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★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Excellent highlights of a fascinating country

Sri Lanka Explorer

It was the first time I had been on this type of touring holiday in a group as I usually prefer to travel independently. It worked out very well and I was able to see much more than I would have done on my own in 2 weeks. The local tour guide was very knowledgeable and helpful, particularly at the historical sites. There was quite a lot of traveling in a minibus and you do live out of a suitcase to a large extent but it is worth it to cover such a lot of ground in a short time. The UNESCO herita ge sites are amazing and the safari in the Yala National Park was excellent but overcrowded. It would have been good to spend more time exploring the tea plantations but on a busy highlights tour there wasn't time. I would recommend the trip to anyone who hasn't visited Sri Lanka before and wants to sample the highlights.

By Catherine from Preston | 28 February 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Outstanding winter climb of Mt Toubkal

Mount Toubkal in Winter

Thanks for a fabulous 8 day trip to climb Mt Toubkal and Ras. The whole trip went smoothly and our local guides were fantastic. The weather and the other people on my trip contributed to one of the best holidays I've had!

By Vanessa from London | 02 March 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

An amazing experience

Wellbeing Women - Kilimanjaro Climb

The most amazing trip - physically and mentally challenging. It wouldn't have been possible without the fabulous staff, from our guides, cooks, camp staff and porters. I would recommend this trip for anyone looking for a challenge and a trip to remember.

By Andrea from London | 02 March 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Great Ski tour of the Schwartzwald.

Highlights of the Black Forest Ski Traverse

A very good XC skiing holiday with excellent food, accommodation and organisation. Booking an extra day at the front of the trip gave more time to see some of the area and get oriented and rested after the journey out.

By Terence from Sheffield | 02 March 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Fantastic experience

Marrakech and The Bougmez Valley

My first experience with KE and all excellent - great organisation, fantastic guide (Hassan), great food and logistics all managed with aplomb. We had a lot of snow on our first night in the valley so walks had to be amended to suit the conditions. Hassan did a fantastic job in ensuring we got out for walks each day. He was also very informative about the area and the life of the Berbers in the valley. The gite in the mountains was lovely and the staff there were so kind and welcoming. The hammam was an experience!

By Rhonda from Dun Laoghaire | 04 March 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Wonderful exhilarating experience

Northern Lights Snowshoe Safari

From start to finish we were well looked after and catered for by 2 excellent guides. Sara in particular went out of her way to accommodate everyone's needs. Walking in the snow on the mountains was amazing, so vast and expansive, wild and wonderful. Even with temperatures hovering around -15* we were warm and cosy in our lodgings. Even enjoyed chopping logs to keep the fires going. And to top it off the Aurora gave us an amazing view and followed us across a frozen lake. Looking forward to anot her experience with KE as you are among the best of the best.

By Jean from Wrexham | 05 March 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Exceptional New Zealand

Walking New Zealand - North to South Island Explorer

I always knew that going to New Zealand would be a wonderful and thoroughly enjoyable experience, but it turned out to be so much more than I could have hoped to expect. I've done more challenging treks, I've been to magical places elsewhere, but I've never done a trip that was so varied in terms of landscape, so informative in terms of learning about the history, geography, culture, flora, fauna of a nation, and so filled with exciting discoveries - both about this exceptional country and about myself. Simply one of the greatest experiences of my life. My flight back is already booked!

By Adventure from KINGSWOOD | 07 March 2016

★ ★ ★ ★

Great trip to Arctic Sweden

Northern Lights Snowshoe Safari

I really enjoyed the trip and it mostly lived up to expectations. The two guides were knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. The scenery was very impressive. I have a couple of critisisms. Firstly the two of us in my party booked onto the dog mushing trip through KE but this information was not sent on correctly to the admin people at the Abisko Lodge so we were not able to do this trip at the end - very dissappointing. Secondly I think it was a long way to go to only get one full day and two nigh ts up at the arctic cabins. Another day would have been better. A number of people in the group agreed with me about this. The walks from the cabins were rather short. Only 5.5 Km on first day.

By Andrew from PRESTON | 08 March 2016

KE Adventure reply

We are glad you've had a great trip and thank you for the fantastic photos. We are looking into why the additional activity you booked was not as expected and we will be contacting you directly about this.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

absolutely fantastic walking holiday.

Northern Lights Snowshoe Safari

What an excellent experience. From being collected at the airport until the bus journey to return we were looked after 100% by out guides. They took care to ensure everyone was comfortable and the walking pace suited. Those wanting more were advised where to go to be safe. The views and terrain where all we could hope for with plenty of information to make it all real. The guides had great experience to share and added in local history and information about the Sami's way of life. And we got to see the Northern Lights which was a bonus. Would recommend this experience to anyone.

