South America 2025 – #07 – Bolivia – Huayna Potosi Summit Hike

28.04.2025

One of the hardest and most challenging things we have ever done. After the Uyuni we decided to try to summit Huayna Potosi with an elevation of 6088m.

The route can be accomplished in 2 days. First day you drive up to the basecamp at 4800m. When you arrive you can also do an extension by doing an ice climb. After that you hike up to the high camp at 5300m elevation. It takes about 2h to get there. Its not far, but the elevation kicks.

We arrived at the high camp at around 7PM. We ate dinner and went straight to bed trying to sleep.

Wake up call was at 12AM. The height forces you again to sleep bad, if you can sleep at all. We met lot of guys struggeing with the altitude and poppin some Diamox straight away. I slept not so well but enough.

When we started the push to the summit i felt quite confident in contrast to Kerstin who struggled at around 5500m.

At this altitude every two people go on a rope with a guide. You are wearing crampons, a helmet and an ice axe.

At 5600m i was still going strong. Kerstin had to take breaks every few minutes. The height took its toll, until a point where we decided to split. I joined another hiking team which was quicker and i made the hard decision to let her behind. We promised us before that if the other one is stronger he/she should try to go for the summit.

During the ascent numerous people had to turn around along the way.

At around 5800m i started to feel exhausted and need to take numerous breaks. Up unitl that point i was still very positive minded. But things started to get worse from there. My eyesight started to get strange, i saw things that were not there . At first it looked like if you look into the sun for too long. It came and went away, just to come back stronger.

At 5930m it got so worse that almost half of my vision was like blinded plus i was extremly exhausted, needing more and more breaks. I had to make the hard decision to turn around and call it quits just about 150m of elevetion from the summit.

This was hard but necessary, i did not want to risk my health just to say i made it to the summit.

At that point i thought Kerstin went down at 5700m where we split ways.

I went down with my guide until we reached 5800m again and i could feel some improvement in my vision. At this point we met Kerstin and her guide. She made it and continued slowly. She decided to try and push for the summit, which was 2h away from that point. It was still dark at this point but you could already see reds in the sky.

What change of events. I went down with my guide having more and more improvements. During the descent i viewed the sunrise which was spectacular. I arrived at the high camp at around 8AM, totally exhausted. Fortunately they provided a very welcoming soup to regain some energy.

Soon after the first people came down who successfully made it to the summit. Kerstin came down as one of the last persons totally exhausted, barely able to walk. BUT, with the help of her guide, she made it to the summit at 6088m.

HUGE respect to my wife!

Getting down to Basecamp took its toll. We had to essentially hike down 1300m of elevation and Kerstin was ultra tired and exhausted, needing to stop every few meters.

We arrived at basecamp at around 2PM and were driven back to La Paz shortly after.

This was a very tough one.

Congratulations to my wife to succeed Huayna Potosi!