Hundreds of people bustle along the streets, selling home-made DVDs, second-hand clothes, fresh fruit and vegetables. Women in thick velvet skirts, their waist-length black hair braided into two plaits, stroll between smelly buses, honking cabs and crashing motorcycles. We make our way through the crowd with one large and one small backpack and two additional ski bags. We are constantly bumped into and hardly believe that we will ever make it to the cab rank in front of the bus station with our 65 kg of luggage! Finally we make it. "Hola chicititas, que es?" The cab driver looks at us somewhat incredulously as he ties the ski bags to his roof. Skiing in the huge city of La Paz seems to be a rarity - but our mission is working: in the next two weeks we want to climb two peaks and go down in history with two "female first descents".
As La Paz is at 3600m, you notice the thinner air as you stroll through the beautiful alleyways. Hungry, we pounce on all the delicacies on offer in the streets. There are plenty of food stalls selling sausages, tranqapecho (a kind of Bolivian hamburger) and empanadas (filled dumplings), as well as trolleys selling hot quinoa tea, fresh fruit juices and corn broth. We try everything.
As our first day in Bolivia draws to a close, we notice that the Illimani is peacefully watching over the city. In Aymara, the landmark of la Paz is called "Illemana", which means "where the sun was born". An old legend tells that the Mururata mountain is said to have tried to outdo the Illimani in size. Enraged, the Illimani cut off its snow-covered head. After this legend, it was clear to both of us: these two feuding mountains should be on our ski touring adventure in Bolivia.
Murata 5800m
After successfully acclimatizing, we take the 4-wheel drive to the foot of Mururata. The way there resembles a rally death route. Streams and rivers cross the narrow path, slopes of up to what feels like 50 degrees become more frequent the longer we drive. The word "road" would be a complete exaggeration - we bump along in XXL power gear through the rocky desert in the high mountains. With the gas bottle tied to the roof along with the skis, we wonder whether we will ever get out of the four-wheeled monster alive again. After countless fears of death and an increasing green color in our faces, we are redeemed in the high camp at 4600m. Sitting at the foot of a mountain, in front of a steep face, we look out over the megacity of La Paz - peaceful and detached, we enjoy the glowing red mountain landscape - a magic of gentle silence with immense power envelops the rough, rocky peaks.
After a short night and little sleep, we set off on the stony path at two o'clock in the morning with our skis on our backs. We make our way steeply up the slope past huge boulders, putting our weight on our poles. The long skis under our backpacks and the ski boots in our packs make climbing difficult and get our pulses racing. Finally we reach the glacier tongue at 5000m - stunned by the mountain air, we can finally put on our skis. The anticipation of the descent increases as we see the endless expanse of this glacier at dusk. It seems almost predestined for skiing. Long, wide slopes in slightly hilly terrain create a fine tingling sensation in the stomach. But the trail is tough, the walking dull, the breath short. We pull our skis further across the snow, past crevasses, steep slopes and long traverses - up to the summit. Mururata at 5800m. All around, white mountain peaks pierce the cloud cover, including the Illimani and the Huayna Potosi. Up here, the world seems to be in full beauty, untouched by human intervention in royal power and throbbing energy. We also feel this energy on our descent. The female first ascent of the white slopes of the Mururata makes our hearts beat faster.
Illimani, 6435 meters
After a shaky jeep ride through fiery red canyons, green pastures with grazing llamas and stony mountain roads, we land in a mountain village called Pinaya. The indigenous villagers at an altitude of 4,200 meters welcome us in a somewhat distant but friendly manner.
While the horses are loaded with food supplies, tents, gas bottles and safety equipment, the older villagers admire our boards. They carefully take the 1.70-metre-long skis in their hands and awkwardly attach them to the backs of the pack animals.
A woman with a colorful blanket tied to a backpack walks at the head of our small team. Tight calves with handmade sandals peek out from under the thick, knee-length skirt. Our modern equipment, from the crampon-proof hiking boots to the softshell hiking pants, seems a little out of place at this sight. The local woman strides ahead at a brisk pace. Clicking her tongue, she drives her horses up the narrow path.
Base camp - high camp - summit?
