Bolivia: Exploring the South Lipez by Self-Drive (page 15 of 21)

Hi Thad,

Thanks for your message. It’s always encouraging to receive them.

The rest is coming right up. 🙂

16.10. Quetena Chico, Lampahaya Andino Lodge

We wake up at 4:30 AM, breakfast at 5:00 AM, and we're ready to go. Our guide Macario arrives at 5:30 AM, and we leave with our car. He takes us down a track through the middle of the village, crossing two fords, one of which is quite deep. According to Macario, there are 70 centimeters of water. Without him, we definitely would've hesitated to cross, especially at night.

The track crosses a large plain before gradually climbing the slopes of Uturuncu. The turns get tighter, and Benoît has to engage the 4x4. At one turn, Benoît has to try twice—it's that steep. Meanwhile, Macario chews coca leaves and seems to doze off. When we reach 5,600 meters, Macario asks if we want to go higher. No, we'd rather walk—already, we feel like we don't really deserve the 6,000 meters.

It's seven o'clock, and after an hour and a half of driving, we leave the car by the side of the track and start climbing right away. I feel weird, a bit like I've been drinking, and my legs don't seem to listen to me. I think I'll never make it up with this weakness in my legs. Luckily, after five minutes, it passes, and I'm back to my usual self.

The guide walks slowly, very slowly. We could walk faster, but Macario knows not to go too quickly at this altitude. He explains how to breathe to better ventilate our lungs and asks if our hearts are beating fast. He's happy when he sees everything's fine.

Along the way, we see a few fumaroles. The sulfur smell is pretty strong. After almost two hours of climbing, we take a short break. Then, we reach the summit 15 minutes later at 9:15 AM. It's amazing—6,000 meters didn't cause us any trouble, and we can really enjoy the view. We stay at the summit for 20 minutes, taking a few photos and admiring the 360° view.



















Laguna Celeste

The descent is quick—Macario moves at a fast pace. We struggle to keep up, especially with my photo stops. Forty-five minutes later, we're back at the car with smiles from ear to ear.









A tour operator's 4x4 arrives with several young French travelers. They'll also climb Uturuncu with Macario. Now we understand why he was walking so fast on the way down. Macario is 72 years old and sometimes does the ascent twice in one day. We get back in the car without Macario.

Once we got to the bottom, there were several tracks, so we fired up maps.me, which pointed us to the one on the right. Very quickly, we realized the landscape didn’t look anything like this morning’s. We found ourselves in a canyon with beautiful rock formations. We decided to stop here for lunch and found a nice spot sheltered from the wind. Benoît made a pasta dish.









Back in Quetena Chico, the lady from Lampahaya Lodge Andino came to pick us up. She had prepared lunch for us. Uh, we didn’t know she’d be cooking for us. We weren’t very hungry, but the dish was excellent, so we ate with pleasure.

A 2CV with French license plates was parked in front of the lodge. We chatted with the driver, who explained they wanted to break the world record for the highest climb in a two-wheel-drive vehicle. There were two of them—a Frenchman and a Swiss—both 2CV enthusiasts. They planned to climb Uturuncu with Caracol—yes, the 2CV has a name. We spent the rest of the afternoon quietly at the lodge, organizing our luggage and writing our travel journal, as we do every day.







We still had a large jerrycan of fuel in reserve, but we preferred to buy 25 liters to be sure we wouldn’t run into any problems. The lodge lady called a friend, who brought us the fuel that evening.

Today, too, the tour operators arrived at the end of the day, and like yesterday, they had their cook preparing food for the group. One of the guides spoke a little French and was happy to chat with us. We told him our next stops, and he advised us to go via Río Mojón and Río Seco to reach Tupiza. Perfect—it was exactly what we had planned. I took the opportunity to mention my little concern: crossing the river at Río Seco. He told me there was a new bridge, so we wouldn’t need to take a detour to cross.

The two 2CV fans arrived quite late—they’d gone to scout the track with Macario. He’d be accompanying them up Uturuncu, and they’d also have a 4x4 with another guide. They were discouraged—the track was much rockier than they’d expected. Even with upgraded suspension and a slight lift, Caracol wouldn’t make it up, and crossing the deep ford would be impossible. But the guides and the people of Quetena Chico were determined to make the challenge happen. Macario had organized a team to remove the biggest rocks from the track and widen the stream bed to reduce the depth of the ford. So all wasn’t lost. We’d follow Caracol’s adventures on Facebook. Our evening with the two men was really enjoyable. The rest is here: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=9941074;a=9941074

If you want to learn more about Caracol’s adventures, you can find articles on Facebook by searching for Mission Uturuncu 2019.

Here’s a really cool video: https://www.facebook.com/missionuturuncu2019/videos/vb.2390036577879003/490981861491568/?type=2&theater

With the help of guides and the locals from Quetena Chico, Caracol made it up to 5,750 m.

