This road between La Paz and Arica (for peladoboton, this is the same road as you mentioned) was paved in the mid-90ies, but doesn't reach 5030m. The highest point is about 4500m, as alrady mentioned by Baarb.
I have one map that shows it at 5030 meters and one map that shows it as 5000 meters at Paso Tambo Quemado, but maps in that part of the world can't be taken at face value (which is why I always post the words "supposedly" when talking about elevations!).
Anyway, a google search says 4680 meters.
http://www.thisischile.cl/Map.aspx?id=1 ... bo-quemadoThe probem with maps in parts of the Andes or Asia is that elevations on maps seem to run all over the place. This seems to be true in most of the Andes exluding Ecuador which they stay somewhat consistant (elevations do vary, but usually not by much).
Some of the Argentina maps show the same border peaks several hundred meters higher than the Chili maps do!
The GPS is a good idea, though even that isn't 100% accurate. Probably the best source though.
Anyway, when we climbed Tolima in Colombia, our highway map showed the peak at 5620 meters (18,438 feet), our regional map and map in one climbing guide showed the peak at 5215 meters (17,110 feet) and the topo map and John Biggar's book list the peak at 5274 meters (17,303 meters). We actually got 5365 meters (17,600 feet) on the GPS.
The same inconsistancy is true for that part of Asia, though the highest peaks have somewhat consistant elevations. Elevations in the sections outside the British (and other) surveys seem to be all over the place as well.
Scott wrote:
[b]Unpaved highways/roads:
Supposedly, the new main road between Adagua Peru and Arequipa reaches 5500 meters (18,000+ feet) east of Coropuna, but the road isn't on any maps, so this is hard to verify and looking at the map, personally I am somewhat skeptical.
I'm also very skeptical...
If anyone does find out the true elevation of the road, I'd be interested to add the information to my SP page:
http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock ... erani.htmlI didn't bring a GPS with me. 5500 meters is probably not correct. The old road on the west side of Coropuna reached to about 4800 meters.
Aucanquilcha is in Chile, not Bolivia. Bolivia also used to have a very high mining road close to 6000m on Cerro Uturuncu (6008m), reaching the upper slope of the vulcano to an old sulphur mine. However, this road is out of use since the 90ies.
Right you are. Aucanquilcha is just inside the border.
Any idea how high the road is on Ojos? One book I have says you can drive to just above the Refugio Tejos which is at 5735 meters, but that definately isn't a highway. I haven't been there myself.