Nevado Sajama (left) as seen from the road near Patacamaya, about 100km away to the West.
Nevado Sajama as seen on the approach from La Paz (after Patacamaya)
Llamas grazing in the area between Patacamaya and Sajama
Still sunny on the approach drive...
The upper parts of Sajama were in clouds constantly.
Nevado Sajama as seen from the East on the highway to the Tambo Quemado (and Arica, Chile)
With our jeep in the village of Sajama; volcanoes Parinacota (left) and Pomerape in the background.
View of Nevado Sajama from the village Sajama
At the trail head; Parinacota in the background is just getting shrouded in clouds as well...
Loading our bags on mules for transport to base camp.
Lovely hike to base camp along a small creek and residual forest with grazing Vicunas.
This was the best we saw of the upper mountain. The ascent route follows the left skyline. High camp is above the lower big rock on the ridge.
At base camp, unloading the mules.
Setting up tents at base camp.
Due to the high winds and low pressure the top of Nevado Sajama was constantly in clouds.
Guides Lucio (left) and Sergio (right) with cook Andrew in our mess tent at base camp.
Base camp from above. We were the only climbing team on the mountain - the other ones probably were smarter and had looked at the weather forecast.
Leaving base camp Saturday morning to hike up to high camp.
Guide Lucio in the scree fields leading up to the ridge with high camp.
The rock gully (called Canaleta) leading up to the ridge with high camp. This section was a bit exposed to rock fall, so we were wearing helmets on this section.
Arriving at high camp.
View to the N from high camp; one porter coming in a bit behind.
Life is good in our tent with guide Lucio on Saturday afternoon.
Two client tents and one guide / cooking tent at high camp.
Guide Sergio (left) and cook Andrew in their combined rest / cook tent.
Fresh snow greeted us in the morning after a miserable night with wind and (for me) upset stomach.
Descent from high camp (just behind the towering rocks on the ridge above).
On the descent; note the fresh snow all the way down in the valley and on the surrounding mountains.
A very exhausted and disappointed me at base camp.
Hiking out to the village of Sajama. We hiked an extra hour from the trail head to the village, but at least that way we stayed warm.
Bidding our farewell to the mountain, perparing for the drive back to La Paz; from left: Guide Lucio, me, Anne and guide Sergio.
Loading my bike in Patacamaya on the way home. (I had left it there a week earlier when I was too sick to ride the rest to La Paz and took a bus.)
Sergio is unloading my bike back in La Paz. Driver Marcelo on the left.
SPOT track of ascent and descent on Nevado Sajama. High camp is around 5500m (not above 5600m as shown in this image).