Congrats on the 6000m... and kudos to Macario! 😮 Thanks also for the discovery of Caracol (2CVs are getting rarer and rarer, but some are still holding strong 😉). Muriel

Hi Carmen. It’s still just as exciting—congrats on that first 6,000-meter peak! I’ve got it on my itinerary too, and I hope the weather and my own condition won’t get in the way. Thanks again. Bernard.

Great job you pulled off there!!

Arrived at 5,600 meters above sea level, Macario asks if we want to go higher. No, we’d rather walk—even at this altitude, we already feel like we don’t really deserve the 6,000 m.

400 meters of elevation gain at that altitude—respect! 🙂

(I’m wondering if I shouldn’t just rent a 2CV instead... A trip through time *and* space! 😄)

I knew some wanted to climb to the top of Mont Blanc with a rower, and now others are aiming to take a 2CV to 6,000 meters... I love the guide’s face! 👍

Well Carmen... congratulations, that 6000 m is amazing 😉. Just to put my mind at ease, did you train at all before heading to Bolivia? Did you run up Mont Blanc? 😮

YEESSS way to go Carmen 😎

Plus, the view from up there is absolutely stunning. What an amazing trip 😛.

I didn’t know there was a lodge in Quetena Chico.

Congrats to you both on the 6000 km, and the 2CV is awesome—this car is indestructible! 🙂

Hi Régis. You're right, these cars are incredible—I owned two of them a long time ago, including a 1958 model. Unforgettable memories. Bernard.

Thanks to everyone for your messages.

Uturuncu is one of the 6,000m peaks that’s pretty easy to climb. You can drive really high up, so there isn’t much elevation gain to do on foot. We decided to stop before the end of the track to get a bit more walking in. Altitude can be an issue, especially if you’re not well acclimatized.

For those thinking of going up without a guide, you should know the track is blocked by a chain with a padlock. Only the guide can open it. In my opinion, it’s still safer to go up with a guide anyway. Macario did have a satellite phone with him, though. I don’t know if he had an oxygen bottle in his backpack—we didn’t think to ask him.

@Rouquine

Just to reassure me, you *did* train before going to Bolivia, right?

We did a few mountain hikes last summer, but nothing more than usual in previous years. But I walk every day with our dog—he helps me stay in shape. 😉

@Jean-François Lampahaya Lodge isn’t a luxurious lodge. I’d say the word "Lodge" is a bit exaggerated. Our room was clean, but in the same style as Doña Lupe’s in Jirira. There was electricity in the evening once they started the generator. We had enough hot water for a shower and to wash our hair. However, it was *freezing* in the dining room. The stove wasn’t enough to heat the whole space. We had to bundle up just to eat.

Hi Carmen. So there really is a locked gate. Do you remember the distance between that gate and the spot where you parked the car before the climb? Thanks, Bernard.

So there really is a locked barrier. Do you remember the distance between that barrier and the spot where you parked the car before the ascent?

No, I didn’t really pay attention. But a forum member left their car before the barrier, and according to them, it’s at 4,600 m. They tried to go up but gave up—too tough, too much elevation gain, and signs of AMS.

Since you’re traveling solo, I’m not sure it’s wise to go without a guide.

Hi Carmen. Thanks for your reply. I’ll probably end up hiring a guide, since 1,400m of elevation gain would be too much for me—it’s definitely better to go higher by car. More than the altitude, which I handle well so far (fingers crossed it stays that way), it’s the risk of a stupid fall breaking an ankle or something that worries me. If I’m alone, getting back could take *forever*...

I’ve often been alone in remote places, and there’s no room for error—I accept that. But at nearly 6,000m, the risk of feeling faint and then falling is just too high. Bernard.

17.10. Quetena Chico – Guadalupe, at Celia's

Like yesterday, we have piping hot pancakes for breakfast, but we’re starting to miss the really crusty bread. Before leaving, we chat a little longer with the two 2CV enthusiasts and wish them all the best.



Goodbye, Uturuncu

We’re approaching Laguna Celeste



After a 1 hour 45-minute drive, we arrive at Laguna Celeste at 8:45 AM. This lagoon is stunning, with its turquoise water and countless pink flamingos. It’s cold and windy, but it’s the wind that gives the lagoons their beautiful color. We stroll along the shore and climb up high to admire it from above. The flamingos fly over the lagoon—it’s a breathtaking sight.

The track to Villa Collpani goes via Laguna Blanca and Laguna Amarilla. It's rough, so we're moving slowly. After Villa Collpani, the track is much smoother. We follow a canyon and cross several fords. The track goes up and down, the view of the mountains is stunning, and there are lots of llamas and vicuñas. We stop for a picnic in a wind-sheltered valley with a view of a large herd of llamas.

Last glance at Laguna Celeste















The rest is here: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=9941100;a=9941100

You could say "another lagoon!" ...but no, they’re all different and just as beautiful...🙂. Muriel