Nevado Piramide (5907m) and Ancohuma (6427m) are in the north of the Cordillera Real. Nevado Piramide is not a technically demanding climb but is a good acclimatizing peak before attempting Ancohuma. The Mapiri Trek will take you through a beautiful and remote region of Bolivia, from the Cordillera Real, through the Yungas, a transition ecosystem between the dry Andes and the humid Amazon Basin, and then into the cloud forest. 

Please check the gear list to see what you will need to bring for the trip.

For further general information on Bolivia please also look at our fact file.

Day 1: Sorata (2700m) – Mina Susana (4000m)

A 4WD road takes us to the base of some old mines where we will make our base camp. Here you can take a walk up to the mine, and have a look around the old mine site.
2 hours driving (LD)

Day 2: Mina Susana (Base camp) – High camp of Nevado Piramide (5000m)

The porters will take all the equipment and personal gear up to the high camp. Walking up we will pass the old mine, and follow llama tracks to get us to our high camp. We set up high camp just below the moraine with views of Lake Titikaka (3810m).
3 to 4 hours (BLD)

Day 3: High camp – Summit (5907m) – High camp – Base camp

An early start because we will have a long days climb and it will be cold. First we will climb over the moraine and then onto the glacier to take us to the summit. From here there are great views of the Alitplano (4000m), Lake Titikaka, Sajama (6549m), Illimani (6439m) and Huayna Potosi (6088m).Then back to high camp where we meet the porters, and back down to base camp.
10 to 12 hours. (BLD)

Day 4: Mina Susana – Laguna Glaciar (5000m)

This will be a long day of climbing and traversing to Laguna Glaciar. Here we will have porters to carry all the equipment and personal gear. Arriving at Laguna Glaciar we will be able to see Illampu (6356m) and Ancohuma (6427m).
7 to 8 hours. (BLD)

Day 5: Laguna Glaciar (Base camp) – High camp of Ancohuma (5400m)

This day is short, so we have a free morning and leave after lunch. First we will be climbing on the moraine and then onto the ice .We make high camp on the glacier.
2 to 3 hours. (BLD)

Day 6: High camp – Summit (6427m) – High camp – Base camp

An early start for the summit as it is a long day, with walking on the glacier to 6000m, from here we have a 400m climb to the summit. Great views of Illampu and Laguna Negra. After a short rest we will head back to high camp where we meet the porters who take all the equipment and personal gear back down to base camp.
10 to 14 hours. (BLD)

Day 7: Base camp –  Sorata

The same walk back down to Sorata to warmer weather and a well earned beer!
4 to 6 hours (BLD) Night in hostel

Day 8: Sorata

Rest day in Sorata
(BD) Night in hostel

Day 9: Sorata (2700m) – Yani (4000m) – Huilapata (4000m)

We will leave early in the morning by 4WD, to go over the pass of Chu Chu (4700m) before dropping down into the valley of Yani from where we have our last views of Illampu (6356m). We stop in the village of Ingenio for lunch before we start to  trek down the valley. We then need to climb for some hours before making camp.
3 hours 4WD, 3 to 4 hours walking (LD)

Day 10: Huilapata – Tolapampa (3800m)

Walking most of the day on a ridge, with views of the snowy capped peaks of the Cordillera Real on our right and on our left the Yungas drops down into the Bolivian Amazon.
5 to 7 hours (BLD)

Day 11: Tolapampa – Koka Punku (3500m)

Still in alpine country we will be able to see the trail a long way ahead of us. After midday we start to head north to get closer to the forest. The late afternoon cloud will start to roll in, the area below us can look like a huge lake.
6 to 7 hours (BLD)    

Day 12: Koka Punku – Alto Palmar (2700m)

Toady we will really start to get into the cloud forest. It’s wet and dense and tough going. Crawling under logs in the mud the trail is still easy to find as there’s only two ways to go. The way we came and the way in front. This forest here is very still untouched.
7 to 8 hours (BLD)

Day 13: Alto Palmar – Pararani (1900m)

Another day pushing our way through the jungle, crawling over logs in the mud. We some times get a view of the place where we are. We don’t see anybody in this part of the world. If we are lucky we might see a bear or some birds, but with such thick vegetation this can be difficult.
7 to 8 hours (BLD)

Day 14: Pararani – San Josè (1200m)

Around here the jungle clears slightly and we should be able to see a river on our left as we walk high on the ridge. Finding water in this area is difficult so we will need to carry at least 2 liters each, especially since we will start to feel the heat of the lower Amazon.
6 to 7 hours (BLD)

Day 15: San Josè – Mapiri (760m)

We will drop fast into the last valley which takes us to the gold town of Mapiri - life has an easy pace here. In the evening the miner’s come to sell their gold from their  days labour.
5 to 6 hours (BL)
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