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Illampu
Height: 6,368 m
Country:
Illampu (Bolivias most difficult mountain) is a great challenge for those who want to try something more difficult than Huayna Potosi, Illimani, or Sajama. It's a few hours from La Paz, but requires a longer walk in (one day) and after a relaxed glacier walk demands a 300m wall climb followed by 500m of climbing through varying slopes to reach the summit. The accomplishment of such a mountain comes with striking views of neighbouring Ancohuma, close up views to Lake Titicaca, and then a long descent... You'll probably have the peak to yourself on summit day, yet being so near La Paz this is a great option for those wanting a tougher climb without such a serious 'expedition effort' to get there.
Difficulty
- AD: Fairly hard (alpine grade 3)
- D: Hard (alpine grade 4)
When to go
- June to August
Permits
- 0 permits are needed
- costing around $0 total
Profiled guides
| Guide | Info | Cost |
|---|---|---|
 Grupo Alpamayo Tours | more info | from $2,950 |
| Bolivian Mountaineering | more info | from $1,250 |
| SOUTH TREKS | more info | from $1,250 |
Driving up from Sorata you'll reach Lacatya. From here you can hire donkeys to head up the valley and over to base camp (Aguas Calientes). These days there's a 4x4 track that extends all the way up the valley, so alternatively drive that and walk a last hour over the pass to base camp.
The climb starts at Base Camp (4400m), moves to High Camp (5100m) and potentially to Advanced High Camp (5600m), before the final push to the Summit (6368m).
However if you are already acclimatised then just one high camp around 5300m is fine.
If you high camp at 5300m then there's 1-2 hours to the top of the glacier where the wall and real climbing begins.
Base Camp - Aguas Calientes
The starting point for the climb, located at the base of Illampu.
4,400 m
High Camp
The primary high camp where climbers acclimatize and prepare for the summit push.
5,100 m
Advanced High Camp
An advanced high camp used by some climbers to shorten the summit day.
5,600 m
Summit
The summit of Illampu, offering challenging routes and stunning views of the Andes.
6,368 m
For the typical route there are still a couple of options, both to do with acclimitization and your pace: - walk in from Lacatya (with / without donkeys) - use one or two high camps
Illampu permits
What permits are needed for climbing Illampu
None needed.
Illampu access - getting there
How to get to Illampu
About three hours drive from La Paz is Sorata, a nice little town to grab lunch.
From there a decent dirt road heads up the valley to Lacatya. Where you can either camp and start walking (with / without donkeys), or continue up a rough 4x4 track to near the top of the valley - from where it's just 30 minutes to the pass and 30 minutes down the other side to base camp.
Illampu Links
useful websites, Groups and communities
Groups / links with more info on the Illampu route.