Huayna Potosí, Bolivia (21 Mar 2007 - 23 Mar 2007)

Huayna Potosi (19,974 ft)

As we were driving into La Paz, the towering mountains of the Andes captivated my thoughts. I remember writing in my diary that I wanted to climb them; to conquer them. If I have a chance to climb Huayna Potosi, I'm going to take it. At that time, we were planning on blowing through La Paz to make time for the Salar de Uyuni. A peasant-farmer blockade of the only road south to Uyuni, however, put Huayna Potosi back on the agenda. Sam and I decided to stay in La Paz, while Phil and Rogers raced south to Chile.

The front side.

The back side.

Night shot.

Day 1: We could not have wished for better weather. After setting up our camp, we hiked a short distance up the mountain to a glacier for Ice Climbing 101.

Going up.

Coming down.

Sam bringing the '80s back to Huayna Potosi.

One particularly tricky ascent.

Day 2: We had a leisurely morning in camp, followed by a very leisurely hike up to Campo Alta Roca. We went to bed early, but I slept for only an hour due to a splitting headache. My heart was also beating so hard it felt as if it was going to pound out of my chest.

Me, Gervasio (our guide), Sam, and Edgar (our porter, who in retrospect was entirely unnecessary).

Would you rather fall into a stream of freezing glacial water or over ten feet into jagged rocks?

Tikimane and Telata mountains in the background.

The refuge at Campo Alto Roca, with Telata in the background.

The next day's route.

Day 3: Woke at 12:30 am. The sky was so clear that I could see every possible star in the night sky. Started hiking at 2:00 and reached the summit before sunrise. Then it was a rapid descent and return to La Paz.

The summit, 6,088 meters above sea level (19,974 feet).

It was a grueling final push to the summit - a nearly vertical, 250 mice climb.