By Jean from Wrexham | 08 March 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

A fantastic holiday providing a perfect mix of sightseeing and trekking

Temples and Trails of Burma

We could not have asked for more from a holiday - just loved every minute in Burma. Our outstanding guide Ko Kyaw Kyaw ("Jo-Jo") was absolutely top notch, immensely knowledgeable about the history of Burma, its culture and traditions, and was charming and polite, tirelessly answering in excellent English the barrage of questions we had for him. Nothing was too much trouble. The holiday was a well-balanced mix of sightseeing combined with some gentle trekking in the rolling Southern Shan State h ills, away from the tourist trail where we were able to engage with the delightful local population and witness their traditional way of life. The support crew made sure all our kit was ready and waiting for us at the end of the day, so all you need is a very light day sac. Water and tea houses are all available en route, and if you can't manage the walking there is the option of taking a ride on a tuk-tuk with the gear. This is a country that is on the cusp of big changes and modernisation, so now is definitely the time to sample its traditional ways of life. KE arranged a personally-tailored 4-day extension with another first class guide (Min Aye Than) from the same company as Jo-Jo, and with an excellent driver in Thaw Zin we covered a lot of ground that many outsiders rarely see. Excellent internal flights and transfers to our comfortable hotels went like clockwork, with all arrangements fully covered by Jo-Jo and his colleagues. Chris and Judith

By Christopher from Belper | 08 March 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

True holiday adventure with a marvelous guide, Hassan, and 2 excellent drivers.

Marrakech and The Bougmez Valley

A truly unique experience to witness life in the High Atlas. The lodge was very comfortable, the food excellent, the staff super friendly yet unobtrusive, and our guide the best imaginable. hikes were rigorous and invigorating, especially after a meter of snow fell during our second night there. All in all, a very positive experience.

By Thomas from SAN FRANCISCO | 08 March 2016

★ ★ ★ ★

Great overview to Morocco.

A truly unique experience to get a good sense of the diversity and richness of the country, with an excellent guide (Hassan) and driver (Hussein).

By Thomas from SAN FRANCISCO | 08 March 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

great trip that wouldn't have been possible without our guide

High Level Pyrenees Snowshoe Holiday

I've done this trip 3 times & again the weather meant that our excellent guide John had to rethink the itinerary to ensure that we still had a great week. As a result we had excellent snow shoeing except for one day. That day we were still out in the hills all day hiking. For the mini Exped part of the week we tried 2 refuges on the Spanish side as there was loads of snow round there. This worked really well & meant I got to see a new area of the Pyrenees. This trip is a great way to guar antee a good week out in winter conditions high in the mountains.

By Michael from Mayfield | 11 March 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Excellent and varied walking

Levada Trails and Peaks of Madeira

Thanks so much to KE for this great walking holiday. I was amazed at how much variety there is in a relatively small - but beautiful - island. Six walks, each completely different. Levadas, seaside cliffs, misty Lord of the Rings style forests, stunning mountains, waterfalls, etc. Great views looking down on the clouds! Days were nice and long, and I was pleasantly surprised by the challenge of the terrain - glad I brought boots rather than shoes. Extra thanks to our great guide Roberto, wh o knew the island like the back of his hand, kept us entertained with tales of the mysterious Madeira pigeon, and always seemed to be able to produce a cup of tea or coffee when needed most. He/KE also catered extremely well for my gluten intolerance - I was spoiled! Thanks a million!

By Sarah from London | 12 March 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Amazing!

Walking New Zealand - North to South Island Explorer

New Zealand exceeded my expectations as a first class destination particularly for outdoor fanatics. Beautiful scenery and activities for all at all levels. The guides Bas,Mike and Sue were all very attentive and Bas in particular was especially enthusiastic in sharing his love and knowledge of this beautiful island. It really was the best holiday of my life! Thank You KE!

By Adventure from DUNDEE | 14 March 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Great trek, excellent guide and crew - 6th March

Peaks and Valleys of Jebel Sirwa - Morocco

The trekking is a mixture of paths and scrambling. Nothing difficult except for the final ascent of Jebel Sirwa - where ropes are needed. This is just the last 30ms - and you can decide not to do it - the views are still 360 degree panorama from the ridge just below the summit. The guide, Mohammed really looked after us. He was very informative and caring. The cook (Ali) prepared some amazing banquet meals - even the lunches were amazing. Lots of fresh salads, vegetables and fruit and of c ourse the tangines. Tents are very good and mattress (with cover) provided. It got cold at night - as soon as the sun went down. A good sleeping bag is needed. Plus a down jacket for the evening and early morning. Blue skies during the day but still cool - ideal for trekking. Take water purification tablets or steripen. Definitely recommend this trip - fortunate to have a small group of 5 - and we all had a great time.

