After being at a high elevation for an extended part of our trip we decided to try something quite a bit out of our comfort level. We were going to attempt to summit the nearby Huayna Potosi mountain. Sitting at an impressive 19,975ft Huayna Potosi was much higher than any mountain we had attempted. From La Paz there were many guides available that would go for either two or three day treks. We opted for the three day trek which included an extra night at the ‘base’ camp which was still at 15,000ft.
The first day we took an acclimation hike to a nearby glacier. Once at the glacier we practiced ice climbing and using the rope that we would have to use the next couple days. Our guide prepared a filling dinner of veggie grain soup, and pasta with meat sauce.
The next morning after a breakfast of yogurt, granola and bread we donned our gear and made the trek to high camp. All through the hike we had views of the summit looming overhead. High camp wasn’t too far from base camp and we had quite a bit of time that afternoon to explore our surroundings. At 17,000ft I was really starting to feel the effects of the altitude. I was having trouble eating much food and then when it was time to sleep I was completely unable to sleep at all.
Not sleeping made it that much harder when our guide woke us at 12:30am to start climbing! The goal was to be at the summit around sunrise. Any later and the snow could get soft and make hiking treacherous. We had a very light breakfast, got all of our harnesses and crampons on and started up the snow. At this point we were hiking on ice. We each had an Ice pick and we were tethered together. It wasn’t long before we had to cross our first of several cracks in the ice. In the dark there was no way to see how deep they were.
Each step was brutal. There was no catching your breath and even at the slow pace of a step every few seconds, I was completely wiped out. At one point we climbed up a razor sharp ridge with ice cliffs on either side of us. We had to lean into the ice pick and trust that it was going to support us as we took the next step.
The climb was relentlessly steep until just after the narrow ridge. The trail leveled out for a while before making the final push to the summit. At this point the first light of dawn was starting to brighten the horizon in the east. Even though the ground was flat I physically couldn’t walk any faster than a slow crawl.
Our guide motioned for us to take a brake and we starting talking about what comes next in the climb. We were presently at about 19,000ft, with almost 1,000ft left to go. It was clear we weren’t going to make it by sunrise and we had to decide what to do next. We could either push on and see if we can get any further, or turn back. It was clear to me that I was not going to be able to make it to the summit as I could feel altitude sickness creeping in each step we took. Sara and I decided it was best to enjoy how far we made it, watch the sunrise from here and then head back down.
It was a beautiful hike once the sun came up and we were going down! In the light, we could see just how deep some of the ice fissures were. Back at high camp, we could finally rest and reflect for a couple hours before we went the rest of the way to base camp and La Paz. It was an amazing adventure and I am proud that we tried it.
Back in La Paz we celebrated by staying at The Adventure Brew Hostel, where they had plenty of beer and food to enjoy! Unfortunately our time in South America was coming to an end. We few out of LaPaz the next day headed for the last stop on our trip.
