Huayna Potosí
Encyclopedia
Huayna Potosí is a mountain
in Bolivia
, located about 25 km north of La Paz
in the Cordillera Real
.
Huayna Potosí is the closest high mountain to La Paz, a city which is surrounded by high mountains, and itself is the highest capital city in the world. Huayna Potosí is roughly fifteen miles due north of the city, which makes this mountain the most popular climb
in Bolivia. The normal ascent route is a fairly straightforward glacier
climb, with some crevasse
s and a steep climb to the summit. However, the other side of the mountain, Huayna Potosí West Face, is the biggest face in Bolivia. Several difficult snow and ice routes goes up this 1000 meter high face.
The first ascent of the normal route took place in 1919 by Germans Rudolf Dienst and Adolf Schulze. It is often called the "easiest 6000er in the world." However the easiest route entails an exposed ridge and sections of moderately steep ice, with a UIAA rating of PD
. There are many 6000m mountains that are easier to climb in terms of technical difficulty. The main reason Huayna Potosí has been called the easiest 6000m climb is that the elevation gain from trailhead to summit is less than 1400 m; with easy access from La Paz. Since La Paz lies at 3600 m, climbers have an easier time acclimatizing
.
taking about two hours to reach a car park at 4700m, Zongo Pass(16°17′15"S 68°07′47.6"W). Where a base camp is established. There is a recently established refugio here. They are happy to book walk ins if they have rooms available, and a reduced price can be negotiated outside of the peak season.
From here it is a 1 - 3 h hike up to the high camp at 5200 m (16°16′32"S 68°08′16.6"W) on the snow line
(Time taken depends greatly on acclimatization and fitness). It consists of a number of areas of leveled rocks suitable for pitching tents. As of 2006, there is a refuge at the high camp where it is possible to stay the night for around $10. Booking is preferable, and essential during peak season. Conditions are spartan, with all sleeping mattresses placed next to each other on the upper level in two rows.
Most climbers begin their summit attempt between midnight and 3 AM. Fit and well acclimatized climbers rise and leave later, overtaking other groups during the climb, and can reach the summit in around 3–4 hours, but people frequently take twice that time. The route is usually very clearly visible between the penitentes
, and follows the main glacier up directly (across the bergschrund
and directly up a ridge) or along an arête
on the right. Following that it curves behind the mountain when viewed from Zongo pass. The final approach is fairly exposed, either directly to the summit, or along the summit ridge. The summit is small and frequently has a pronounced cornice
, reducing usable space.
Morning sunshine causes the snow to become less stable for walking, and increases avalanche
risk from 8 am onwards. The views on a clear morning from the summit are unbelievable - the mountain is far higher than anything else anywhere nearby, and the Cordillera Real, Lake Titicaca
, La Paz, and part of the Altiplano
they reside on are all visible. Until early 2004 there was a guest book for summiting climbers to sign, unfortunately this overhang collapsed mid 2006 leaving the original metal container protruding out of the summit ridge hanging above the city of La Paz below.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, located about 25 km north of La Paz
La Paz
Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
in the Cordillera Real
Cordillera Real (Bolivia)
The Cordillera Real is a mountain range in the South American Altiplano of Bolivia. This range of fold mountains, largely composed of granite, is located southeast of Lake Titicaca, and east of the Bolivian capital of La Paz, measuring 125 km in length and 20 km in width...
.
Huayna Potosí is the closest high mountain to La Paz, a city which is surrounded by high mountains, and itself is the highest capital city in the world. Huayna Potosí is roughly fifteen miles due north of the city, which makes this mountain the most popular climb
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
in Bolivia. The normal ascent route is a fairly straightforward glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
climb, with some crevasse
Crevasse
A crevasse is a deep crack in an ice sheet rhys glacier . Crevasses form as a result of the movement and resulting stress associated with the sheer stress generated when two semi-rigid pieces above a plastic substrate have different rates of movement...
s and a steep climb to the summit. However, the other side of the mountain, Huayna Potosí West Face, is the biggest face in Bolivia. Several difficult snow and ice routes goes up this 1000 meter high face.
