Condoriri Trek

Laguna Chiarkhota - Pico Austria

We will pick you up from your hotel at around 7:00 am. After a 2 hour drive through El Alto and the Altiplano (bolivian high plains), you will see the beautiful Andean landscape and mountain ranges. You will arrive at a place called La Rinconada (4500 meters above sea level) and prepare for the trek to Chiarkhota lagoon. You will be surrounded by stunning mountains and amazing landscapes. The path turns northwards and heads through llama pastures towards the Condoriri range. The trek is easy and you will gradually climb higher. You will arrive at Laguna Chiarkhota (4650 meters above sea level) where you will rest and have lunch surrounded by snowcapped peaks. You will stay here for about an hour.

After lunch, you will start climbing up to the Paso Austria (Austria pass). This is the only high pass on the trek at 5150 meters above sea level. This walk takes around 2.5 hours from Chiarkhota lagoon. Next, you will start trekking on the trail up to Pico Austria (Austria peak), which climbs steadily, winding at first until you reach a ridge that goes up to the summit (5270 meters above sea level). The views from the top are towards the Condoriri Range and in clear weather you can see as far as the Huayna Potosi and Lake Titicaca. If you can not climb to the peak, you can stop at Paso Austria and enjoy the view from there. It takes about 30 minutes from Paso Austria to get to the peak.

After resting a bit, you will start descending and will pass by the Chiarkhota lagoon, this time on the other side. You will arrive back in La Paz at around 18:00 to 19:00, depending on the traffic.