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  • 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
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    Afternoon at 17k on Cerro Ramada - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
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    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
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    Post nap surprise on Cerro Ramada - Cordiller Ramada, Argentina
  • Summit on Cerro Lliani - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
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    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
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    The best of times at Willow Lake - Sangre de Christo Range, Colorado
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    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
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    Long ridge walk to the summit of California Peak - Sangre de Christo Range, Colorado
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    Crossing el Rio Colorado . . . in the afternoon - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
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    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
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    Deteriorating conditions on Mt. Arkansas - Ten Mile Range, Colorado
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    After the climb - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
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    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

2006 Apolobamba Expedition

Apolobamba Resources

 

Web sites - the following web sites have information pertaining to climbing in the Apolobamba:
  • Swedish Apolobamba Expedition - This is a great site that covers a number of first ascents in the Cololo area from the west side. As interesting as the ascents are, the best part of the story is their departure from the Apolobamba during a touch of political turmoil, Bolivian style. This is a must read site.

  • British Apolobamba Expedition - This site covers the climbs made by a group of four Brits to include a traverse of Cololo, a very impressive ice climb adjacent to Lake Kotani, a few of the smaller peaks ringing Kotani and then climbs of Canisaya, Casalala and Huelancalloc, all down in the area around Piedras Grandes/Sunchuli but with an approach from the west side as compared to our approach from the east. This site has the climbs shown on relative portions of the Hudson map.

  • American Alpine Journal Indices - the indices cover information published in the Journal of the American Alpine Club. Check under both Apolobamba and the names of individual peaks.

Maps - the following maps may be of some value in the planning an Apolobamba trip:
  • Paul Hudson's map of the Apolobamba, published by the Royal Geographic Society. Mr. Hudson's map appears to be the final authority on the names of peaks. It allowed us to finally identify what we climbed in 2006. We were able to obtain a scan of the map in .tif format from the RGS.

  • John Biggar has a map in his book The Andes - A Guide for Climbers. I have a copy of his 2nd edition and it contains a map showing the Apolobamba peaks he notes in his guide.

  • There is a nice map of the northern half of the Apolobamba in the American Alpine Journal's Volume ___. I've also seen this map repeated in the British Alpine Journal.

  • Various sources note BIGM sheets for the Apolobamba but in my two trips to La Paz I have not had the opportunity to get to the BIGM map center to secure maps. Rumor has it that copies are darn hard to get. I just dunno on this one but I read of a BIGM sheet #3041 titled "Pelechuco" at a scale of 1:100,000 and BIGM sheet #5748-I titled "Khata" at a scale of 1:50,000 for the Cavayani/Acamani area.

  • We also had the opportunity to see a portion of a map made by the Russians but I cannot vouch for accuracy as the text was . . . in Russian.

  • There are no Alpenverein or Guzman maps for the Apolobamba. There is an AV map for the Cordillera Real and there are Guzman maps for Sajama and the Cordillera Real . . . but no such luck for the Apolobamba. I picked up a AV map for the Cordillera Real from Stanfords in London without any problem and I would guess that AV must sell them direct as well.

  • Our primary mapping source was a pair of aerial shots printed from Google Earth. We guessed at our route and took lots of GPS readings to plot the route following our return. Much of the trek is on a single lane mining road (Quimsa Cruz to Illo Illo to Pedras Grandes. The route from Pelechuco to Quimsa Cruz and from the camp below Cuchillo I all the way to Curva is on trail. Our aerials were "shot" from an altitude of 13 miles and did not show roads or trails . . . we were jsut pretty good route guessers.

Books - the following books and guides include information regarding peaks of the Apolobamba.
  • The Andes - A Guide for Climbers by John Biggar. My second edition of the book includes Chaupi Orco, Palomani Grande,Soral Oeste, Ascarani, Cololo, Huellanlloc, Acamani, and Cavayani. He also mentions a number of other peaks that in the vicinity of those mentioned here. I have seen the third edition of this guide but did not have the opportunity to look at the Apolobamba section. The newer edition does include photos showing routes as compared to the line drawings in my edition. This book also has a general region map that illustrates the trekking route from Pelechico to Curva/Charazani. This book is readily available in decent climbing stores and I recently saw the new edition at Neptune Mountaineering in Boulder, Colorado, USA.

  • Bolivia - A climbing Guide by Yossi Brain. This is another classic guide that covers Apolobamba peaks, including Chaupi Orco, Palomani Grande, Ascarani, Katantica Central, Cololo, Cuchillo I, and Acamani. This book also has a general region map that illustrates the trekking route from Pelechico to Curva/Charazani. This book is available from the Mountaineers in Seattle.

  • The Andes of Bolivia - Alain Mesili. Mr. Mesili's guide includes information on the Apolobamba region, the various trekking routes, a nice set of general color maps, local logistics, transportation details, and a compendium of the first ascents for the peaks of the region. He does not provide much in the way of climbing details but instead defers to the Yossi Brain book for that information. I obtained a copy directly from Libreria Boliviana at a cost of about $50 including the cost of the book, communications, and insurance. The purchase took about 8 weeks to complete but the follow in La Paz came though just fine. That was the only way I could come up with to get a copy of this guide.

  • Bolivia - Lonely Planet by Andrew Nystrom and Morgan Konn. This travel guide includes good information on getting to and from Pelechuco and Curva/Charazani, places to stay, and has probably the best write-up for the trek between the two points. It also has a generalized map for the Apolobmaba, showing some peak names. The guide also covers La Paz as well.