By Hazel from Maidstone | 15 March 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Fantastic holiday

Antarctic Hike and Sail Expedition

Antarctica is totally unique, unlike any other place. Be prepared for; rough seas, amazing views, abundant wildlife, great company, good food, cold (and windy) weather, lots of penguins, jumping into/out of Zodiacs, getting wet, disinfecting your boots, drinking lots in the bar, meeting lots of new friends, watching whales, falling asleep listening to lectures, snoring from campers, icebergs, innumerable glaciers, unbelievably rugged mountains. Do take; a spirit of adventure and lots of memory cards Don’t take; books (you wont have time to read them)

By Adventure from MOFFAT | 15 March 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

fantastic wilderness experience

Arctic Wilderness Week Finland

Finland at Iso Syote is a wonderful place to experience all the snow related activities. Dogsled ding for 3 days was the best without doubt in a real snow wilderness. The staff from the husky farm were brilliant, friendly and always cheerful a really credit to their country. The dogs were awesome keen to go and exciting when in full flow. We each had our own sleds for the 2 day safari and all coped really well. Snow mobiling was good if a bit too many drivers fully enjoy. I also enjoyed the down hill skiing and managed my first black. Jane went off cycling on bikes with big fat tyres and loved that. We also did some walking in the park. Got some awesome pics which I shall upload. practical points are, your case may get lost on transfer from helsinki so pack essentials in cabin bag, it usually turns up the day later.The trip from Oulu to Iso Syote takes 3.5 hrs ie 1 hour wait for bus to go and 2.5 hours to travel. Go to the hotel clothes store and get some boots and cold gear straight away to use whenever u like they are very helpful. Mark tour bag with name tag and make sure it's check through to oulu in London hope that helps it is a great trip and the food was brilliant.

By Terry from Abergavenny | 15 March 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Wonderful and challenging mountaineering in the Swiss and Italian Alps

