August 6, 2012

La Paz with Illimani in the background. (Greg Vernovage)

IMG guide Greg Vernovage reports from La Paz that all team members (and all of their duffel bags) have now made it to Bolivia.  Stepping off the airplane at El Alto airport (LPB) at 13,325 feet is a big shock…just need to move slowly and breathe!  From the airport the team drops down to the main city center area, at about 11,000 feet.  Unlike most cities in the world, the most affluent parts of LaPaz are the lowest!  Tomorrow the team will spend the day visiting the local “Witches Market” and exploring the city, followed by a second night in town.  After that they move up to Lake Titicaca for more acclimatization.  Everyone is doing well and are excited that the Bolivia adventure is underway!

Eric Simonson

August 23, 2011

Summit of Illimani

IMG guide Greg Vernovage reports by sat phone that the team is all down safe and sound back to the high camp.  Greg said the weather was good today and they had a nice climb.  Their plan is now to descend back to the Base Camp and then head back to La Paz tomorrow.

Eric Simonson

August 22, 2011

High Camp on Illimani. (Photo by Greg Vernovage)

IMG guide Greg Vernovage reports by sat phone that the team pulled into the 17,800 foot  “Nido de Condores” high camp on Illimani.  High camp is situated just below the glacier.  It is a stiff hike to get up there, and today the team hired some porters to help carry the tents and gear, which was helpful, especially since there was some rocky scrambling in places.

The plan for tomorrow is to head out about 2am, wearing crampons, for a solid day of snow and ice climbing. Greg says the route looks to be in good shape and everyone is doing well.  So far so good!

Follow their progress here via Greg’s SPOT Tracker.

Eric Simonson

August 21

Greg reports that after a good rest day yesterday in La Paz, today the group went back into the mountains, supported by some mules to haul their gear for their trek to Base Camp.  The camp is in a beautiful grassy area at about 15,000 feet, mowed smooth by llamas, mules, horses, and sheep that graze in the area. There is a nice running stream nearby and in the evening the team will get a great view of La Paz night lights.

Eric Simonson

Follow the team via Greg’s SPOT Tracker here.

August 19, 2011

Mary and Alex being lowered from the summit of Pequeno Alpamayo. Full photo album available on IMG's Facebook page (click photo above). Give us the 'thumbs up' if you approve.

It has been a great trip to say the least, with two weeks of perfect weather and great climbing.  We are now back in La Paz and we have all taken a well deserved shower.  Our teammate, Alex, had to depart last night to get back to the United States and I know he was bummed, because he was ready to take on our next challenge, Illimani.

Our climbing and training for Illimani has been perfect.  The technical challenges of Pequeno Alpamayo had the team work with both altitude and skills that we will need for Illimani.  After that test, I assured the team that Huayna Potosi would be technically simpler.  As we all know though, a bit more elevation can be challenging as well.  6,088 meters is equal to just under 20,000 feet.  Bottom line, the team did great! As we get to the summit ridge, after climbing for 5+ hours, if you are a climber, you have to look over the edge.  The first thing you should notice is Lake Titicaca in the distance.  As you get more comfortable with your surroundings or lack there of, you look over the lip, down the West Face of Potosi, 3,000 feet down.  Probably our sweetest day of climbing so far.

Back at Base Camp, we got a great dinner and good night sleep.  Up early and on our way back to La Paz, the talk in the van circled around showers, a great dinner at a restaurant that Eduardo (one of our top notch Bolivian guides) wants to go to.  The last topic of conversation on the way back to town was in front of us for the entire drive.  ”Greg, That is one huge mountain. (Illimani)  How are we going to climb it?  Where are we going to go?”  Illimani is 6,438m (21,122 ft) and I am looking forward to showing this team another piece of Bolivia.

A rest day tomorrow in La Paz, and we are ready to go!

August 18, 2011

Greg Vernovage on the summit of Huayna Potosi

IMG guide Greg Vernovage reports that the climb went well today, with the entire group reaching the summit!

The route started from high camp with glacier travel, then some steep rolls, and finally a steep chute up to the ridge that leads to a fantastic summit (with a 3000 foot drop off down the west face at your feet!).  The weather was good, and they had excellent views of Lake Titicaca, Illimani, and the surrounding peaks of the Condoriri group before heading back down to the high camp.  Congrats to Greg,  Alex, Mary, Derek, Bill, Ryoko, Viki, Deborah, and our Bolivian guides for a safe ascent and descent.

Greg says they left the high camp at 2:45am and reached the top at 8:00am, and were all back to the high camp by 11:45am.  After a rest, some lunch, and getting packed up, they are heading on down this afternoon to the Base Camp.  We’ll plan to hear from them tomorrow after they get back to La Paz.

Two down, one to go (Illimani)!!

Eric Simonson

Follow the team via Greg’s SPOT Tracker here.

August 17, 2011

IMG guide Greg Vernovage fired up his SPOT  to show us where the team was,  on their way to the high camp at the Casa Alta Roca hut  (16,990 ft / 5,180m).  They’ll be getting a pre-dawn start tonight, heading for the 19,974 ft / 6,094m summit of Huayna Potosi.

Eric Simonson

Huayna Potosi (courtesy of Google Earth)

August 16, 2011

Huayno Potosi from near Zongo Pass. (Photo by Ben Marshall)

IMG leader Greg Vernovage reports by sat phone that the team successfully moved from Condoriri Base Camp to the Huayna Potosi Base Camp and are now ensconced at the Casa Blanca Hut (about 15,500 feet).  Today was an easy day, with some training, rest and reorganization, in preparation for the climb tomorrow up to the Campo de Rocas hut at almost 17,000 feet.  The weather remains good and everyone is doing well.

Eric Simonson