SummitPost.org

When we were down in La Paz last summer we tried getting a hold of maps of Apolobamba with an eye for planning future trips. We went to IGM (Instituto Geographico Militar), which presented it's own urban route-finding challenges, and were told there were none to be had. (That place, by the way, is amazing. They haven't printed new maps since 1968. So if you want a map you might get really lucky and they still have originals left, otherwise they'll make you a photocopy from the master, or there might be no master left and you'll be SOL.)

We then stopped in all the climbing stores/guide companies we could find and asked them. Most just shook their heads or gave us blank stares. At one store we met a guy who told us that the government did not allow private maps to be published but that he had beta that he could share with us. In the end we didn't really get anything useful but I can send you the information of which store it was.

Yossi Brain's "Climbing in Bolivia" has some information, have you checked that out?

Are you planning a trip? Looking for partners?

I don't remember the shop's name off the top of my head, but will see if I have it written down when I get home.

Sounds like it should be a great trip. From what I've heard there are still unclimbed and unnamed peaks in Apolobamba. Don't know if that's true, but that would make it one of the last unexplored frontiers.

Be sure to post a trip report and photos when you get back!

rsmiller wrote:I know they are hard to find but I thought I would ask anyway. Does anyone have one? Or know of any new sources from previous expeditions?

According to Mesili:

"Apolobamba Maps
There are no maps on the Apolobamba in Bolivia. There is a sketch map, by W.H. Melbourne, 1959. Also there is the map by the British Royal Geographic Society of 1911, Royal Geographical Society, border survey 1918 – Percy Harrison Fawcett map 1919 - DAV maps 1957.- AAJ 1960 - Sangaku 1962 – CAI, Italy, 1982, 367 – Southampton University, 1992 – Loughborough Students Andes Expedition 1989 – Yorkshire Ramblers Club Expedition Report 1988 - Paul Hudson 1993. La Rinconada 1:100.000 (Lima - Perú)
Akamani, sheet 5748- I. Scale 1: 50.000. However, this map has many errors. IGM: Pelechuco Series H632 Sheet: 3041, 1997"

Fair bit of confusion over what has been done where. Mesili's website has some info (and a basic map) as does his guidebook.

http://www.andes-mesili.com/gb/climbing_apolobamba.htm

Also, you could peruse the AAJ's online for references as well. For comprehensive info, you'd probaly have to peruse back issues of High, the alpine journal, etc etc.

Cheers,

-Brian in SLC

In addition to the free online AAJ, the archives of more recent High/Climb INFO are now free online for download once you register at:
http://www.climbmagazine.com/Login.aspx ... icles.aspx

Over the last 10 years or so since Yossi's book more peaks there have been climbed. At least several British expeds in there. It's certainly no 'last frontier' any more.

You could also try http://www.msacd.com/ which was made by a friend and has a little Apolo info.

D

There are maps of the Cord. Apolobamba now. The reason it's sometimes hard to get them is because it's a border region. Same thing goes for anywhere along the Peru-Bolivia border.

These are the maps that cover the following peaks:

Peru: Peluchuco (1:100,000) covers the following mountains:

Chapupi Orco
Soral Oeste
Ascarani
Monstserrate
Matchu Suchi Cuchi
Catantica
Cololo
Nubi
Huellancalloc

Bolivia: La Rinconada (1:100,000) covers the following mountains:

Chapupi Orco

Bolivia: Khata (1:50,000) covers the following mountains:

Acamani
Cavayani
Chuchillo

As mentioned though, the border regions do have maps, but they are considered to be "restricted". See the Peru index for example:

http://www.omnimap.com/cgi/graphic.pl?per-100s.jpg

Omnimaps sells some of the maps above, but they are expensive, $28 to $75 a piece for the Peru side, $20.95 for the Bolivia side. I use omnimap on a regular basis, but it's never cheap. Anyway, here are the links to Peru and Bolivia (you have to search through the index maps which can be a pain):

http://omnimap.com/catalog/int/peru.htm

http://omnimap.com/catalog/int/bolivia.htm

Yossi Brains book might be the best bet; see also John Biggar's.

Hi
If you have a GPS Garmin to use with Mapsource and you speak or read Spanish, this site may be useful.
It is free.
Bye

Sorry
The site
http://viajerosmapas.com/