful for them.  Tomorrow is the boat ride to Sun Island, they had better stay in the boat because legend says that anyone who falls in the Lake is not allowed to be rescued!