Condoriri-Trek

The massif of the Condoriri consists of a group of 13 peaks of more than 5000 meters height.

The three peaks of the Condoriri are an iconographic reminder of a condor with extended wings, which is why the central one of them is called the head of the condor (Cabeza del Condor, 5648 m) and the two lateral ones the left and right wing (Ala Izquierda, 5532 m, Ala Derecha, 5482 m).

The base camp at Laguna Chiar Khota, usually used for ascents, can be reached from La Paz via the village of Tuni (4438 m) and a subsequent three-hour hike past the Tuni reservoir within the first day’s stage.

In Tuni residents rent donkeys to transport luggage and equipment to the camp. This is also the starting point for a possible ascent of the Pico Austria. The imposing 5300m high mountain with its symmetrical summit can be climbed without great technical difficulties. The remaining 700 meters of altitude can be climbed from the high base camp in a good three hours. It continues on a clearly visible path over gravel planes and pastures into a small saddle. Here you have an unobstructed view of the ice surfaces below the Condoriri and the ice wall of the Ala Izquierda. Now one climbs further up the wide ridge, over steep rubble, always following the path tracks. At the top, you can enjoy impressive views of numerous lagoons and almost the entire Cordilliera Real. On particularly clear days you can even see Lake Titicaca. The descent then follows the same route as the ascent back to the camp at Laguna Chiar Khota.

The third day begins with the ascent to the pass between the Aguja Negra and the Mirador. Then you descend in serpentines to ascend again above the valley to the next saddle, the Apacheta. The destination of this stage is either the camp on the shore of Laguna Esperanza or the camp at the foot of Maria Lloco. If you only go as far as the lagoon, the final day will be longer. The final day leads into or around the Huayna Potosí massif up to the starting point for its climb at the Zongo Pass. Before you reach the Zongo Pass you pass the managed hut of Casa Blanca. According to our information, there are public buses from the Zongo Pass to La Paz. However, most trekkers have ordered a taxi to the pick-up point in advance, which will take you back to La Paz in less than two hours.