Nevado Sajama
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sajama  |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Elevation | 6,542 m (21,463 ft.) |
| Location | Oruro Department, Bolivia |
| Range | Cordillera Occidental |
| Prominence | 2,428 m (7,966 ft.) |
| Coordinates | |
| 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.
