Road trip to Cochabamba

A road trip to Cochabamba from La Paz. As the La Paz - Oruro highway is still under construction the trip takes about 8 hours including one hour of breaks. Once the 4-lane highway is ready I think the trip will be significantly faster - maybe even down to 4-5 hours total.

 Some photos from the road to Cochabamba.

Up on the Altiplano. Flat - really flat.

Great view of the Huyana Potosi - one of Bolivia's highest mountains. 

Banana transport.

You don't want to hang behind this truck for too long! 

The Angostura water reservoir south east from Cochabamba.

Great fish at the restaurant at lake Eden below the dam.

Unused railroad that was once taking visitors up to the rservoir from town.

The ride back over the lake.

Pairumani park on the north west side of Cochabamba.

You can walk through the tunnel to the other side of the mountain or...

you can wade in the water through this tunnel.

The Christo statue on the hill on the east side of town.

It's possible to walk up to the statue, but not recommended due to frequent muggings on the path. It should be relatively safe early in the morning before 10 AM. The telecabine starts working around 10.30AM. 

The upper station.

On the road back we stopped by at some ancient church ruins at the village of Lequepalca. This is in fact the oldest church in Bolviia. The first one ever built by the spanish.

The graveyard is still in use.

But the church is in ruins.

On the Altiplano some small tornadoes were forming due to the heat.

A tornado surrounding an abandoned house.

 

Climbing Cerro Khotapata

Cerro Khotapata is a 5288m/17349ft high relatively easily accessible peak. It takes about 45 minutes to drive to the start of the climb from down town La Paz, half an hour if starting from Irpavi.

Road to the valley where the climb starts from.

The road up towards Represa Hampaturi is reasonable and accessible by most cars. After deviating from the village Karpani and crossing over the Rio Irpavi things become more interesting. A true 4-wheel drive is required in order to continue. Water eats up the road and leaves just stones and holes so a good clearance is a must. Another 15 minutes of slow going and the road seen on the photo takes off to the left. It takes another 10 minutes to get up to the valley where the climb can be started.

The location of the climb in respect to La Paz using the android app MyPhotos.

Zoomed in to show the valley and surrounding.

And the climb in photos starting form the far left and going down right in a circle ending up at the road again on the top most photo.
 

  

The climb can be started virtually anywhere along the road here. Only a few rocky areas prevent ascent but they can be spotted from the road. I left the car near this shack and climbed up from here. Coming down the way would have been easier than the route I took down.

View towards the end of the valley.

It gets steeper in the middle part.

View back towards La Paz 

Easy final to the ridge

On the ridge

Selfie. A cold wind was blowing so lunch was nicer to have on the other side of the ridge. No wind, but plenty of sun. 

The Cerro Khotapata peak on the right. The higher peak in the end of the ridge doesn't have a name on any of my maps.

Cactus flower.

Illimani in the background.

The other side offers a very easy way up, but getting to the starting point is not possible by car.  

Optional descent down the sand. It did get tricky later on though.

Illimani - the symbol of La Paz

Close-up.