Nevado Sajama

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Sajama

Elevation 6,542 m (21,463 ft.)
Location Oruro Department, Bolivia
Range Cordillera Occidental
Prominence 2,428 m (7,966 ft.)
Coordinates 18°06′18″S, 68°52′46″W
Type Stratovolcano
First ascent 1939 by Piero Ghiglione and J. Prem
Easiest route direct ascent from villages of Tameripi, Sajama, or Lagunas

Nevado Sajama is an extinct stratovolcano and the highest peak in Bolivia. The mountain is located in Sajama National Park in the southwest area of the country some 16-24 km (10-15 mi) from the border with Chile. The peak is an isolated cone, but is geologically complex, with lava domes of andesitic and rhyodactic composition overlain by an andesitic stratovolcano. The date of the most recent eruption is uncertain, although Holocene activity is assigned to the volcano by many.

Joseph Prem made the first attempt to climb the mountain in 1927 by the northwest ridge but was stopped short at 6,200 m. After several more attempts, Prem along with Piero Ghiglione reached the top in August 1939 by a more difficult southeast ridge.

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