Italian High Level Route

Italy’s 4,000 Metre Monsters A trek in the high peaks of the Italian and Swiss Alps It was 9.30am Monday morning and we were trudging up through the snow towards our target, the rounded summit of the Breithorn at 4,164m. We had seen this, the first of our 4000m+ peaks, on Sunday from the sun terrace of the Gaudegg Hut; it hadn’t looked too bad from there. But now, slogging up from the Trockenersleg cable car station on the Breithorn Plateau, not yet acclimatised at this high altitude, it was hard going. It hadn’t helped that none of us had slept well the night before. In six-bedded rooms (a single and two double bunks, where I had shared a mattress with Phil, an accountant from Hull), the chorus of snores, people’s intermittent visits to the cold, outside loo, and listening to your elevated heart rate (huh-huh, huh-huh, huh-huh), amplified through ear plugs, made sleep almost impossible. At breakfast Phil recalled guide Richard’s words, ‘Even if you’re not sleeping, you’re resting’. Vicky, a dancer from London, told us she was terrified when her dad, Jeremy, stopped breathing, only to restart abruptly as if defibrillated with a huge and noisy intake of breath – apparently this is quite common at high altitude – which is okay if your body remembers to breathe again. Guide Kathy led us on another zag up the snow slope with her small, steady steps, followed on the rope by Vicky, Jeremy, John (an experienced hike leader from the Forest of Dean) and me. We were sharing the mountain with lots of groups in front and behind, all making for the summit, while skiers and snowboarders headed the other way to slide off the plateau. Richard’s group (Ashley, Phil, Simon and his son, Jasper) were somewhere up ahead, a problem with Vicky’s crampon having slowed us at the start. Talking of crampons, it was lucky Ashley had any – arriving at the Gandegg Hut above Zermatt on Sunday and about to practise on the glacier, Richard asked what he no doubt assumed was a rhetorical question; ‘So, everyone’s got their harness and crampons?’ We all nodded, except Ashley, who said, ‘No’. Richard was incredulous. Ash said, ‘I told you I didn’t have any at the hotel.’ Vicky corroborated, ‘Yes, I remember, but we thought you were joking.’ Richard quickly recovered and a new plan was hatched – Kathy would bring them up when she met us on Monday, and for the practice Ashley would make do. In fact, he did so well without them, duck-walking up and down the snow slope, that we suggested he didn’t need crampons at all. Finally we reached the narrow summit ridge and in a few minutes were on the top. It was very cold as an icy wind swept across the exposed summit, and crowded as groups were arriving, milling around or leaving. But with the characteristically pointed shape of the Matterhorn dominating the view to the northwest, and many other 4000m+ peaks in Switzerland and Italy visible, the 3600 panorama was spectacular. After initially retracing our steps, we descended steeply to the Breithorn Pass. I tripped and fell headfirst at one point, but the rope system came quickly into play, so much so that when Kathy shouted, ‘Get on your feet!’ I could hardly move I was held so tight. We made a long traverse, passing the toe of the Pullux peak, and then all the way down to Rifugio d’Ayas at 3,440m. The sleeping accommodation had deteriorated; we were now, all eight of us, fitted on a single shelf, with another group joining us on the other side of the attic room. Ash’s alarm went off at 5.30am on Tuesday morning but it was irrelevant because none of us was asleep – it had been a noisy night and the smelly heat of sixteen bodies had turned our dormitory, even with two windows wide open, into a sweaty solarium. To make matters worse, the clouds that had been moving across the previous afternoon were now an engulfing grey soup-scape penetrated only by the cold drizzle. So before setting off we donned waterproofs top and bottom, minus our harnesses but crampons at the ready. The descent from the hut was precarious, on wet rock hanging on to fixed ropes as we navigated irregular steps in the rock some of the way down. It got worse when we reached a steeply dipping expanse of ice, which proved so tricky without crampons that Richard cut steps with his ice axe, while Kathy crudely roped around the waist those of us she no doubt deemed most likely to take a dive (myself, Ash, Jeremy and Vicky). We were rewarded with cups of hot chocolate at the Mezzalama Hut, while Richard duct-taped some padding around Jeremy’s ankle to protect it from an ill-fitting boot. It was a straightforward hike down the Vallee d’Ayas, the rain soaking us through despite the hundreds of pounds worth of high-tech Gore-tex that we all wore. But the two and a half hour hike 700m up to the Passo di Bettolina at 2,905m was a different matter – the boulder field was like an obstacle course set by the gods, the only respite being small patches of snow where we cut steps with the sides of our boots (and were I slipped and nearly had to begin again as if on a giant ‘snakes and ladders’ board). Near the top it steepened and was slippery with gravel. We didn’t linger long because we couldn’t see anything of the view. All our gloves soaked, Vicky’s hands were freezing, but John pulled from his deep rucksack a huge pair of fluffy red ones, for which Vicky was eternally grateful, even though they did make her look like Omo. Following the broad ridge, it was a relief to reach the chairlift station at the Col Bettaforca, where the heater made our soggy clothes steam as we sipped hot coffee. Despite the constant drizzle, the day got better. Descending to Stafal, Kathy led us straight to a bar that cooked great pizzas. There was a wood burner but despite the offer of vast amounts of money by Jeremy (who ran a wealth management business), the proprietor declined to light it so we remained wet and cold. The cable car took us up to Plan Galbiet. In Rifugio Galbiet we were four to a room with proper bunk beds, there was a drying room, loos you can sit down on, showers with hot water, and coffee at €1.50; we thought we’d died and gone to heaven. The idyll was completed by a splendid Italian meal: delicately crafted, delicious tasting lasagne, thick and hearty pea soup, yummy veal and carrots, and a sweet desert. Up at 6am Wednesday morning, it took two cable cars to reach the Glacier di Indren at 3,275m. Sadly, Jeremy’s ankle problem had worsened and he and Vicky decided to leave the trek. As they made their way down and, by various modes of