Huayna Potosí
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| Huayna Potosí | |
|---|---|
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| Elevation | 6,088 metres (19,974 ft) |
| Location | Bolivia |
| Range | Andes |
| Coordinates | |
| First ascent | 1919 |
| Easiest route | glacier/snow |
Huayna Potosí is a mountain in Bolivia, located about 25 km north of La Paz in the Cordillera Real. The ice-covered summit is one of the most beautiful and well-known mountains in the country.
The first ascent took place in 1919 by Germans Rudolf Dienst and Adolf Schulze. It is often misleadingly called the "easiest 6000er of the world"; however there are two very steep ice passages, and there are many 6000m mountains that are technically easier to climb. Huayna Potosí can be mounted in two daily stages.
The main reason that Huayna Potosi has been called the easiest 6000m climb is because height difference from base to top is much less than most others; also it is easily accessible from La Paz. Since La Paz lies at 3600 m, climbers who have spent time there will be more acclimatised, however no 6000 m peak can be regarded as easy - the very thin air makes progress extremely slow, even for fit climbers, and altitude sickness a strong probability.
[edit] Climbing the Mountain
Climbers generally take a 4x4 with their guide(s) up the valley on a gravel road from El Alto taking about two hours to reach a car park at 4700m ( ) (where a base camp may or may not be established). From here it is a 1 - 3 h hike up to the high camp at 5200 m ( ) on the snow line (Time taken depends greatly on acclimatization and fitness). It consists of a number of areas of leveled rocks suitable for pitching tents on (although not comfortable or warm). As of 2006, there is a refuge at the high camp where it is possible to stay the night for around $10. Climbers get what sleep they can (very difficult at the altitude) until some time between 11 pm and 2am, when they wake and prepare, usually starting for the summit an hour after rising. Fit and well acclimatized climbers rise and leave later, overtaking other groups during the climb, and can reach the summit in around 3-4 hours, but regularly people take twice that time. Guides will urge the slowest that take longer to go back before reaching the top, as the rising sun causes the snow to become less stable for walking, and increases avalanche risk from 8 am onwards. The views on a clear morning from the summit are unbelievable - the mountain is far higher than anything else anywhere nearby, and the Cordillera Real, Lake Titicaca, La Paz, and part of the Altiplano they reside on are all visible. The last 150 vertical m are the most difficult, being very steep and icy, coming after many hours of climbing, and having the thinnest air of all. Climbers are advised to bring very warm clothing. Until early 2004 there was a guest book for summiting climbers to sign, unfortunately this overhang collapsed mid 2006 leaving the original metal container protruding out of the summit ridge hanging above the city of La Paz below.
[edit] External links
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