"Nobody can take away
the dances you danced
the food you ate
the travels you travelled!"

Ojos del Saldo (6896m) Act II

YESSSSS!!! We made it!

And as soon as the feeling in my toes and fingers comes back I will write the full stroy…

January 18, 2010  Tags: , , , ,   Posted in: Argentina 2010, Chile  One Comment Views: 27

Córdoba

I am currently in Córdoba, Argentina eating a lot of beautiful cows and trying to make plans for climbing Aconcagua & Ojos del Salado. In the meantime I will get my “guns” back into shape at the local crags in and around town…

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Aconcagua (6962m) - the world’s highest peak outside the Himalaya

Advise and assistance is very much appreciated:-)

My Argentinian cell phone:  +54 9 351 2074742 / or from inside ARG: (0351) 152074742

Nos hablamos Zigeiners!

P.S.: Do not ever, NEVER, think about spending New Year’s in Argentina!! These freaks here don’t leave the house before 3 am when they wanna go out clubbing. And they DON’T make an exception for the world’s biggest party: U will b the only 1 on the street at midnight and there won’t b fireworks! It was tremendous - the most boring New Year’s of my life - I still can’t believe it…

December 15, 2009  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Argentina  No Comments Views: 74

Ojos del Saldo (6896m) Act I

To be continued…

“What! You wanna leave tomorrow?! And you are alone? People organize this kind of expedition at least 6 months in advance!!!’

Ojos del Salado is not only Chile’s highest peak, the highest volcano in the world, the second highest mountain in all the Americas and a serious 8-12 day climb to almost 7000 Meters, it is, apparently, also bureaucratic madness to get the permit for the Chilean side!

For the last three days I have been missioning around Copiapó (which is starting point for most expeditions from the Chilean side), trying to find information regarding access, the climb & permit and maybe/hopefully to be able to buddy up to climb with other climbers in order to share expenses and effort.  Read the rest of this post »

December 2, 2009  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Chile  No Comments Views: 70

Salar de Uyuni (4 days)

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1 jeep - 4 days - 5 people from 5 countries - 1000km & a shit load of salt!

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To read the story and see some more seriously amazing pics click: Read the rest of this post »

November 26, 2009  Tags: ,   Posted in: Bolivia  No Comments Views: 49

Potosí Holocaust

Potosí, once one of the richest and largest city in the world - bigger than London, Madrid, Rom or Paris - is also the place where the biggest holocaust in human history took place.
It is estimated that in the last three centuries Potosí’s Cerro Rico consumed 8 million lives of Indian and African slaves.

After the discovery of silver in 1545 and the foundation of Potosí two years later by the Spanish conquistadores, the mining town soon counted a population of 120.000 in 1573. It is claimed to be the highest city in the world at a nominal 4,090m and hence an unbearable place to live and work.

The metals taken from the colonial dominions not only stimulated Europe’s economic development, one may say they made it possible.

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800m high rainbow coloured Cerro Rico

A must read:
“Open Veins of Latin America - Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent” by Eduardo Galeano.

A must watch:
“The Devil’s Miner” is the story of 14 year-old Basilio and his 12 year-old brother Bernardino, as they work in the silver mines of Cerro Rico.
It is one of the most powerful documentaries I have ever watched.

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Yesterday I joined an organized tour to the mines deep inside Cerro Rico to experience first hand the medieval conditions in which over 10000 desperate miners and around 800 children between 10 and 14 years still work trying to scrape a living out of the depleted veins.

At the miner’s market in town I bought cigarettes, coca leaves and dynamite as presents for the miners.

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We went over a full kilometer into the “Candelaria” mine, up and down ladders, on our knees, squeezing through tiny holes and marching across cathedral sized caves - only secured by hundred year-old, rotten, wooden planks.

The temperature was close to freezing point outside, then reaching above 30°C inside the mountain. We were always short of breath, with sand & sweat in our eyes and the dust filled air burnt in our lungs making breathing painful and almost impossible.
Half of the group didn’t finish the 2 hour tour inside the mountain.

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In the mine I spoke to a miner who has been making boreholes for dynamite with a stone-age hammer and an iron bolt for the last 20 years, 6 days a week, 12 hours a day, starting when he was 12 years old!
A normal 10 to 12 hours shift pays between 35 and 40 Bolivianos (~ 3.50 EUR) for the ordinary miner.
The miner told us, he needed about 3 hours for 20 cm & the hole has to be at least one meter deep before he could place the dynamite.

I did the tour with Koala Tours in Potosí. Ask for English speaking guide & ex-miner “Reynaldo”. He is exceptional! One of the best guides I have come across my travels in whole Latino America. The respect he showed and the way he communicated with the miners was exemplary.
It is not the cheapest tour operator in town but definitely worth paying the couple of dollars extra since 15% of the company’s profit goes directly back to the miner’s community.