transport, back to a comfortable hotel in Zermatt, we made our way up and across the glacier, then negotiated some fixed ropes to arrive at the Rifugio Mantova at 3,500m. The weather had cleared so, after dropping off some surplus gear, we were all ready to ascend the Pyramid Vincent, our second 4,000m+ peak, which dominated the skyline above the hut. We set off at 10.10am, Richard leading John, myself and Phil, while Kathy followed with Ash and Simon. Richard set for us a blistering pace and like all these mountain summits, it was further than it looked, especially as the route took us around behind it. At the Col Vincent we made a stop to drink and catch our breath. A man in snow shoes passed us descending, leading a small black dog in a red coat. The dog was high-stepping and definitely not wagging its tail – the poor thing probably thought it had set out for walkies around town and was now freezing its paws off at 4,000m. A last push up the steep snow slope to the summit, zig-zagging as we went, and we were on top of Pyramid Vincent at 4,215m. It was perfectly clear and we could see all the way to Mont Blanc and beyond. Kathy’s team arrived soon after and together we celebrated our conquest. Richard said, ‘Do you want to do that little one over there?’ At first I thought he meant the jagged peak to the north and higher than us (the Ludwigshorn) and wondered if I had the legs. But our new target was the Balmenhorn at 4,167m, a rocky outcrop adjacent to our current position. We retraced our steps down to the col and climbed 90m up the other side. The ascent was made more exciting by the need to cross a narrow ice ridge one at a time, then scramble up fixed ropes with the aid of some metal steps (noisy and slippy wearing crampons) to the summit. A bronze statue of Christ (made from Second World War scrap as a symbol of peace) stands looking down the valley as if to say, ‘Look at all this I’ve made,’ or perhaps, ‘Venture up here if you dare.’ Our descent was fast and exhausting and a good nap in the hut that afternoon was welcome. On the way down we passed a group practising rescue techniques by the mouth of a large crevasse. Others were walking on the glacier un-roped (even though they were carrying them) as if on a Sunday stroll at the park rather than a serious expedition at altitude on crevasse-riven ice. Lots of tut-tutting from our guides, whose tales of the fatal dangers of complacency on the glacier kept us focused and alert. Rifugio Mantova, with its broad sun terrace and vast dining room, provided us with a good meal as we braced ourselves for an early start and the big day that was to follow. Thursday saw us up at 4.45am for a 5am breakfast, ready to leave by ten minutes to six. The route took us back up towards Pyramid Vincent for our ascent and crossing of the Lisjoch, a broad plateau that would lead back into Switzerland. Ash had worried about packing in time but I said, ‘There won’t be much to pack, you’ll be wearing it all.’ It was dark and very cold when we set off. The glacier was dotted with headtorch beams like fairy lights from the multiple groups ascending, tied together and having learnt like us to move at a synchronised speed. The rope suddenly went tight and there was a yell from the back. John and I turned. Phil was down – we thought he’d tripped but he was thigh-deep in a crevasse. ‘Keep the rope tight,’ Kathy yelled at us, then to Phil, ‘Keep moving, on your hands and knees.’ Phil stumbled along and was soon out of the hole and on his feet again. We continued at Kathy’s steady but manageable pace. The sun began its rise which made the mountain-scape below us glow. But then everything whited out and we were in a hazy nether-world where the dark shapes of trekkers appeared and disappeared like ghosts. ‘Is this going to be worth it? Are we going to be able to see anything?’ I wondered. Eventually at 8.30am we arrived at the Lisjoch col at 4,151m, and stopped to sip water, eat snacks and recover. Then, like at the theatre, the curtain was raised. The mist and cloud eased away to leave us gawping at the huge peaks of the Monte Rosa Massif surrounding us and, in the distance, the tooth like point of the Matterhorn beckoning us home. It was a long way to the Monte Rosa hut, down the glacier that was to eat my camera. We weaved our way downwards wary of the huge serrates (large teeth-like stands of snow) and deep crevasses, having to jump across one where the snow bridge was unstable. The view of the flow of ice was awesome, its backdrop the Matterhorn and other huge Swiss peaks. Stopping to let the group ahead negotiate a tricky patch, I got my camera out but neglected to put the wrist strap on. It slid from my grip, dropped onto the ice and slid, slowly at first, down the ice slope to the gaping mouth of a huge crevasse, then disappeared. Learning point: when travelling on the glacier, attach fast everything you want to keep. Some millennia from now it may reappear at the foot of the valley, providing a pixalled historical record of a group of Neanderthal-like explorers who left their mark on this insatiable landscape. Thinking of the future, the Monte Rosa hut was the future – a bright, solar-panelled, square-shaped spaceship of a building standing resolute at 2,883m on the shoulder of this magnificently glaciated valley. On its sun terrace, we gulped our drinks and devoured our rostis (sausage and fried potato), enjoying the Matterhorn-dominated view. And the antics of the resident cat who, as number one high altitude predator, dashed and caught a squeaking rat as we watched and, after its meal beneath the decking, reappeared liking its lips and looking for desert (a careless bird or a sleepy marmot perhaps). On Friday we were looking forward to our leisurely breakfast (as per the brochure) – well it was relatively leisurely, if a little early at 7am, before we walked out of the mountains. We had assumed this would be down; it did start with a steep descent to the glacier using fixed ropes in places, but after that it was mostly up. We donned crampons twice to cover stretches of the gleaming glacier, cut by small streams rushing down the valley. We crossed bridges and climbed ladders up vertical faces until we were on the contour path that took us round to the Rotenboden station of the Gornergrat mountain railway, where the train goes down to Zermatt. The trekking done, all that was left was to hug and thank our intrepid guides, Richard and Kathy, and to eat ginormous burgers at the Brown Cow in sleepy but picturesque Zermatt. Peter Curran August, 2014

