And I thought Leadville was high... Don't know how people can maintain, long term at those altitudes. Internal changes in white & red blood cells I guess.
Thanks for taking the time to research and post it!
Well, at 10.150 feet Leadville is really high! hehehe
As I said, in some places like La Rinconada, you can't! It is dangerous even for bolivians or peruvians, people get sick and die constantly up there.
Glad you like Bill!
Cheers
Paulo
Having mountain biked in the windy Atacama desert, returning from Ojos del Salado in Chile, I can tell you it's quite hard to get enough air to pedal on the volcanic ash road at 4600m. To imagine living at 5100m, is mind-boggling!
Hey Scott!
Glad you like it.
I had a look (while reasearching) at Gorak Shep and I thought it was too small, and didn't find any info about people living there permanently, that's the reason I didn't put it. But Lobuche, never heard of it!
Even so, I looked at GE for it and found it, too, too small. I could see 9 structures and that's it. Well, I thought that was bigger than Gorak shep (which I could count 7).
Great to mention it of course!
I think both of them can be defined as "well set base camps", like Aconcagua BC which is almost like a small city.
Thanks
Paulo
I had a look (while reasearching) at Gorak Shep and I thought it was too small, and didn't find any info about people living there permanently, that's the reason I didn't put it. But Lobuche, never heard of it!
Both are inhabited year round (but only in the last 30 years or so), but yes, both are quite small. It used to be, before the trekking boom in Nepal the the two villages were vacated during the winter and inhabited the rest of the year, but now they are inhabited year round.
I have always understood that around 5000m is the highest a human can live without suffering deterioration. La Riconada defies belief at 5100-5400m... and to think that on top of that they are being poisened by the chemicals from Gold mining! They must want that gold very badly!
Thanks for sharing this with us.
best wishes, Mark
There are 3 mountains near La Rinconada, one is 5552m high (in the photo - and I think it's called "Bella Durmiente" - this means "sleeping beauty"), another one by its right side that is 5820m high and another one in the same mountain chain that is 5830m high, I couldn't find the name of those two...
But this is all a mountain chain that is just 8 miles long and includes three main summits.
All that info I found in Google Earth. Altitudes too.
Cheers!
Parofes
Have always been amazed by how high some of those places actually are, noticing that I actually had some bad sleep the first days of staying at around 3,250 metres...
I think there's even places higher up, but they're not cities - I believe I read somewhere they've found remains of an Inca settlement over 6,200 metres and that there was a manned border station between India and China at something like 5,950 metres...
Oh yes, there are quite a few ruins here in south America, some (in Lullaillaco volcano for instance) really high, this one at aprox, 6.680m, just 60 vertical meters below the summit.
(3 mummies found at this place, the children of lullaillaco they're called)
Inca settlements are very, very high.
But remember, this article is about permanent populated areas.
;)
Bill Reed - Mar 30, 2012 8:20 pm - Voted 10/10
Very interesting....And I thought Leadville was high... Don't know how people can maintain, long term at those altitudes. Internal changes in white & red blood cells I guess.
Thanks for taking the time to research and post it!
PAROFES - Apr 4, 2012 8:00 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Very interesting....Well, at 10.150 feet Leadville is really high! hehehe
As I said, in some places like La Rinconada, you can't! It is dangerous even for bolivians or peruvians, people get sick and die constantly up there.
Glad you like Bill!
Cheers
Paulo
lcarreau - Mar 30, 2012 8:35 pm - Voted 10/10
Born a Lowlander ...And, will probably DIE a Lowlander ... interesting reading, though!
PAROFES - Apr 4, 2012 8:01 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Born a Lowlander ...Me too...although I d like to live around 4.000 m high for change...
:-)
chris_goulet - Apr 2, 2012 12:22 am - Voted 10/10
Altitude junkiesHaving mountain biked in the windy Atacama desert, returning from Ojos del Salado in Chile, I can tell you it's quite hard to get enough air to pedal on the volcanic ash road at 4600m. To imagine living at 5100m, is mind-boggling!
