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- Jul 28, 2011
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Another Bolivia Mountaineering School Underway!
MM Northwest Guide Ian Nicholson is ecstatic to be teaming up with South American favorites Oswaldo Freire and Sebastian Carrasco on this month’s Bolivia Mountaineering School and summit climbs. He will be keeping us updated with dispatches along the trip:
(Photos from previous trips)
“Buenos Tardes de Bolivia! This is Ian Nicholson reporting in from La Paz. I am checked in at the luxurious Ritz Apart Hotel in Plaza de Isabela Catolica, along with fellow guides Oswaldo Freire and Sebastian Carrasco. All of our remaining team members arrived around daybreak this morning and settled in to get acquainted over breakfast.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz-Illimani.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=f419be5488586fc95067dc97f21685e6 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz-Illimani.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=f88dbb42625f3835f91a8e18c29c6050 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz-Illimani.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=41307ee775628ccdc93d8a914d6adca0 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz-Illimani.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=94e35289199d792f234ba969014f6f17 768w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz-Illimani.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=63a6732cd63b503871f846fc10a4f424 768w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz-Illimani.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=db1c671a2e3a785b000f9a4f93b44880 768w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz-Illimani.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=de1120a5fb625c02472735f0f7561d7b 768w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz-Illimani.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=98f5b2771caa45a2183da69313b7f9ed 768w)
La Paz with Illimani in the background. Dennis Bankowski photo
“We met up with local guide Theodoro, who is extremely knowledgeable about Bolivian culture and has accompanied many Mountain Madness trips in the past. Theo led us out to explore the city, walking up El Prado to visit the capitol and some 400 year old buildings in the old town plaza, and a side trip to the Witches’ Market. Several of our climbers are having fun with a running joke about the market, asking “Which market again?” The Witches’ Market is filled with local wool handicrafts, classic bolo style ladies’ hats that are worn by many of the indigenous Quechuan women, coca leaves, jars of magical talismans and totems for good luck in all aspects of life, and even petrified llama fetuses for burying under the cornerstone of new buildings to ward off evil spirits.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz_Capitol.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=19aed9a09626b61b0b71c39e4f812039 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz_Capitol.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=0a365c71acda47576e45551be9e0a284 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz_Capitol.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=0e25183859917aa283145ddee753770f 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz_Capitol.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=6ba9e24003d610847d9d3876c401cb78 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz_Capitol.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=c1d1df8cce24cccf4de1d1c5bb796617 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz_Capitol.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=a250a6e3b196372bfe03e5b714b6bc56 1024w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz_Capitol.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=94c42c10b9db86162660694dfdc020c1 1024w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz_Capitol.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=78570ad9c095d534798b4cd845e2622e 1024w)
The Capitol building of La Paz. Dennis Bankowski photo
“After a bit more shopping and excellent lunch, the group returned to the hotel to rest and adjust to the altitude while we perform equipment checks. We will be heading off for dinner in a few hours and making final preparations for our journey to the Tiwanaku Ruins and Lake Titicaca in the morning. I’ll try to send photos along the way, but internet connections are a bit weak and unreliable. More dispatches soon!”
- Ian Nicholson
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz_plaza.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=dbf79813ddd2a477a34afc9bad1474fd 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz_plaza.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=d75a1ebf774ab861d19396c6184d3fa2 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz_plaza.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=e1158d5ebfe8d29e3865c658de683c8f 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz_plaza.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=c470a85f708ab5c53746ccf1ae78e5e4 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz_plaza.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=74ee0c8d43880144802e191a1f1ab621 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz_plaza.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=d05055d249791c373a9aec60ba558c37 1024w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz_plaza.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=529a7690b5b7efdd2082c071356d8c98 1024w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FLaPaz_plaza.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=fb34c3ced59c45015a77a4b7540352b9 1024w)
Old town La Paz. Dennis Bankowski photo