Overview
When the Spanish conquerers (Conquistadores) arrived in the mid 16th century in that area of South America, they were so stunned by the beauty of the mountains that they called this range "Cordillera Real" (Real meaning Royal... and not "real").
In the ancient time, theses mountains were adored by the local Aymara civilisation, but were not climbed as they are covered with glaciers (unlike high summits in Peru or Argentina which were ascended by Inca and Pre-Inca ethnies).
Nowadays this range is one of the prime destination for climbers from all over the world, for a good reason : altitude, alpine climbing, accessible routes and rather good weather conditions throughout the year (apart from January to March when it may snow heavily).
Cordillera Real also provide a splendid landscape for hiking (ideal for acclimatising).
The ranges goes from almost Lago Titicaca (on its North West tip) down to the suburbs of La Paz (on its South East tip), and is about 150 kms long.
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Getting There (La Paz)
The big town is of course La Paz. To reach it you can either :
-> fly with American companies, as the national company (LAB) ran bankrupt in April 2007.
-> take a bus from Peru (direct services from Cusco and Puno / from Chile (direct service from Arica).
In both cases try not to take a Bolivian company as their quality is usually poor.
If you are already in Bolivia :
-> from Sucre, Cochabamba and Santa-Cruz : you can fly with Aerosur (always safer to fly than take a long ride by bus)
-> from Uyuni or Potosi : only buses are available
From La Paz, then you will have different options depending on the area of the Cordillera Real.
Access is described below, for each group of the Cordillera.
Mountain groups within the Cordillera Real
1. Illampu / Ancohuma Group :
On a clear day a spectacular view of this part of the Cordillera can be seen from Isla del Sol, on Lago Titica. It offers some of the most technical climbs in Bolivia.
The access town is Sorata. There are several daily direct buses from La Paz to reach it.
| ______Mountain______ | Altitude | Climbing Level | ________Photo________ |
| Ancohuma | 6427m | PD / AD |  |
| Illampu | 6368m | AD/D |  |
| Pico Schulze | 5943m | PD/AD |  |
| Umalajanta | 5723m | F | |
| Viluyo | 5540m | PD |
2. Chearoco / Chachacomani Group
This area is the less accessible of the whole Cordillera.
You will need to hire a 4x4 transportation to reach Peñas and then Lloco Lloconi.
| ______Mountain______ | Altitude | Climbing Level | ________Photo________ |
| Chearoco | 6104m | AD/D | |
| Chachacomani | 6074m | AD/D |  |
| Jallawaya | 5670m | PD | |
| Janco Laya | 5545m | F | |
| Janco Huyo | 5512m | F | |
| Negruni | 5468m | F | |
| Culin Thojo | 5368m | F | |
| Wila Llojeta | 5244m | F |
3. Condoriri / Huayna Potosi Group
Located North East of La Paz, it is the faster range to reach.
Condoriri, Pequeño Alpamayo and the South Face of would be accessed from Tuni (about 2h by 4x4 from La Paz).
For the normal route of Huayna Potosi, the access is much faster through Miluni, where there is a hut for base camp.
| ______Mountain______ | ____Altitude____ | Climbing Level | ________Photo________ |
| Huayna Potosi | 6088m | PD |  |
| Condoriri | 5648m | AD/D |  |
| Maria Lloco | 5522m | |
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| Pequeño Alpamayo | 5410m | PD |  |
| Chacaltaya | 5395m | F | |
| Aguja Negra | 5336m |  |
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| Khala Huyo | 5324m | PD |
4. Illimani Group :
Located South East of La Paz, 4x4 transportation will also be required as no public transportation is going there.
The main entry point is Palca.
| ______Mountain______ | Altitude | Climbing Level | ________Photo________ |
| Illimani | 6438m | PD/AD |  |
| Mururata | 5864m | F |  |
| Serque Qollu | 5546m | ||
| Jati Qollu | 5421m | PD/AD | |
| Huacani | 5321m |
Hiking in Cordillera Real
Apart from climbing, Cordillera Real is a beautiful place for hiking. It will provide incredible landscapes with high mountains, glaciers, and lakes.
Walking there is a great way of acclimatising before attempting a summit, as you will go through 5000m passes.
The most common hikes are :
-> the 3/4-day trek from Tuni to Huayna Potosi base camp
-> the 7-day trek around Illampu
-> the 3-day hike to Laguna Glacial (within the Illampu range)
More information on the maps below :
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Useful information
For hiking purpose, two guidebooks can be recommended :
Peru and Bolivia Trekking Guide (Bradt)
Trekking in the Central Andes (Lonely Planet)
For climbing purpose, I would suggest two other books :
Bolivia : A Climbing Guide (Yossi Brain)
The Andes : A Guide For Climbers (John Biggar)
The right choice for a map is undoubtedly :
Cordillera Real, North / Illampu (Bolivia)
As far as weather forecast are concerned :
BBC Weather for La Paz
There are plenty of hotels and agencies in La Paz.
We were really happy with the ones we chose. If you want to add other adresses as a comment, feel free.
Hotel Fuentes on Linares 888 (20 USD for a double room with hot shower and cable TV)
Agency Alberth Bolivia on Illampu 773 (can organise all sorts of treks and ascents in Bolivia, for a very competitive price)
Additions and Corrections
[ Post an Addition or Correction ]
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| Haliku | Section 3 update | |
Voted 10/10 | Hi - There is now a Piramida Blanca page. Thus section 3 - Condoriri / Huayna Potosi Group could have it updated with the mountain. Thanks for such a great Range page. Cheers! | |
| Posted Jun 26, 2008 11:57 am | ||
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| Andino | Re: Section 3 update | |
Hasn't voted | Thanks a bunch ! I will update it soon ;o) | |
| Posted Jul 10, 2008 11:06 am | ||
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