TEFL to Travel: 3 days around Condoriri

There were lots of hikes around La Paz in the Cordillera Real and other mountains of the Andes. So we decided to do 3 days around Condoriri because it wasn't too high (max 5,000m), too long, too expensive ($100 each with a guide + food) or too strenuous.

We started here in the small village of Tuni at 4,448 m. It was only a couple hour drive from La Paz. We picked up a donkey lady and three donkeys that carried all the food and the other two hiker's backpacks. We asked not to use the donkeys because we didn't want to have to pay for them and so we carried everything ourselves. Yeah, it was more difficult with our packs at that elevation but I'm glad we didn't use the donkeys.

Our guides were Pasquale and his wife Josefina. Josefina carried lunch every day on her back in her traditional colorful bag.

Llamas and a black alpaca

At the high elevation we saw some unique plants and animals.

Flowering thistle


The incredible landscape we passed through

by Lago Chiar Kota

The first day, in only 3.5 hours we made it to the base of Mt. Condoriri at Lake Chiar Kota. The lake was formed by the mountain glaciers. Come to find out the hike is super popular during the winter months - dry months - and so there was a little house with a room with straw mattresses and a table to rent. We stayed there with the view of the lake next to us and the mountains on the other side.

Glacier Condoriri 5,200m

After a break and setting up our room to sleep we hiked up to the Condoriri glacier. It was a bit harder than it looked because of the altitude and that it's so big that it looks a lot closer than it really was.

the boys on the glacier


view of the lake from the glacier

In the evening before sunset the fog set in over the lake giving it a really remote peaceful feeling. I'm glad we went in the off season, even if it did rain every day and was really cold.

In the morning we woke up to a still lake reflecting the mountains.

As we climbed out of the valley below Condoriri we said good bye to Lake Chiar Kota and walked toward Huyana Potosi, the 6,000m mountain that towers over La Paz.

then came the rain


...and then the snow

We put on all of our rain gear and continued on.

In the afternoon, we walked through a few valleys and small passes and when we thought we would stop for the night we kept walking, and then we thought we might stop again we continued on for another few hours. It's because we saw these mountains in the distance and our guide told us that tomorrow we'll cross them, and we slept here, right at the very base of the pass. When you look at mountains in the distance they always look nearer than they are.

Morning view

Night view at the mountain hut

Again we slept in a little hut. It was nicer than sleeping in our tents but that meant that we had carried all of our camping gear for nothing... but maybe to make us stronger. :)

The next and last day we climbed over the mountain pass and were graced with blue skies and a fantastic view of Huayna Potosi to the east. In the sun it didn't matter that there was snow on the ground it was still hot climbing up to the mountain pass at another 5,000m.