After a first night at base camp - a lush green plateau with small rushing streams - the gentle surroundings change to a rugged stone landscape. Shimmering garnet-red mountain flanks enchant us into a world above the clouds. A new dimension opens up. "Chicas, we are out of the MATRIX!" are the words of our mountain guide Osvaldo. And suddenly it is in front of us - the summit of Illimani. White flanks stretch out for miles, house-high crevasses and meter-long cracks let us feel the prevailing forces. From our high camp at 5500m, we have eight to ten hours of walking ahead of us. Our breath inevitably reminds us of the thin air. The alarm clock rings at one o'clock in the morning, the stars seem to touch our tents, rarely have we been so close to the sky. With a view of the sparkling city of La Paz, just a few meters away from the glacier tongue, we pack up our supplies, tie our skis to our backpacks and force ourselves to swallow a few crumbs.
We're ready to go - secured with crampons on our feet in the rope team, we head up the glacier as a team of two. The path is too steep, the snow too hard to gain a foothold with skins. Nevertheless, we are not deterred from carrying our skis as far up as possible. The glow of the headlamps only gives us a glimpse of the massive icy landscape. Minutes of waiting to place the belays seem like eternities. Seemingly incessantly, we crawl up the wall, pitch by pitch, without the sun, the cold seeping through every crack.
The backward glance reveals a bluish face with thin lips and puffy eyes. We seem to have fallen into a state of meditation. The body in dull execution, walking forward just a mechanism that was once programmed eight hours ago. We crawl the last few meters along the narrow ridge. A daring glance ahead shows us a small raised platform, just big enough to place four feet on. Suddenly, a scream pierces the air, but there is salvation in the voice, not a dream, not a hallucination, no, it's the summit! Still a little dazed, we become aware of the dimensions - 6435 meters above sea level, the view extends so far that we think we can see the earth's curvature.
Summit happiness
Our bodies tremble with excitement and exhaustion, tears well up in our eyes and an eerie feeling of relief comes over us as we hug our mountain guide tightly. Summit fever has gripped us! But suddenly, swathes of gray mist rise up at a brisk pace, strong gusts of wind carry our words away and demand an immediate descent. A few meters below, we find a sheltered spot to rest, gather new strength for the way back in the sun and take a few photos.
With our skis ready, we make our turns past crevasses and ice formations. The porters are already waiting for us at the high camp and are standing at the edge of the glacier tongue with their mouths wide open, cheering loudly. Muchas gracias!
Travel tips
Mururata
Skis are not ubiquitous sports equipment in Bolivia, which is why transportation is somewhat complicated, starting with cabs. Patience is the top priority, followed by additional bribes for longer bus journeys. Show the cab driver once that these slats really do fit into a four-wheeled vehicle (preferably on the passenger seat) or lash them to the roof yourself and get in and hope. The Mururata can only be reached with a healthy 4wheeldrive and a head for heights. The drive to the base camp from la Paz takes about 3 hours. We recommend taking a guide, as there are no road signs or other indications for the gravel road. From the base camp (4600m) it is a comfortable 6-7 hour hike to the summit. But be careful: save your strength, because appearances are deceptive. The path seems endless - but you are rewarded with a wonderful view of the Illimani. Advantage: the descent is not very technically demanding, but full of enjoyment.
Illimani
We also recommend booking the tour with a guide here. On the one hand because of the high altitude (6435m) and on the other hand you save yourself a lot of effort (organization of porters, pack animals, food). The journey from La Paz is not quite as criminal as the one to Mururata, but you still need a 4-wheel drive for the 3 hours. From the small village of Pinaya (4200m) you walk with pack animals and porters to the base camp at 4600m. From there, without the pack animals, it is another 1000 meters up to the high camp. On the third day, the ascent to the summit takes 8-9 hours (depending on snow conditions). The path there is very steep and only passable to a limited extent with skins - better with crampons! The ski depot is at approx. 6000m - the descent is possible up to 5000m (watch out for crevasses). You spend one last night at the base camp to recover before heading back to the city of millions. The tour takes a total of 4 days and can be booked with almost any provider in the tourist district in La Paz