By Peter from GUILDFORD | 15 March 2016

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Fantastic trekking and climbing in the High Cordillera Real of Bolivia

Bolivia Climber

PEQUEÑO ALPAMAYO AND BEYOND Trekking and climbing in Bolivia´s high Cordillera Real Copacabana on Lake Titicaca By the shore of Lake Titicaca, we questioned KE´s terminology of the trekking and climbing ordeal we were about to put ourselves through as a ´holiday`; Gordon, a Scot from Fife, suggested that adventure-sadism might be a more accurate description. Pedro, an economist from Madrid had trekked Peru and the Pyrenees; Gavin and Ellen had hiked in the Alps and India; George from the Lak e District had summited Mt Tukbul in Morocco; Andrew from Winchester had trekked in Bhutan and Madagascar; and Stuart had already climbed several Bolivian peaks. Most of us had trekked or climbed in the Himalayas. Yet here we were again, ready for more, able somehow to deselect from the memory bank those painful hours of physical and mental exertion and only recall the few moments of glory on the top. But those first few days did feel like a holiday, since from La Paz we went straight to Lake Titicaca for some acclimatisation hikes, it being at an oxygen-sapping 3,800m. We took the boat to the enchanting Isla del Sol, where we stayed in delightful round-houses, hiked across the island to visit the Palacio del Inca (a labyrinth), an Inca sacrificial site (the Mesa Ceremónica – Ceremonial Table), and the Titi Khar’ka (the rock of the Puma – you needed a good imagination to pick out). We climbed the Inca steps (Escalera del Inca) and tasted the fresh spring water from the Fuente del Inca at its top, then at Pilko Kaina by some other Inca ruins, enjoyed a fried trout lunch. Back in Copacabana, we were spoilt in the Rosario Hotel´s lake-view rooms and frequented Café London for good coffee. Copacabana is a picturesque lakeside town filled with a strange mix of people: Bolivian holiday makers, Peruvian pilgrims (the border is close and there´s an important cathedral and shrine in the town), money-less backpackers, hairy hippies selling trinkets and strumming guitars, and grizzled trekkers like us. We managed to climb three tops at around 4,000m (which sounds impressive but actually they were not far up from the lake) including Cerra Calvario (Calvary Hill) with its 14 stations of the cross, and Niño Calvario (Little Calvary) with its strangely deformed rock formations and the Horca del Inca, an ancient rock gateway that served as an astronomical observatory. Particular highlights were eating llama steak (really tender meat somewhere between beef and lamb), visiting the Kon-Tiki museum and meeting one of the Bolivians who helped Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl build the reed boats, and for some of the team, having a swim (well, quick dip) in the cold lake just to say they´d done it. The road to Pequeño Alpamaya From the attractive rooms and clean sheets of a pleasant hotel, it was into the mountains to the dusty discomfort of tents, warm during the day but freezing once the sun had set. We started at Khotia Lake (4,420m) and trekked for three days amidst the amazing scenery of the Cordillera Real, a huge mountain range with multiple peaks above 5,000 and 6,000m. As llamas, alpacas and sheep grazed on the grassy slopes, we made our way over a pass at 4,780m, found an old tin mine shaft (a sole miner with a pick axe over his shoulder waved ‘Buenos días’) and stayed at a partly constructed refugio (mountain hut) on Ajwani Lake, where we slept on the floor in empty rooms, although the electricity (powered by hydro from a nearby stream) did come on in the evening. Our first real ascent was to a so-called viewpoint near Milluni Peak, but to my mind it was our first summit – you had to climb hard to get on top of it, and it was over 4,900m (almost as high as Mount Kenya), so to all intents and purposes, a peak, named by me ´Pico La Vista´. We crossed the Janchallani Pass (4,943m) and then Gordon led us in a charge down a 200m scree slope that took us to Jurikhota Lake, where we camped outside the refugio. The views across the water towards Conderiri were picture perfect. It was a steady climb up towards the Apacheta Pass at 5,150m, with some scrambling on the way. Another peak beckoned, that of Apacheta (also called Pico Austria) above the pass at 5,324m. Not yet fully acclimatised at this altitude, it was a breathless plod as Ellen led us up onto the rocky summit that yielded splendid views of the Condoriri peaks and much of the Cordillera Real, including one of our targets, Huayna Potosi. We took lunch down from the pass (out of the wind) in a clearing with some standing stones reminiscent of the sacrificial site we´d seen on Isla del Sol. A campsite by Chairkhota Lake would be home for the next three nights, and our base for the attempt on Pequeño Alpamayo. ´Where´s Pedro?´ Ellen asked. It was past 3.30am and we were breakfasted and ready in our warm clothes, harnesses and mountain boots. Pedro soon appeared, having expected to be roused with Ricardo´s wake-up tea; not that morning, not the day we would climb Pequeño Alpamayo. The atmosphere was tense, part excitement as we were about to climb one of the three big peaks of the trip, part worry about the task: the effort it would involve, the technical challenges, the cold. We set off in the dark, the way lit by bobbing head torches. The glacier seemed to have retreated further since our training session on it the day before. On arrival at the glacier´s toe, we strapped on our crampons, and Gavin and I checked each other’s kit. Roped together in threes and fours, we set off. I´d been dreading the first part, a steep section up and across rugged ´penitentes´, wind-blown ice structures like sharp frozen waves that are awkward to clamber over. But this soon done we moved on to a smoother glacial surface and with two hours of puffing, arrived at the pass. Whilst most of us were now acclimatising reasonably well, it´s different once you are on snow and ice because you are wearing more layers of clothing to keep warm, and have the added weight of mountain boots and crampons, harness and climbing attachments, and ice axe. Stuart, having shown us his skills on the glacier the day before, was still suffering from nausea and headaches, and decided to return to camp (he later returned La Paz, and then reduced his altitude significantly by touring Bolivia’s Amazon rain forest instead). We continued up the snow dome to the first peak of the day, Tarija at 5,360m. There was a narrow exposed ridge onto the peak itself that I stepped gingerly up and across, then worried for the rest of the morning about having to descend it later. Our lead guide, Juan asked each person in turn how they were feeling to decide who would go on to attempt Pequeño Alpamayo (5,435m), now in full view from where we sat guzzling water and eating snacks. Ellen and George, tired and cold, decided to make Tarija their summit for the day. I´d glanced across at Pequeño, with its impossibly steep snow slopes and exposed ridges and wondered how I´d get up there, but when Juan said, ´And you, Peter?