August 24, 2012

Greg checked in yesterday evening with this report:

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Illimani from High Camp. (Greg Vernovage)

The Team is back in La Paz after a great final climb of Illimani.  We had perfect weather on top with no wind and great views. The route was in great condition.

We are now packing up and getting ready for a final team dinner in La Paz, and will be leaving for home in the early morning tomorrow.

It has been a great trip here in Bolivia, thanks for all of the support from home!

Greg Vernovage

More photos on facebook.

August 22, 2012

IMG guide Greg Vernovage called on the sat phone to report that the team was successful reaching the 21,200 foot summit of Illimani and are now back to the high camp.  The weather was good and they had a nice climb.  Now they are packing up their tents and gear and will be descending this afternoon back down to the Base Camp.  Tomorrow they will finish the descent to the jeeps and will be heading for La Paz.  Congratulations, team!!

Eric Simonson

August 20, 2012

IMG guide Greg Vernovage reports that the second part of the Bolivia expedition is underway.  After the good acclimatization from Alpamayo and Huayna Potosi, a nice rest back in LaPaz enjoying showers and good food, the team is now heading for Illimani.  This beautiful mountain is clearly visible from LaPaz, towering about 21,200 feet (6460m) over the Altiplano.  Yesterday they took a jeep to the foot of the mountain, then hired porters and mules to move up to the Base Camp (about 15,000 feet).  Today they are taking a rest day and doing some additional training, in preparation for the big move tomorrow up to the high camp at Nido de Condores (the Condor’s Nest, at over 18,000 feet).  So far so good!

Eric Simonson

August 17, 2012

As you know, we had awesome success once again on Pequeno Alpamayo.  This year was a little different – we had an even better day than last year on top.  A good bit of time spent snapping photos with no gloves on and views to match.

Moving forward to Huayna Potosi.  After we arrived at the Base Camp Refugio we took a rest day and then went on up to High Camp.  On summit day we woke at 12:30 am to snow and lightning.  Was this to be my first weather day in three years in Bolivia?  I went back to the team and told them that we were on hold because of wind, snow and lightning.  At 2:30 am, the stars came out and we went for it.  A cold morning kept us on our toes and moving quickly.  We looked over the jungle to our East and saw an amazing lightning storm below us.  It was hundreds of miles away and of no danger.  To our West, El Alto with all the lights on.  A gorgeous night.  As the sun came up and thawed the team out, we headed to the summit ridge. We were the last team to reach the summit this morning and had it to ourselves which is nice because it is not very big.

Enough talk, I will let the photos do the rest.  Tomorrow we say goodbye to some of the team.  The rest of us will have a well deserved laundry, I mean rest day here in La Paz.

Up next Illimani!

Greg Vernovage

August 15, 2012

Huayna Potosi from Charquini, Bolivia

IMG guide Greg Vernovage reports that yesterday the team headed up to Zongo Pass with the jeeps, then hired some porters, and then hiked up to the Huayna Potosi Base Camp.  Today they will do another day of training, and then tomorrow the plan is to head up to high camp and then to the (almost) 20,000 foot summit the next day!

Eric Simonson

August 13, 2012

IMG guide Greg Vernovage reports that the team had a nice climb today of Pequeno Alpamayo.  It’s a great warm up climb, and a spectacular summit.  They started before dawn, climbed over the subsidiary summit of Tarija Peak, and then on to the summit of Pequeno Alpamayo.  Well done, team!

Now they are all back to Condoriri Base Camp and tomorrow they head to Huayna Potosi Base Camp.

Eric Simonson

August 10, 2012

Alpamayo on the hike out. (Viki Tracey)

IMG guide Greg Vernovage reports that today the climbers successfully made the move up to Condoriri Base Camp at about 15,000 feet.  This stunning area is marked by a number or gorgeous alpine lakes, surrounded by several 16,000 to 19,000 ft peaks.  The plan will be to spend several night in this area.  Tomorrow the team will climb Pico Austria, a nice practice climb for more acclimatization.  After that, they will do a full day of technical training, followed by the ascent of Pequeno Alpamayo (17,482 ft).   After that, it is off to Huayna Potosi (nearly 20,000 ft)!

Eric Simonson

August 9, 2012

It was another great day here in Bolivia.  The morning boat ride on Lake Titicaca and dropped us off on Sun Island for our acclimatization hike.  No wind and not a cloud in the sky forced us to short sleeve shirts and an extended rest on top.  The views were great.  We were able to see Illiampu, Huayna Potosi and even Illimani off in the distance.  Walking back down hill, we ate an excellent local lunch of different potatoes, corn with big kernels, chicken, fresh trout …all with a great view across the Lake.

We are all acclimatizing well and will now focus on the next goal, Pequeno Alpamayo.  Conditions on the mountain sound excellent and we are hoping for continued nice weather.  Tomorrow we move to Condoriri National Park, where we will spend one night in Tambo Condoriri hut.  The team looking forward to seeing more llamas, and I am sure they will not be disappointed.

Greg Vernovage

August 8, 2012

Today we drove from La Paz up onto the Altiplano to the resort town of Copacabana on the shore of Lake Titicaca (12,507 feet / 3,812 m).  Along the way we had the chance to visit the famous Tiahuanaco ruins (dated 1600 BC).  This afternoon the team took a nice (slow!) walk around Copacabana…we are now over 12,000 feet.  When we saw the sun beginning to go down we headed up a nearby hill for a little more acclimatization and a chance to see the sunset.

All in all, it was a gorgeous day, with not a cloud in the sky.  Tomorrow, we will take a short boat trip to Sun Island to continue acclimatization and have lunch on the shore with some local food.  All is well here in Bolivia.  Acclimatizing on the beach!

Greg Vernovage