Bolivia: our hiking guide to climb on top of the Parinacota volcano

Climbing above 6000 meters and admiring the panorama from up there is probably one of the things I was most passionate about during this trip around the world. Why exactly? I’m not really sure… Probably a mix of my Valais heritage, the physical challenge, and the incredible view one must have. Do you need a reason to want to fulfill a dream like this? I don’t think so… You just need to be determined to achieve it, like a world tour after all. Since we were in the Sajama National Park, surrounded by three gigantic volcanoes, Sajama and the twins Pomerape and Parinacota, the opportunity was just too tempting! After admiring these giants all day long, I set my sights on the last one, where no specific equipment is needed. Here are all my tips for successfully climbing Parinacota!

Why you should climb Parinacota

Well, it’s nice to want to climb above 6000 meters, but it doesn’t happen spontaneously! Unfortunately, we didn’t come to Sajama, a small village near the Bolivia–Chile border, with the idea of climbing one of the three highest volcanoes in the area. Basically, I had no gear – crampons, harness, ice axe – to do anything technical.

So, I started looking for a guide and equipment in the village of Sajama, which has only 250 inhabitants. But I quickly realized that while I might find a local guide in the village, there was no equipment. So what to do?

Maybe I could have contacted an agency in La Paz by phone to try to organize something… But talking to Mario, the most reliable guide in Sajama, I learned that in the dry season, between April and October, there is little snow at the top of Parinacota. Therefore, in late winter and early spring, it can be climbed without any equipment. Jackpot! Moreover, with my experience on Cotopaxi, I know perfectly well that the altitude and the weather already present a significant challenge. No need to complicate my life with a technically difficult climb! In short, for a first 6000-meter peak, Parinacota is exactly what I need!

The trail of the Parinacota climbing

Parinacota volcano presents no technical difficulty. The slope does not exceed 40 degrees, and the ascent can be done in one go from the high base camp at 5100 meters, reachable by 4×4. You might start higher, depending on your guide. In any case, don’t underestimate the altitude! Climbing above 6300 meters is not easy anyway, and if the weather interferes, the ascent can become a nightmare. Mario told me that less than 40% of people reach the summit… The route gives you an idea of what to expect!

The best guide to climb Parinacota volcano

The best guide in Sajama is called Mario Perez and he also runs a small hospedaje in Sajama Park. In fact, it’s the only orange house in the village, located right next to the school. Mario has 15 years of experience as a guide, has climbed Parinacota over 100 times, and Sajama and Pomerape 50 times each! Very professional and friendly, he has his own 4×4 and I highly recommend him. I loved making this ascent with him! To contact him, here are his phone numbers: 73727956 and 74017189. And if you have your gear and want to climb Sajama or Pomerape, contact him! It will cost you much less than from La Paz, and you’ll support a competent local guide. Because yes, agencies in Bolivia often pay their guides a pittance…

Well, I already found my guide but budget-wise, Mario asks for 450 bolivianos per day for his services plus 800 bolivianos for transportation to the high camp and back. Since I plan to do the climb in one day, it would cost me 1250 bolivianos (165 euros) for the private climb. When you think about it, it’s not expensive but it still hurts a bit during a long trip. So, I started looking for adventure companions, which would greatly reduce the costs of this trek.

Looking for other hikers to reduce costs

I toured the few hospedajes in Sajama and met three Belgian girls who were interested in the adventure. However, they had no experience with high mountains and didn’t quite realize what they were about to undertake.

I warned them about the altitude while reassuring them by explaining that we would climb with two guides for four people. So if they felt bad, they could always descend with one guide while the others could continue with the other. This was also valid for me because you can never be sure how you will react at such altitudes. Thus, the price was 1700 bolivianos for the group, which is 56 euros per person. There are not many places in the world where you can climb a 6000-meter peak for that price!

So, we agreed and arranged to meet at the guide’s place that evening to finalize the details. We planned to leave at 2 a.m. and start climbing around 3:30 a.m. from the high camp on Parinacota. But that was the plan. At the agreed meeting time, only one of the girls showed up to tell us that they had decided not to come after all! The guide and I were really annoyed. Couldn’t they have thought it through beforehand? At the last minute, it was impossible to find anyone else to go that same night! As a result, Mario suggested we do the ascent just the two of us for 1000 bolivianos (132 euros). I accepted his proposal because I had a good feeling about him, but I couldn’t help being upset with the three Belgians!

