Bolivia’s Nevado Illimani Summited

The summer climbing season in Bolivia ended today with another success on 21,201-foot Illimani. AAI guide Jaime Avila called by satellite telephone this afternoon to report the team’s success. Though the weather report was for snow last night, they woke up a 1:00am to find starry skies and no wind. Getting underway with the climb by 3:00am, they summited from their 18,000-foot high camp in under six hours and were back to their high camp by noon.

Descending 21,201-foot Illimani with the lower north summit in the distance.

Earlier on the trip, climbers Jennifer Klich (Boulder, Colorado), Shawn Collins (Boulder, Colorado), and Janet Coudurier (Truckee, CA) along with Jaime and fellow AAI guide Juan Chura climbed Piramide Blanca, Pequeno Alpamayo, and 20,000-foot Huayna Potosi by both the regular route and the French Direct.

For more photos and to read their dispatches from their trip (or other expeditions in Peru and Bolivia) click here.

It was a great season of predominantly very good weather and conditions in both Peru and Bolivia, and we’re sorry to see it end. But with the advent of South America’s “other” dry season (November through February), AAI climbers and guides now turn their attention to Patagonia, Ecuador, and Aconcagua.