The first ascent of the normal route took place in 1919 by Germans Rudolf Dienst and Adolf Schulze. It is often called the "easiest 6000er in the world." However the easiest route entails an exposed ridge and sections of moderately steep ice, with a UIAA rating of PD
Peu difficile
Peu difficile is a French grade for climbing routes. It may be qualified, as PD- or PD+, for slightly easier or harder routes....
. There are many 6000m mountains that are easier to climb in terms of technical difficulty. The main reason Huayna Potosí has been called the easiest 6000m climb is that the elevation gain from trailhead to summit is less than 1400 m; with easy access from La Paz. Since La Paz lies at 3600 m, climbers have an easier time acclimatizing
Acclimatization
Acclimatisation or acclimation is the process of an individual organism adjusting to a gradual change in its environment, allowing it to maintain performance across a range of environmental conditions...
.
Climbing the Mountain
Huayna Potosí can be mounted in two daily stages. Climbers generally take a 4x4 up the valley on a gravel road from El AltoEl Alto
At one time merely a suburb of adjacent La Paz, Bolivia, on the Altiplano highlands, the city of El Alto is today one of Bolivia's largest and fastest-growing urban centers. As of the 2001 census, the population was 649,958. In 2010, the population may be nearly 900,000, or more. The city contains...
taking about two hours to reach a car park at 4700m, Zongo Pass(16°17′15"S 68°07′47.6"W). Where a base camp is established. There is a recently established refugio here. They are happy to book walk ins if they have rooms available, and a reduced price can be negotiated outside of the peak season.
From here it is a 1 - 3 h hike up to the high camp at 5200 m (16°16′32"S 68°08′16.6"W) on the snow line
Snow line
The climatic snow line is the point above which snow and ice cover the ground throughout the year. The actual snow line may seasonally be significantly lower....
(Time taken depends greatly on acclimatization and fitness). It consists of a number of areas of leveled rocks suitable for pitching tents. As of 2006, there is a refuge at the high camp where it is possible to stay the night for around $10. Booking is preferable, and essential during peak season. Conditions are spartan, with all sleeping mattresses placed next to each other on the upper level in two rows.
Most climbers begin their summit attempt between midnight and 3 AM. Fit and well acclimatized climbers rise and leave later, overtaking other groups during the climb, and can reach the summit in around 3–4 hours, but people frequently take twice that time. The route is usually very clearly visible between the penitentes
Penitentes
thumb|Penitentes are the name of the caps of the [[nazarenos]]; literally those doing penance for their sins.Penitentes, or nieves penitentes , are a snow formation found at high altitudes. They take the form of tall thin blades of hardened snow or ice closely spaced with the blades oriented...
, and follows the main glacier up directly (across the bergschrund
Bergschrund
A bergschrund is a crevasse that forms where the moving glacier ice separates from the stagnant ice above. It is often a serious obstacle for mountaineers, who sometimes abbreviate "bergschrund" to "schrund"....
and directly up a ridge) or along an arête
Arete
Areté is the term meaning "virtue" or "excellence", from Greek ἈρετήArete may also be used:*as a given name of persons or things:**Queen Arete , a character in Homer's Odyssey.***197 Arete, an asteroid....
on the right. Following that it curves behind the mountain when viewed from Zongo pass. The final approach is fairly exposed, either directly to the summit, or along the summit ridge. The summit is small and frequently has a pronounced cornice
Cornice (climbing)
A snow cornice or simply cornice is an overhanging edge of snow on a ridge or the crest of a mountain. They form by wind blowing snow over the crest of the mountain, so they often form on the leeward sides of mountains...
, reducing usable space.
Morning sunshine causes the snow to become less stable for walking, and increases avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
risk from 8 am onwards. The views on a clear morning from the summit are unbelievable - the mountain is far higher than anything else anywhere nearby, and the Cordillera Real, Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca is a lake located on the border of Peru and Bolivia. It sits 3,811 m above sea level, making it the highest commercially navigable lake in the world...
, La Paz, and part of the Altiplano
Altiplano
The Altiplano , in west-central South America, where the Andes are at their widest, is the most extensive area of high plateau on Earth outside of Tibet...
they reside on are all visible. Until early 2004 there was a guest book for summiting climbers to sign, unfortunately this overhang collapsed mid 2006 leaving the original metal container protruding out of the summit ridge hanging above the city of La Paz below.
