Trek Chojña Quta - Huayna Potosi (10 days)
It is a great part of the Transcordillera hike on the west side, where visitors can enjoy being close to the magnificent mountains, crossing passes at over 4,900m. They will always be surrounded by the natural beauty of this stunning part of the Cordillera.
ITINERARY:
Day 1: LA PAZ – ACHACACHI – CHOJÑA KHOTA.
We begin a long journey through different towns and small estancias until we reach the top of Laguna Chojña Khota. In the afternoon, we take a short tour of the nearby lagoons.
Day 2: CHOJÑA KHOTA – LAGUNA JISTHAÑA.
After breakfast, we start our journey ascending to a place with an excellent panoramic view of the Calzada pass and the lagoons in the area. We can also see the majestic Lake Titicaca and the great Jancohuma snow massif, as well as the small peaks of the Casiris. In the afternoon, we arrive at Laguna Jisthaña and set up camp near the lagoon.
Day 3: LAGUNA JISTHAÑA – KELLHUANI – ALTO CRUZ PAMPA.
This is a very attractive route, and we always have Lake Titicaca and the mountains of the Cordillera Real in sight. We pass through the Kellhuani ranch and finally reach the Chachacomani valley. In the upper part of the town of Alto Cruz Pampa, we establish our camp.
Day 4: ALTO CRUZ PAMPA – JALLAHUAYA.
On this day, we begin our journey through the Chachacomani river and ascend towards the area of «Condor Jipiña.» We continue our route to the Pura Purani river and later descend to the Jallahuaya river. We set up camp near the river.
Day 5.- JALLAHUAYA – LAGUNA WARA WARANI – LAGUNA KHOTYA.
We ascend towards the mountain, at the base of which is the Wara Warani lagoon, a lagoon of three colors. We continue our ascent until we reach the lookout point (5,030 meters), an excellent viewpoint.
Then, we descend into the valley and continue ascending gradually until we reach the next plateau. During our descent, we can see the Khotia lagoon, near which we will set up our next camp.
Day 6.- LAGUNA KHOTYA – LAGUNA AJUANI.
Khotia Lake (4,470 m.). We start the trek towards the slopes at a slow pace. Upon reaching the first plateau, we begin a descent into the valley where the Taipichaca lagoon can be observed. After crossing the river, we ascend until we reach the Ajuani lagoon.
Day 7.- LAGUNA AJUANI – LAGUNA JURI QUTA.
The road is winding but picturesque. After crossing the first pass, we descend to the Jistaña Lagoon, where we take a break for lunch. From there, the road begins to climb towards the peak which represents our second pass. In the valley, we see the beautiful and secluded Juri Khota lake, surrounded by snow-capped mountains.
We camp on the shores of the lake.
Day 8.- LAGUNA JURI QUTA – PASO AUSTRIA – LAGUNA CHIAR QUTA.
From Juri Quta Lagoon, we begin by gradually ascending the shore of the lake to reach Glacial Lagoon, a gem located at an altitude of 4,900 meters at the foot of the Condoriri glacier.
From there, we climb up to the Austria pass (5,140 m.). The ascent to Pico Austria (5,350 m.) is recommended, its summit is an excellent viewpoint of the entire Cordillera, after a photo session we descend to Chiar Quta Lagoon (4,630 m.) where we will set up our camp.
Day 9.- PASO JISTAÑA – MARIA LLOCO.
Today we cross the Jistaña Pass, which is located at an altitude of 4,900 m, and leads to the Racahcha Valley. We travel through the valley until we reach a small town where we set up our camp. At the bottom of the valley, we can see the mountains of María Lloco and the west face of Huayna Potosí.
Day 10.- MARIA LLOCO – HUAYNA POTOSI – RETURN TO LA PAZ.
Today we’ll cross the Huallatani Pass (4,850 m). On a clear day, we’ll be able to admire the stunning views of the Maria Lloco Mountains and the towering Huayna Potosi. Our vehicle will be waiting for us here to take us back to La Paz.