Our guide “Reynaldo” giving an example of a dynamite explosion on the slopes of Cerro Rico

November 18, 2009  Tags: ,   Posted in: Bolivia  No Comments Views: 70

Samhain Jungle Trance Festival

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Samhain - festival de arte, musica y cultura alternativa
Bolivia - 2 hours north of La Paz - in the jungle
In a real castle - the Castillo del Loro, Chulumani
Techno, drum & base, progressive, chill out, dub, house, psytrance
500 people & 40 hours pure LUNACY!!

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To see all pics click: Read the rest of this post »

November 3, 2009  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Bolivia  No Comments Views: 99

Sajama (6542m) - Highest point of Bolivia

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It is done done DONE! Mount Sajama - Bolivia’s highest peak.
6542m! And trust me, this is bloody high…
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A good four weeks have I been in La Paz trying to find a partner, sitting out bad weather or violently emptying my body due to bad food, and right now I am the happiest and at the same time most exhausted Zigeiner on da planet!!
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The season for climbing Sajama has ended a month ago and the conditions were bad.
Penitentes as high as a meter posed very tiring obstacles at altitude and hidden crevasses on the glacier would have made an approach to the otherwise not very technical demanding mountain irresponsible without a guide.

Thus Wil (an Australian climber I found days earlier in La Paz) and I hired transport, equipment and two local guides at one of the numerous mountain outfitters in La Paz.
The climb is usually done in 4 or 5 days, but due to the inevitable Bolivian efficiency and hence resulting organisational impotence we arrived at Sajama National Park without the promised support of mules or porters which were supposed to help us carry gear to Base, respectively High Camp.
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With day one lost in the village looking for helping legs for the next days, we had to climb the 1400m from Sajama village (4250m) via the Northwest Ridge to High Camp (5665m) in just one day, missing out on the highly recommended/needed night at Base Camp (4850m) to acclimatise. After arrival at High Camp (5665m) in the afternoon we pitched tents, prepared our gear and tried to sleep for about 3 hours before launching our summit attempt just after midnight.
The food which was (supposedly) included in the package consisted of a cup of tee in the morning and… nothing else! We climbed the country’s highest peak based on a handful peanuts, Snicker bars and deep-frozen RedBull!
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Zigeiner & Wil happy as Schnitzel! Bayern on top of Bolivia!
17 hard and looooong hours from High Camp to the summit, back to High Camp, down past Base Camp to the trailhead from where it was a further 12km hike to Sajama village. Simply because the next day (day 4 of our prepaid itinerary - which, of course, nobody told us before) was reserved for the 6-8 hour bus journey back to La Paz.
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Zigeiner carefully climbing back down the icy penitentes at around 6500m
The DAV (German Alpine Club) itinerary schedules 3 full days / 2 nights for this very same distance including private transport from the trailhead to the village. But also charges exactly € 3690(!) on top of the U$ 280 we payed…
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We climbed Sajama: village to  summit & back to village in under 36 hours, the fastest our guide has climbed it in his 30-year career on this mountain:-)
I can highly recommend our guides:
“Jose Chura” (Cel.: 77591407) and his son “Alfredo” (Cel.: 77744319; email: alfredo.chura@hotmail.com).
They did a fantastic job & are as technically trained as Bolivian mountain guides will get.
Jose is certified through the “Asociación de Guías de Montaña AGMTB“.
For infos on current conditions and additional info call Parque Nacional Sajama:
+591 (0)1025135526

The village of Sajama (altitude 4250m) is 290km from La Paz and no particular climbing restrictions apply - no permit is needed, but as entering the Sajama National Park, you have to register at the Ranger station in Sajama village.
You also have to pay a fee of about U$4 to enter the park. The rangers (theoretically:-) can arrange anything for you there like transport, mules, guides etc.

At over six and a half thousand meters, weather conditions can be severe. You should be equipped to deal with very low temperatures and high winds, plus localised storms. We had -12.5° C (without windchill) on the summit.
And no matter what people tell you, bring a helmet! Just before you reach the glacier high on the Northwest Ridge there is a 3 pitch mixed rock & ice scramble on very loose rock. Get the rope out and climb very carefully one by one. This is the only really dangerous part on the mountain.