The ascent of Parinacota volcano

The departure

Finally, the departure time was set for 3 a.m. So, I went to bed early but had a bit of trouble falling asleep. I was fully aware that climbing to 6348 meters is not without risks and I kept replaying some catastrophic scenarios in my head without being able to think of anything else. Fabienne wasn’t calm either… But being aware of the risks is a very good thing! I knew I had to listen to my body and not push myself if I felt bad. It was 2:45 a.m. when I promised Fabienne not to exceed my limits and to turn back if necessary. After an “I love you”, I left the room to join Mario.

The 4×4 engine was already running and Mario welcomed me in his kitchen with a good hot cup of coffee! It was between -5 and -10 °C at that time… I also took the opportunity to eat more than my fill because, on Cotopaxi, my stomach wasn’t really settled and I had a hard time eating. So, I preferred to stock up on energy before the effort this time!

On the way to Parinacota

During the hour-and-a-half drive to the high camp, I had time to chat a bit with Mario. He explained why he preferred to stay in Sajama and work as a local guide on his own. He told me how travel agencies in La Paz pay guides a pittance and keep most of the money for themselves.

Mario also said he would like to complete all levels of mountain guide training but these modules cost several thousand dollars and he can’t afford it. So, he prefers to invest his money to expand his small hospedaje and is content with the basic mountain guide module.

Arrival at the high camp

It was 4:30 a.m. when we reached the high camp. It was quite cold, maybe -15 °C, but the weather was perfect! The sky was completely clear, we didn’t even need to use the headlamp, and there was no wind. Phew! That’s one less difficulty, I can focus on the altitude now. Since I felt good, we climbed at a good pace, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to maintain this pace to the summit. The feeling was really good with this guide and I felt like I was in a good day.

We first climbed on rather easy terrain between the two volcanoes to the pass, then we turned left to start a zigzag climb on Parinacota. The trail was rather well marked and I had no trouble following Mario for now. After two good hours at this pace, we took a long break to admire the sunrise over Sajama and Pomerape volcanoes. What a spectacle!

The summit of Parinacota volcano

To recap, the dry season in Bolivia runs from June to September. Therefore, there was no snow up to about 5800 meters, and we climbed the first 700 meters of altitude in just over two hours. Beyond that, the story gets more complicated… We started walking between small irregular ice mounds called penitentes. Indeed, the wind can blow very hard on Parinacota (I was very lucky that day!) and it is the gusts that form these peaks. And the higher we climbed, the denser they became, which significantly slowed our progress, or rather my progress! For Mario, this ascent was a bit of a walk in the park!

Even though the air started to become rare, I felt rather good when we passed the symbolic 6000-meter mark. Moreover, I had the summit in sight to motivate me! I really felt like I was going to make it. We continued to make our way between ice and rocks. I didn’t have a headache but started to lack energy in my legs. This feeling of lack of oxygen was familiar to me: I had already felt it on Cotopaxi… I slowed down significantly but we were almost there!

And finally, after five hours of effort, we reached the summit of Parinacota volcano, at 6348 meters! I was so happy and proud to have made it. It’s hard to describe these emotions. I had fulfilled a dream that was really close to my heart! I simply enjoyed these moments and the incredible view I had of the crater and the surrounding region. Just magical!

The descent

After enjoying it for about twenty minutes and regaining some energy, it was time to descend! Even though the weather was radiant, it was cold at the summit and the wind was gently picking up. For the descent, it was much less complicated than for the ascent. In fact, we headed to a part of the volcano where there was no snow, only volcanic gravel. The plan was simple: we descended straight down!

You should have seen the guide descend, he was running down! But since the terrain was soft, we sank into this gravel which completely cushioned the shocks. So no worries, we could almost run down. I even think that with old skis, it could have been fun. So, while it took us five hours to climb, we were in front of the 4×4 in just 40 minutes! Fun, right?

Review of this ascent

I finally fulfilled one of my dearest dreams by climbing to the summit of Parinacota volcano, above 6000 meters! But don’t think it’s just a stroke of luck. I was well acclimatized, I hadn’t descended below 3000-4000 meters in a month, I had an excellent guide, and the weather was in my favor!

I just want to emphasize that even if you are very motivated to do the same, the conditions might not be right, and it might not be your day. At that moment, you need to accept it and know when to turn back before an avoidable accident happens.

And you, have you ever dreamed of climbing above 6000 meters? Next stop, Chile! To continue the Bolivian adventure, we recommend Anaïs and Bruno’s article on the Illampu tour in the Cordillera Real!

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