´ I responded, ´I´m good´, then ate a KitKat to avoid looking at the next challenge. The first part of this particular challenge was to descend 130m of Tarija´s rocky north face to the saddle in between the two peaks, in crampons. I was just glad Juan and Andrew were above me anchoring the rope as I slid and scraped and scrambled my way down. The good news was that there was enough hard snow to step our way up the steep face of Pequeño (when it´s all ice it´s a matter of putting in ice screws, fixing ropes, and toe-pointing with your crampons and ice axe up each section, as we´d practised on the glacier – it´s exhausting). The bad news was that the ascent was at 40 degrees, steepening to 50 degrees in places. It was gut-busting work, all the while trying not to look down the exposed slope to the right. On finally arriving at the summit, Andrew said, ´That´s the most difficult thing I´ve ever done.´ I said, ´It was tough,´ too breathless to comment further. We joined the others to eat sandwiches, take photos, and celebrate our success. The journey down aided by gravity was easier, except having to climb back up to the top of Tarija and then negotiate the narrow ridge, but all went well and we were soon stepping off the glacier and making our way back to the campsite, tired by happy. I said, ´It´s surprising what you can put your body through in a morning.´ (It was not yet one o´clock). Gordon responded, ´I may go for a wee walk around the lake this afternoon.´ But that day he didn´t. We devoured lunch (prepared by Nemesio, who amazingly had provided us breakfast, accompanied us to the glacier, returned to camp with Stuart, caught us up, and climbed both peaks) then sorted kit, washed socks and slept. At dinner, after first helpings Ricardo asked George, ´Do you want some more?´ which by this stage of the expedition was a completely rhetorical question. Ricardo then went on to skillfully deliver the next installment of Bolivia´s turbulent and tortuous political history. My guide book (published in 2007) said there had been 192 governments since independence in 1825 (that´s more than one a year). The Presidential Palace is called the ´Burned Palace´ (Palacio Quemado) because it was fired in 1875, and at least two presidents have been strung up outside it in Plaza Murillo (were independence champion Murillo himself was also hanged). So being President is not a role to aspire to if you want job security or the enjoyment of old age. But despite Bolivia´s political woes, its deep regret over losing its access to the sea during a war with Chile, and the loss of other territory due to the predatory actions of surrounding states, it is a country with amazing natural resources and lots of opportunities. With people like Juan and Ricardo using their skills and unleashing the potential of others, it can have a bright future. The next morning Ricardo made his usual round with the wake-up tea. Pedro asked, ´Quando es el desayuno?’ (‘When´s breakfast?’). ´7.30´ answered Ricardo. Pedro looked at his watch; ´But it´s 7.27 now,´ he said. ´Well 7.30 ish,´ Ricardo responded. We breakfasted at 8.30, in keeping with Bolivian flexible time. Huayna Potosi or bust Following the euphoria of conquering Pequeño Alpamayo, it was straight on to the base camp for Huayna Potosi, an imposing 6,088m peak only 17km from La Paz. Seeing it up close was somewhat daunting and I wondered whether I had the legs for it. Here we stayed in refugios at the base camp (4,800m) and then at the high camp (5,270m). At base camp, we shared the warm attic room with another group, laying our sleeping bags on top of mattresses on the floor. The main danger was having to navigate the steep steps that emerged from a hole in the floor and trying not to bang your head on a low beam just above them. The following day it was a steep couple of hours of ascent on rock to the high camp, hauling ourselves up on fixed ropes across one section. The refugio there had a transparent plastic roof and went from sauna when the sun was out to freezer when it set, so that night we had to wrap up warm in the bunk beds. But sleep didn’t last long since wake up time was 1.30am and, breakfast over and kitted up, we were on the glacier by 3.15am. Five of us set off (Gavin had succumbed to a fever and stayed at base camp and Ellen had returned to join him). The route comprised some gently sloping, well-trod paths, several very steep sections, an icy wall (the foot of a crevasse, where with the help of a fixed rope and ice axe we heaved our way up), and a ridge onto the summit. At around 5,800m George, suffering from breathlessness and lightheadedness, decided to descend with guide Pango. The lights of El Alto and La Paz twinkled far below. It was very cold so the burgeoning sunrise at around 6am, spreading its blue-orange warmth was welcome, as was our first view of the top, now just a steep zig and then zag away – despite the strenuousness of the climb, I now knew we would make it. Earlier climbers were descending, making way for us as we plodded slowly but steadily, guide Uve in the lead, nearer the goal. There were breathtaking drops down both sides of a short ridge leading to the summit. Gordon and Pedro had arrived at the top 15 minutes earlier with guide Iri. Andrew and I stood with them for a team photo, all of us trying not stumble off the edge, and suddenly all the hard work on the way up seemed worth it as we gawped at the amazing views of the Cordillera and wallowed just for a few moments in our achievement. On the way down we avoided the icy wall by detouring over a long whale-back ridge with a steep drop down one side and were back at high camp by 9.30am, tired, hungry and dehydrated. But it´s surprising what hot tea and a bite of lunch can do and we were soon striding down to base camp, knowing that a well-earned day off with clean sheets and a shower awaited us in La Paz. Illimani and the battle against the elements While Gavin and Ellen returned to Huayna Potosi, four of us (Pedro, Gordon, Andrew and I) set off for Illimani. The road to the village of Pinaya (where the road stops) was like a theme park ride of ups and downs and sheer drops except instead of three minutes it lasted