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Zigeiner and his fight with the Royal Bavarian Flag & the wind on the summit…


My altimeter stats:

Date Time Altitude (Meters) Place Notes
28.10.2009 07:32am 4470 Trailhead to Base Bamp Start hiking
28.10.2009 09:05am 4844 Base Camp
 		Arrival
28.10.2009 09:36am 4844 Base camp
 		Departure
28.10.2009 12:45pm 5665 High Camp
 		Arrival
28.10.2009 17:06pm 5850 Northwest Ridge Acclimatisation climb
29.10.2009 02:17am 5665 High Camp
 		Start climbing Sajama
29.10.2009 08:26am 6542 Summit Sajama
 		Arrival
29.10.2009 08:54am 6542 Summit Sajama Departure
29.10.2009 13:01pm 5665 High Camp
 		Packing up camp
29.10.2009 14:38pm 5665 High Camp Departure
29.10.2009 17:16pm 4470 Trailhead to Base Camp Short rest
29.10.2009 18:33pm 4250 Sajama Village Finish hiking

Sajama is also the place where the highest football match in the world took place:

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The players ascending And finally playing the match

It took several attempts to meet the conditions necessary, but, finally in August 2001, on the slightly convex summit of the volcano, they marked the terrain, they installed the goals, and the 23 actors of the game (they of course had a referee), put on their shorts, T-shirts and mandatory crampons to play two 20-minute half time during which they used an unusual number of footballs…
History does not remember the score or the name of the winning team, the goal of this “summit” game literally reaching beyond human and sportive performance.
(Photos + info regarding our guides and various Internet sources)

Click here to read the BBC article!

Another story about the initial first attempt to play the match can be found here. It is another frustrating proof of typical Bolivian efficiency…

October 28, 2009  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Bolivia  No Comments Views: 124

Huayna Potosí (6088m)

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Huayna Potosí, located a two hours drive north of La Paz, was the easiest 6000er I’ve ever climbed: short, quick, non-technical and a good acclimatisation “hike” for the big one (Sajama 6542m:-). I really enjoyed the diversity, especially the little mixed scramble near the summit. Wil (AUS), Elias (USA) - two other backpackers I met a few days earlier in my hostal - and I climbed in 2 days / 1 night via the Normal Ascent Route (PD).

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My altimeter stats:

Date Time Altitude (Meters) Place Notes
14.10.2009 09:15am 3650 La Paz Departure office “Huayna Potosi”
14.10.2009 11:35am 4715 Lower refuge
 Arrival
14.10.2009 13:05pm 4715 Lower refuge
 Departure
14.10.2009 15:55pm 5270 Upper refuge
 Arrival
15.10.2009 01:47am 5270 Upper refuge
 Start climbing Huayna Potosi
15.10.2009 05:10am 6088 Summit Huayna Potosi
 Arrival
15.10.2009 05:58am 6088 Summit Huayna Potosi Departure
15.10.2009 07:15am 5270 Upper refuge
 Short rest
15.10.2009 08:38am 5270 Upper refuge Departure
15.10.2009 09:56am 4715 Lower refuge Lunch

YouTube: Meltdown - Bolivia
(A short and shocking documentary about Bolivia’s melting glaciers)

To see all pics: Read the rest of this post »

October 15, 2009  Tags: , , , ,   Posted in: Bolivia  No Comments Views: 75

Death Road biking

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The North Yungas Road (also known as the Road of Death, Death Road or El Camino de la Muerte ) is an about 65km long road leading northeast from La Paz to Coroico.

It is legendary for its extreme danger and it is estimated that every year about 200-300 travelers get killed in their cars or buses along the road.

The single lane dirt road includes crosses marking many of the spots where vehicles have dropped up to 600 meters and since it was opened for commercial mountain biking 15 years ago 37 tourists and 3 Bolivian guides have fallen to death. This year 2 people have died so far…

The 68 km long mountain bike ride descends from 4700m to about 1250 in just 4 hours.
With maximum speeds of up to 70-80 kms per hour…

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It’s a hell of an experience!

There is the crazy number of 25 companies offering the death road biking trip in La Paz, but only a handful offer the adequate gear and sufficiently qualified guides to provide a safe ride.

I can highly recommend “Vertigo Biking“: Cheaper than its main competitor (”Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking“) but better protection gear (including full faced cross helmet & knee + elbow protectors), excellent bikes and equipment checks along the road.

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October 9, 2009  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Bolivia  No Comments Views: 69

Peru - Summary

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In addition to the published stories:

  • I didn’t particularly like Mancora (beach) and its purpose built Loki (spring break) hostal-resort
  • got myself a 1.2m Ayahuasca vine as “walking pole” on Chiclayo’s witch market
  • ate fried guinea pig
  • disappointingly partied in Lima with its local “wannab-gringo” crowd
  • flew over the Nazca lines in a midget plane which easily would have fitted into my backpack
  • got kicked out of the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu because I (viciously & illegally) exposed the Stürzer and consequently had to make the runner because I didn’t wanna delete the picture afterwards!!
  • spent a couple of days in hospital in Cusco due to a parasite & salmonellas I picked up on the 5-day Salkantay trek
  • had an awesome time in beautiful Arequipa and
  • after exactly 100 days in Peru, finally crossed over Lake Titicaca into Bolivia…

For more details & information click on the pictures below and read the comments.

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Zigeiner “stürzing” @ Machu Picchu - what a rebel!!

To get to the pictures klick: Read the rest of this post »

September 30, 2009  Tags: , , , , , ,   Posted in: Peru  No Comments Views: 44