16 days, probably from about 15th May
This is the fourth in a series of YRC Andean trips – it has guide support, uses tried and tested routes and less driving
Estimated cost at £3,850 (but anything can happen): includes full guided support £1,700, estimated insurance £400, flights £1,500, taxis/tips/city meals etc. £300. More if adding extensions or wanting a tent/room to yourself. Support costs fall as the numbers going increase.
Who’s going? Still in the early stages of recruitment but those listed below are intending going and several others have shown interest. As numbers rise so the support costs fall and flexibility for extension trips increases. Places available for more trekkers and a few places remaining for the mountaineering group.
There are alternatives within the itinerary: Trek or Climb. All are together for over half the time for the initial acclimatisation: around Lake Titicaca, at Condoriri basecamp, and again in La Paz at the end. Note that the trek includes an optional ascent of a glaciated 5,300m peak (over 500m higher than Mt Blanc) and a tour of the Salar.
La Paz, Plaza San Francisco, Palla Khasa hostal, Lake Titicaca
The trip starts with four days acclimatisation around El Alto, La Paz and Lake Titicaca. Then four days of trekking or mountaineering. The trek does though include a walk up the significant Austria Peak and an optional attempt on a glaciated peak using safety rope and crampons. Then the trek group have a 3-day tour of the Salar de Uyuni (the world’s largest salt flat, Salar is half the size of Wales) hiking to ruins and a volcanic peak, and around an ‘island’ and a village. While the trekkers are on the Salar, the others are attempting Huayna Potosi (6,088m 19,974ft).
1 Salar de Uyuni, 2 Tunupa Volcano by the Salar on trekkers’ route, 3 Path up Pico Austria, 4 on Huayna Potosi, 5 trek route, 6 YRC Real trek 1999 Linford, Kay, Crowther, Bush, Gilmore.
Skills needed: For trekking it’s as simple as familiarity with camping and fit enough to walk over normal mountain paths, possibly crossing snowbanks. For the ascents (except Pico Austria), familiarity with use of crampon, ice axe, and (at least theoretically) rope for security on glaciers and moderately steep slopes. There is a small chance that for Huayna Potosi a route involving a short steep wall will be taken but that would be protected with a top rope.
YRC 1999 Condoriri base camp, Rush hour traffic on the trek, Pequeno Alpamayo (optional trek peak on left of the snow peak)
Extensions: Having gone all the way to the Andes, it would be a pity not to look at some other bits if you can spare the time. Some of those interested are going out about a week earlier and taking a trip over to Peru’s Cuzco and Machu Picchu. Other extensions could be to the higher peaks, Illimani or Sajama, to the eastern volcanoes or the Yungas. Worth considering are Potosi, Sorata, Cochabamba, Sucre’s Cal Orcko dinosaur footprints, the Quimsa Cruz. All better done in a small group. These things can be sorted out nearer the time.
Machu Picchu and Sajama
Dates: Too soon to be precise as these depend on airline schedules. Probably, Mid-May into early June 2024.
At this stage Michael Smith is inviting expressions of interest rather than signing up for certain. Michael has more detail available regarding the route, support, etc.
Flights are likely to be booked around Christmas time.
Some links
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