Muito obrigado com voce
PAROFES - Apr 4, 2012 8:02 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Altitude junkiesI rather walk/ hike up, it's easier to find oxigen like that hehehe
Thanks for reading Chris!
Cheers
Paulo
Scott - Apr 2, 2012 10:21 pm - Voted 10/10
Good Article (mention of Nepal too)Great article.
Some villages in Nepal are also impressively high, but are too small to be considered to be cities.
Gorak Shep is at 5170 meters/16968 and Lobuche is at 4910 meters/16115 feet.
PAROFES - Apr 4, 2012 8:09 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Good Article (mention of Nepal too)Hey Scott!
Glad you like it.
I had a look (while reasearching) at Gorak Shep and I thought it was too small, and didn't find any info about people living there permanently, that's the reason I didn't put it. But Lobuche, never heard of it!
Even so, I looked at GE for it and found it, too, too small. I could see 9 structures and that's it. Well, I thought that was bigger than Gorak shep (which I could count 7).
Great to mention it of course!
I think both of them can be defined as "well set base camps", like Aconcagua BC which is almost like a small city.
Thanks
Paulo
Scott - Apr 14, 2012 2:29 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: Good Article (mention of Nepal too)I had a look (while reasearching) at Gorak Shep and I thought it was too small, and didn't find any info about people living there permanently, that's the reason I didn't put it. But Lobuche, never heard of it!
Both are inhabited year round (but only in the last 30 years or so), but yes, both are quite small. It used to be, before the trekking boom in Nepal the the two villages were vacated during the winter and inhabited the rest of the year, but now they are inhabited year round.
macintosh - Apr 17, 2012 1:22 pm - Hasn't voted
I thank you too :)http://www.carpati.org/stire/dou?_sute_treizeci_537_i_cinci_la_sut?/3255/
PAROFES - Apr 18, 2012 7:03 am - Hasn't voted
Re: I thank you too :):O)
markhallam - Apr 27, 2012 4:02 pm - Voted 10/10
Great article PauloI have always understood that around 5000m is the highest a human can live without suffering deterioration. La Riconada defies belief at 5100-5400m... and to think that on top of that they are being poisened by the chemicals from Gold mining! They must want that gold very badly!
Thanks for sharing this with us.
best wishes, Mark
PAROFES - May 2, 2012 7:58 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Great article PauloHey Mark!
Glad you drop by and read this. I knew you d like it.
Gold can do that to people...sad, just sad.
Cheers!
Paulo
wheelerpeak20 - May 31, 2013 2:16 am - Hasn't voted
that awesome mountaini have looked EVERYWHERE for the name of that mountain above LR
i would love to climb it
PAROFES - May 31, 2013 1:51 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: that awesome mountainThere are 3 mountains near La Rinconada, one is 5552m high (in the photo - and I think it's called "Bella Durmiente" - this means "sleeping beauty"), another one by its right side that is 5820m high and another one in the same mountain chain that is 5830m high, I couldn't find the name of those two...
But this is all a mountain chain that is just 8 miles long and includes three main summits.
All that info I found in Google Earth. Altitudes too.
Cheers!
Parofes
Proterra - Jul 23, 2013 4:34 am - Voted 10/10
Love this articleHave always been amazed by how high some of those places actually are, noticing that I actually had some bad sleep the first days of staying at around 3,250 metres...
I think there's even places higher up, but they're not cities - I believe I read somewhere they've found remains of an Inca settlement over 6,200 metres and that there was a manned border station between India and China at something like 5,950 metres...
PAROFES - Jul 25, 2013 11:52 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Love this articleOh yes, there are quite a few ruins here in south America, some (in Lullaillaco volcano for instance) really high, this one at aprox, 6.680m, just 60 vertical meters below the summit.
(3 mummies found at this place, the children of lullaillaco they're called)
Inca settlements are very, very high.
But remember, this article is about permanent populated areas.
;)
Best wishes from Brazil!
Paulo