Acclimatization Tours

The Bolivian Altiplano (high plains) really means its name. Upon arrival at the airport "our breath is literally taken away" (4060 m). You won’t find yourself sitting on stones or rocks in some cold base camp, but on the contrary, you’ll have access to a great choice of nice and comfortable lodging in the city of La Paz. There exists a variety of daily tours that allow you to acclimatize to high altitudes. The most traditional daily excursions are to Lake Titicaca, to the Tiwanaku ruins and to the Chacaltaya skiing resort. All these places are located at more than 4000 m. Another option in the acclimatization process is simply to rest, however, it’s advisable to take short walks about La Paz. Two options are presented next:

Take a look at the route map (75 KB)

1. Hike to the Muela del Diablo

Near the well-known Valley of the Moon is the Muela del Diablo (Devil’s Molar) volcano, which resembles a molar tooth with cavities. Seen from a closer position, it seems a petrified dinosaur, with its head, six-points body and tail. A light hike passes through the Chairake village, and from the summit there is an excellent view of the city of La Paz and the Altiplano, and also of other mounts that have black and red tones.

Access

A return trip by taxi, including waiting time to allow for the hike, costs about US$ 20 to US$ 30. The trip is in the direction of Palca. After some 45 minutes you arrive in Pedregal, which has a cemetery in its upper part at 3630 m. The road then zigzags up until Chiarake at 3820 m. Here you can start walking on the path which crosses the road.

Hike

From Chiarake we can see the objective of our walk, the extinct volcano Muela del Diablo, at 3700 m. In the town you will see, along the access road, a lagoon with a bifurcation to the right. This road crosses the town and it becomes a path that descends towards the dry bed of a brook. To the other side of the ravine you can recognize the zigzagging road up the Muela del Diablo. Half an hour later, going uphill, the road ends just under some rocks which look like a cathedral. The last meters are made the more difficult because of the lose stones on the path and the steep slope. After another half hour, we arrive to a place with a fantastic panoramic view, just under the summit. The last few meters are recommended only to experienced climbers, and only through the southern slope.

2. Las Ánimas Vallay

Easy to organize, with a brief travel time and, after a short walk through a rough and disturbing eroded landscape, a great view of La Paz. A return trip by taxi, including waiting time to allow for the hike, costs about US$ 30 to US$ 40.

Access

From La Paz, it takes about 1 hour 15 minutes to get to destination. The access is via the road to Palca, going up until the high pass of Las Ánimas, at 4000 m. Along the road there is a lagoon from which you can get a great view to admire the fabulous Illimani. Descending from the pass, at as distance of about one kilometer, we arrive at a church. A little later, at about 3950 m, the road twice crosses a lose stones zone, produced by the steep slopes of the ravines that favor their slipping.

Hike

We continue uphill on the north side of the left hand ravine. The walls of the ravine, generated by sediments, amaze by their dimensions. They look like a pointy fortress with huge needles, impressive ravines and gorges. The water extension is a handy reference for orientation. After a half an hour hike the ravine starts widening and we arrive at some cultivated land up the slopes. We have to continue through the deeper zone. We can distinguish two rocks form afar, which look like fingers, at 4300 m. There is a cut in the landscape, a short distance to the left of these rocks, which falls abruptly with a very steep slope to the other side of the mount. From there, the view of the Altiplano and of La Paz is awesome. The descent is by the same way and it takes around 30 minutes.

Take a look at the route map (75 KB)