The book of our dearest colleague and friend Anne Bialek, co-written with Patrick Espel, has been launched the 11th of march 2015. Undoubtedly, a big pride for all the team that participated in the elaboration of this book, mountain guides, trekking guides, all passionated about the Bolivian mountains and the breathtaking paths accross the Cordillera Real.
This practical guide gives you some key answers to discover the Cordillera Real either by doing a trek of several days between 4500 and 5500 meters of altitude, or by climbing its summits through glacial ways, classical and a bit technical ones, or through very technical ways for advanced climbers.
Imagine Indian people, mixed-race, wearing a set of multicolored clothes, with all the shades of yellow, orange, red and purple. Imagine a sky, intensely blue, incredibly pure, where flies a majestic condor, and vast dry lands occupied by a flock of llama. Imagine a huge lake, a legendary lake, birthplace of big civilizations, a true inland sea with its traditional small boats made of woven reed. Imagine finally, on the horizon, under the tropical sun, snowy mountains, above 6 000 meters of altitude.
Imagine, and then just go … This country you have been dreaming of, is Bolivia ; this lake, is the Titicaca lake, where the Temple of the Sun island is, one of the sacred sites of the Inca Empire ; these mountains are those of the Cordillera Real, at the heart of the Andes Cordillera, with its uncountable pre-colombian paths, its isolated villages, its lagunas incredibly blue, and of course its white summits, so tempting, with their so typical ice formation, so andean, the ice-flutes … Illimani, Illampu, Huayna Potosi, Condoriri… Wallking and climbing in these mountains is always an adventure, with a big A, whether it is a human, cultural or sports adventure.
It is their own experience of the Cordillera Real that Anne Bialek and Patrick Espel share with us in this guide. The itineraries described addresse all those who like mountains and dream about the « kingdom of altitude », from amateur hikers to advanced climbers. You will find in it all kind of itineraries : hikes or treks of several days between 4 500 and 5 500 meters of altitude for walking amateurs, ways of glacial ascents, classical and a bit technical on the high peaks of the Cordillera Real (some of which are above 6000m) for the beginners and some very technical ways for the advanced climbers. The itinerary descriptions come with pictures, practical advice but as well real,lived, adventurous stories, to please all kind of reader, the passionates, the craziest and even those who have lived – almost-everything …
C’est leur expérience de la cordillère Royale que nous offrent Anne Bialek et Patrick Espel à travers ce guide. Les itinéraires décrits s’adressent à tous ceux qui aiment la montagne et rêvent de découvrir le « royaume d’altitude », des randonneurs amateurs jusqu’aux andinistes plus confirmés. Vous y trouverez donc des itinéraires variés : des randonnées ou des trekkings de plusieurs jours entre 4 500 et 5 500 mètres d’altitude pour les amateurs de marche, des voies d’ascensions glaciaires, classiques et peu techniques sur les hauts sommets de la cordillère Royale (dont certains excèdent 6 000 m) pour les andinistes « débutants » et des voies très techniques pour les andinistes confirmés. Les descriptions d’itinéraires s’accompagnent de photos, de conseils pratiques mais aussi de récits d’aventure « qui sentent le vécu », de quoi ravir les passionnés, les mordus, et même « ceux à qui on ne la fait plus »…
