-
Mt. Bierstadt Group Summit - Front Range, Colorado
-
A rest before the summit push on Dallas Peak - San Juan Range, Colorado
-
Broken Ankle + 6 Miles = Tired
-
The classic San Juan approach - San Juan Range, Colorado
-
Overlooking Noname Basin from Twin Thumbs Pass - San Juan Range, Colorado
-
Upper Noname Basin - San Juan Range, Colorado
-
Nearing Noname Cabin - San Juan Range, Colorado
-
Twin Thumbs Twins - San Juan Range, Colorado
-
Nearing the summit of Pt. 13,736 - Sawatch Range, Colorado
-
Blustery day on Iowa Peak - Sawatch Range, Colorado
-
Morning snow at 15k, Cerro Ramada - Cordillera Ramada
-
Artesonraju from the summit of Nevado Pisco - Cordillera Blanca, Peru
-
February crowds on Gray's Peak - Front Range, Colorado
-
Kicking steps on Cerro Lliani - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
-
Final traverse to the summit of Wheeler Mountain - Ten Mile Range, Colorado
-
The long walk to Pachanta - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
- banner31
Afternoon at 17k on Cerro Ramada - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
- banner22
The final ridge on Iowa Peak - Sawatch Range, Colorado
-
Summer summit on Longs Peak - Front Range, Colorado
-
A rest day at the Pachanta Hot Springs - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
-
Mind over matter on Mt. Parnassas - Front Range, Colorado
-
Rest stop on Cerro Lliani - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
- banner30
Post nap surprise on Cerro Ramada - Cordiller Ramada, Argentina
-
Summit on Cerro Lliani - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
- banner23
Ridge walking on Grizzly Peak - Sawatch Range, Colorado
-
Enroute the summit via the West Ridge on Pacific Peak - Ten Mile Range, Colorado
-
Mule train bound for Chilca - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
-
Taking in the view from Fletcher Peak - Ten Mile Range, Colorado
-
Hiking on Silverheels - Mosquito Range, Colorado
-
Traversing! Gladstone Peak - San Juan Range, Colorado
- banner24
The best of times at Willow Lake - Sangre de Christo Range, Colorado
- banner29
High Altitude Cerebral Edema? - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
-
Bound for Chilca - Vilcanota Range, Peru
-
Going alpine light, Holy Cross Ridge - Sawatch Range, Colorado
-
Cumbre! Campa I - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
-
Roadside lunch with the best of company - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
- banner25
Long ridge walk to the summit of California Peak - Sangre de Christo Range, Colorado
- banner28
Crossing el Rio Colorado . . . in the afternoon - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
- banner37
Dealing with Fall snows high on Casco Peak - Sawatch Range, Colorado
-
Moonrise over Mercedario - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
-
Still climbing at 20,900 on Cerro Ramada - Cordiller Ramada, Argentina
-
Talus on Halo Ridge, Mt. of the Holy Cross - Sawatch Range, Colorado
- banner26
Deteriorating conditions on Mt. Arkansas - Ten Mile Range, Colorado
- banner27
After the climb - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
- banner38
Taking in the view from the summit of Crystal Peak - Tenmile Range, Colorado
-
Topping out on Mt. Arkansas' North Couloir - Mosquito Range, Colorado
-
Glissade on Mt. Arkansas - Mosquito Range, Colorado
-
Hard snow morning on Teakettle Mountain - San Juan Range, Colorado
-
Spring snow announces the start of the climb on Dallas Peak - San Juan Range, Colorado
-
Crossing the Eolus Catwalk - San Juan Range, Colorado
Roberto and Mario were up and scurrying about by 3 a.m. so there was no point in attempting to sleep in even an extra fifteen minutes. The packing was mostly done the night before so we had little to do but get the sleeping bags put away and get out to the Land Cruiser. We pulled out of Charazani at 0 dark 30 and there was not a soul to be seen.
The trip from Charazani to La Paz is a shorter trip so we figured we would make La Paz by the early afternoon. Roberto and Mario could taste getting home and nothing was going to slow them down. G and Mario hit the back seats and were again asleep in no time but I opted for keeping a keen lookout from el asiento del teniente, my usual post. 
We made our way up out of the valley on the winding dirt road and by daylight we were past the junction leading back north to Pelechuco. The route back from Charazani does not include the poor quality road section where just finding the route is part of the adventure. There are no high passes to cross and before you know it you have crossed over the hills along the Peruvian frontier and through the policia nacional checkpoint shy of the Lake Titicaca hard road. 
Achacachi was a mandatory refreshment stop for Roberto and Mario and we found the town was fully decked out for a visit from Evo Morales, the President of Bolivia. The local army garrison was out in parade formation and the bunting stretched across the main street for its entire length through town. We made a quick stop for some refrescos and then got on the road again. I'm guessing that somewhere between Achacachi and El Alto we passed Presidente Morales in one of the official looking vehicles going in the opposite direction. 
We arrived in El Alto and cut off the main road to make our way through the warren of streets to drop Mario off at his place. We bid him adieu and continued on to the edge of the valley in which La Paz lies. We stopped at the edge to look upon the town below us before dropping down to meet Dr. Berrios at his warehouse located midway between El Alto and Sagarniga. Robert needed to drop off the company gear and we wanted to meet up with Hugo to talk about where we had climbed and how the trip had gone. We swapped stories about climbing and generally related the success of the adventure. Then we were back on the road and off to the Hotel Calacoto for the afternoon and a well deserved steak at the El Asador, of course.
