The aim of the expedition was to summit Sajama, at 6542m the highest point in Bolivia. In so doing , the expedition would aid recruitment and retention in East Midlands UOTC and develop interest in High Altitude Mountaineering. As far as we know, this would be the highest any OTC had successfully climbed. 12 OCdts from EMUOTC took part, in addition to instructors.

Bolivia is a landlocked nation in South America and is a country of great contrasts. To the West, there are the highlands, including the Cordillera Real where we would acclimatise. To the East, there is part of the Amazon rainforest, which descends in parts almost to sea level. We started by acclimatising with some day walks around the pilgrimage site of Copacobamba on Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. We then returned to La Paz and sampled ‘Ram Jams’, the city’s premier night out…

We moved on to Condorriri base camp, from where we continued acclimatising for our main effort on Sajama with ascents of Pyramida Blanca and Pico Austria. The summit of Pyramida Blanca was bitterly cold, with high winds and snow making the time waiting to safely move from the summit very, very uncomfortable!  Pico Austria was a far simpler day out, with no glacial terrain to cover.

After a day at rest in La Paz, the world’s highest capital city, we went to attempt Huayna Potosi (6088m). This was a much tougher proposition and the team suffered from mild AMS symptoms. Through a lot of effort and team spirit, we summitted a brilliant knife-edge ridge, which was good fun for some, sheer terror for others! The team returned to La Paz that evening with a huge sense of achievement.

Of course, the hardest part was to come. Following the six hour journey to Sajama National Park, the team set upon our final objective. After a night each at base camp and at high camp, the team started climbing at 0400 to attempt the summit. At around 1200, eight exhausted OCdts successfully reached the peak. They managed to return to base camp that evening before moving on to La Paz the next day to celebrate.

The all important R&R consisted of the girls (and weak males) making a bolt for the day spa, whereas the more adventurous and just-plain-better of the group mountain biked down the La Paz to Coroico road, the world’s most dangerous road!  Sliding on loose scree towards a 60m drop gives a good warm feeling of borderline terror.

We have to thank the Ulysses Trust, BIBMTF and 5 Div for all their help in getting the expedition going. It was a truly fantastic experience. Bolivia is a beautiful country with friendly people and excellent mountaineering opportunities for a variety of standards. We will return…