Laguna Glacial
Trip Start
Dec 30, 2007
1
30
50
Trip End
Jun 22, 2008
Sorata,
Bolivia
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Sorata is in the most beautiful setting. Steep, beautiful green hills surround it on all sides and glorious white mountains form the eastern (I think) backdrop. Even the drive from La Paz is beautiful as we paralleled he Cordillera Real, Bolivia's great stretch of the Andes, most of the way.
We got talked into hiring a guide for this hike, though neither of us wanted one. Fog and unmarked trails would certainly lead us astray we were told. I took an instant dislike to the guy on the desk at the guiding association (it may have been the way he rubbed his hands when we walked in) and was sad to discover that he was the guide. There is something unpleasant about the whole operation here. One reason guides are recommended by the LP is that robberies of hikers are common, and it is suggested that the guiding association is connected with this
Soccer and shepherding can mix
. You can see how it would make a good business model. But the guide was probably required and the horse was very welcome. It is a long steep climb to Laguna Glacial.The first thing we had to do was take our guide (Lino) shopping for food. It would be far superior to include this in the cost and have them look after themselves. I was amazed at the things he deemed necessary for a two night camp. A bottle of oil? A pound of sugar? Onions, avocados, mayonnaise ... Obviously, the presence of a horse changes priorities. We had more weight in food than for ten nights in Torres, and cost quite a bit too - around 120 bolivianos, when we had eaten in a restaurant the night before for 6 bs each. But I was making a great effort to be cheerful.
After shopping and further waiting around, we started to wind our way towards Monte Illyampu along a well worn dirt track. Villages passed us frequently, well dressed and often leading cows. The women wore bustled skirts (generally pastel coloured), a shawl and then a very bright thing that they tied around their throats and used to hold loads on their backs. Sometimes these were babies and sometimes other things. They looked heavy. How they kept those long skirts clean I cannot imagine as the followed narrow muddy paths cut deep into the hillside
Another beautiful camp site
. The men wore shirts and trousers.The dominant tree was the eucalyptus, thriving in a climate far higher than it was designed for. The day was clear and we had perfect views of Illyampu and Income, both mountains passing 6000m. Contrary to promises, there was no hint of fog.
The hike is a constant climb from town, taking you from 2700m to 4200 m in four or five hours. It is not particularly hard, but it is not easy either, and even without the packs, altitude ensures that you feel the climb. Eventually we climbed past the villages, but we remained in cultivated areas, plots of corn mostly. We had lunch overlooking a small flock of sheep being minded by young children, who would keep the sheep in line by kicking a football at them. A woman watched another flock accompanied by a transistor radio.
We spent the night at a beautiful little lake beneath a great stone bluff, as cloud settled around us. We were at 4200m and had another 1100 to climb tomorrow. It was strange to see cows grazing happily at this altitude.
I tried to engage Lino in conversation but it was not very successful. Lino abandoned us for the night, which was fine, but marked the distance between us.
By morning the cloud had cleared and we had a beautiful view of Illyampu as the sun rose, and reflected in our lake. Unfortunately, my memory card malfunctioned so the postcard perfect pictures are gone
Laguna Glacial
.On Lino's return, we started up the mountain again. This time it really was tough. It is not that steep, but it is relentlessly up hill, and the altitude really starts to bite. But it really is beautiful here. The mountains are gorgeous - smothered in snow so smooth it looks like it has been melted and poured on. It looks like marzipan.
The end point of the hike is Laguna Glacial, a lake into which flows a glacier descending steeply from Illyampu. Supposedly there are hummingbirds up here. But not for us. I asked if there are sometimes hummingbirds. "Si, always." Except today it seemed.
I found hiking with a guide quite awkward, which I haven't found on guided day hikes. Lino wasn't very sociable and tended to walk apart from us. Attempts at conversation were stymied by very short or vague responses to questions. The new constitution would be approved; the most important thing in it was nationalising the minerals; Morales is good because he has provided pensions to old campesinos. Perhaps he was shy, or found my Spanish too frustrating to bother with. Either way, it wasn't really cheerful. He stayed out with us that night, but retired to his tent while we cooked
Illyampu reflected in Laguna Chalata
. When I had agreed that we should cook 'junto' I had had something a bit more communal in mind. Not that it mattered, and we weren't having wonderful conversations anyway. The third day dawned fine as well, so I had a second chance for my photos. Still no sign of fog. The walk down was interesting too, because we frequently had to give way to small flocks of sheep coming up the narrow path, or to women leading pigs on pieces of string. I wondered if they were coming back from market.
One of the highlights for me was actually the trip back. We found a bus, and as we cruised along the altiplano I was astonished to see us overtaken by a minivan. Not surprising in itself, but this had six or seven sheep strapped to the roof - all looking quite relaxed, reclining in the breeze.