for three hours. In our 4x4 we descended into valleys and rose over passes, crossed rivers and negotiated multiple switch-backs, and of course the Bolivians don’t believe in crash barriers so you live on the edge, quite literally. Panaya reminded me of the place that Paul Newman and Robert Redford turned up in the film ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’: nearly deserted except for a few pigs and a tame lamb, a football pitch that someone had built a house in the middle of, poor looking adobe brick cottages with straw roofs, and a tiny crumbling church with a single bell. However, its people were friendly and, as we were to find out, strong and resilient - a family of porters (father, wife, son and daughter) carried our kit up and down the mountain in wellington boots (the men) and open-toed sandals (the women). It took a couple of hours to hike up to the base camp at 4,500m, where the loo was a hole in the ground surrounded on three sides by waist-high walls made of peat turfs. The weather was good as the next day we moved up the mountain, following a rocky ridge higher and higher for five hours to high camp at 5, 500m. The views of the heavily glaciated mountain were stunning and the route up to the summit (1,000m higher) clear but scary (steep and exposed), made worse by the warning collection of crosses at the foot of the glacier. But the four of us were in good physical shape and cautiously optimistic about the forthcoming climb, albeit a little concerned about the technical challenges. The sun went down and we huddled in our tents, ready for the 2.30am start. But then everything changed. The wind battered the tents for hours so we didn´t sleep (30km/hr where we were which meant probably 60km/hr on the summit). It began to snow. By 1.30am the guides informed us the weather was too bad to go up. At 4.30am there was the slim hope of ascent as the wind had dropped, so we donned our gear. But by 6.30am, as the wind and snow intensified, we crowded into the mess tent to hear Uve’s decision that it was too dangerous. So the dream of summiting Illimani was over. But we still had to get down. The weather was now so bad that we could no longer see far up or down the mountain. The snow had made the ridge we´d climbed the previous day treacherous so that what should have taken us two hours to descend took five hours, in one place the guides having to fix ropes for us to abseil down because it was too steep and slippery to climb. Eventually reaching the village we set up camp intending leave early the next morning. But the snow had followed us. Our 4x4 from La Paz couldn´t make it through due the slippery, snow-mud on the road and a landslide on route. So we took a local Toyota van/taxi with poor steering without 4 wheel drive and set off on another route to rendezvous with our own vehicles at the village of Tawapalka. The van was fully loaded inside and on top with all our gear and tents plus 11 people. It was an hour and a half of white knuckle ride as the van slid and ground its way up and down mountain roads with 1000m+ drops on one side or the other. I told our cook Nemesio, ´Tengo miedo´ (I´m afraid). He responded with a broad grin, ´No problema.´ We stopped several hundred metres above the village, ostensibly to take photos and stretch our legs, but for us Westerners, it was less a comfort break and more a fear break. Once in the village, we followed the Rio La Paz along its gentle well cultivated valley back to the Rey Palace Hotel in the city, where the staff had become accustomed to the return, like bad pennies, of their dirty, weather-beaten, and unshaven guests seeking some home comforts after yet another mountain experience. Hot showers and good food in La Paz La Paz is nestled within a deep valley at around 3,660m with steep, rocky canyon-like sides, where the deeper you go, the better the housing. The smart main street, El Prado, with its statues, colourful shops, office blocks, restaurants and coffee shops (including our favourite, Café Urbano) stretches from Plaza del Estudante (near our hotel) to the sixteenth century Iglesia San Francisco (church of San Francisco) at its northern end. It’s busy with traffic which makes way for youth bands from churches or schools with their drums, trumpets and bell lyres. Nearby is the Presidential Palace on Plaza Pedro D Murillo (Murillo Square), next to the tomb of one of its early presidents, and the cathedral, all currently heavily guarded by well-padded police due to demonstrating miners. The best views of the city (including mountainous backdrops of Huayna Potosi and Illimani) are on the slick, modern Teleférico (cable car) that links La Paz to El Alto, the city that starts on the top rim of the valley at 4,150m and sprawls across the Altiplano (high plain), and is host to the airport. El Alto is a grim, poor, red brick, place with many of its buildings only half built (to avoid paying tax), punctuated by white church spires built by a German priest. Many areas are not adequately policed, so there are dummies strung up by the neck on lamp posts as a warning to would-be thieves of the local vigilante justice. We photographed the llama fetuses (which are buried under houses for good luck) for sale in the Marcado de Hechicería (Witches’ Market) on Calle Linares, joking about what would happen if you attempted to take one through US immigration and customs in Miami. We had hoped to cycle the Death Road, renown as ‘The world’s most dangerous road’, some 40 miles of winding, downhill only 3m wide with 600m drops, from Coroico, to La Paz. With many vehicles having gone over the edge, it’s now reserved for cyclists, with a route the other side of the valley for vehicles. However, the deterioration in weather meant we visited the quaint and interesting (but less adventurous) museums on the well preserved colonial Calle Jaén instead. The soup, beef and llama steaks were great in the Pronto and Rendezvous restaurants, the latter being the venue for our final team meal, at which Juan and Ricardo were our honoured guests. So was it all worth it? In a word, yes, if you love the mountains and are up for a tough physical and mental challenge in the company of a great team and expert guides. Descending Huayna Potosi, we had passed a fellow climber being helped by a guide whose legs were all but gone – Gordon later said ´He´d given it his all.´ Which just about sums up the spirit of high altitude mountaineering; whatever height we had achieved on the mountain, we had given it our all in the high Cordillera Real of Bolivia. Peter Curran 14th August 2015

By Peter from GUILDFORD | 15 March 2016

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