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  • Mt. Bierstadt Group Summit - Front Range, Colorado
  • A rest before the summit push on Dallas Peak - San Juan Range, Colorado
  • Broken Ankle + 6 Miles = Tired
  • The classic San Juan approach - San Juan Range, Colorado
  • Overlooking Noname Basin from Twin Thumbs Pass - San Juan Range, Colorado
  • Upper Noname Basin - San Juan Range, Colorado
  • Nearing Noname Cabin - San Juan Range, Colorado
  • Twin Thumbs Twins - San Juan Range, Colorado
  • Nearing the summit of Pt. 13,736 - Sawatch Range, Colorado
  • Blustery day on Iowa Peak - Sawatch Range, Colorado
  • Morning snow at 15k, Cerro Ramada - Cordillera Ramada
  • Artesonraju from the summit of Nevado Pisco - Cordillera Blanca, Peru
  • February crowds on Gray's Peak - Front Range, Colorado
  • Kicking steps on Cerro Lliani - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
  • Final traverse to the summit of Wheeler Mountain - Ten Mile Range, Colorado
  • The long walk to Pachanta - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
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    Afternoon at 17k on Cerro Ramada - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
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    The final ridge on Iowa Peak - Sawatch Range, Colorado
  • Summer summit on Longs Peak - Front Range, Colorado
  • A rest day at the Pachanta Hot Springs - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
  • Mind over matter on Mt. Parnassas - Front Range, Colorado
  • Rest stop on Cerro Lliani - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
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    Post nap surprise on Cerro Ramada - Cordiller Ramada, Argentina
  • Summit on Cerro Lliani - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
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    Ridge walking on Grizzly Peak - Sawatch Range, Colorado
  • Enroute the summit via the West Ridge on Pacific Peak - Ten Mile Range, Colorado
  • Mule train bound for Chilca - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
  • Taking in the view from Fletcher Peak - Ten Mile Range, Colorado
  • Hiking on Silverheels - Mosquito Range, Colorado
  • Traversing! Gladstone Peak - San Juan Range, Colorado
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    The best of times at Willow Lake - Sangre de Christo Range, Colorado
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    High Altitude Cerebral Edema? - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
  • Bound for Chilca - Vilcanota Range, Peru
  • Going alpine light, Holy Cross Ridge - Sawatch Range, Colorado
  • Cumbre! Campa I - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
  • Roadside lunch with the best of company - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
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    Long ridge walk to the summit of California Peak - Sangre de Christo Range, Colorado
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    Crossing el Rio Colorado . . . in the afternoon - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
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    Dealing with Fall snows high on Casco Peak - Sawatch Range, Colorado
  • Moonrise over Mercedario - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
  • Still climbing at 20,900 on Cerro Ramada - Cordiller Ramada, Argentina
  • Talus on Halo Ridge, Mt. of the Holy Cross - Sawatch Range, Colorado
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    Deteriorating conditions on Mt. Arkansas - Ten Mile Range, Colorado
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    After the climb - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
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    Taking in the view from the summit of Crystal Peak - Tenmile Range, Colorado
  • Topping out on Mt. Arkansas' North Couloir - Mosquito Range, Colorado
  • Glissade on Mt. Arkansas - Mosquito Range, Colorado
  • Hard snow morning on Teakettle Mountain - San Juan Range, Colorado
  • Spring snow announces the start of the climb on Dallas Peak - San Juan Range, Colorado
  • Crossing the Eolus Catwalk - San Juan Range, Colorado

En route to the Isla del Sol

La Paz to Copacabana

Dr. Berrios lined up a guide for the trip to the Isla del Sol, a fellow by the name of Martin who was a wealth of knowledge of the archeology of the island and not a bad Spanish coach at that. Martin met us at the Hotel Calacoto at a bit after noon and we met up with the driver who was going to give us a ride to Copacabana. The plan called for us to go from La Paz to Copacabana and spend the night on the shore to Lake Titicaca. The next morning we would catch a launch to the Isla del Sol and hike across the island, literally end to end, and the stay the second night on the island. The third day we would cross back to the mainland and then catch an afternoon bus back to La Paz.

We took the short route up the switchbacks to El Alto and through the police benevolent society donation station to the open highway. We sped on out the two lane and our driver managed to make the perfect swerve when the car coming in the opposite direction inconveniently came into our lane. Having avoided bringing the other guy's death wish to fruition, we turned off the main road and headed along the lake to Copacabana. The road rises and falls as it skirts along the lake before coming to the ferry crossing at the Straits of Tiquina where the lake divides San Pablo from San Pedro. The ferry crossing is accomplished by putting the cars, buses and trucks onto barges powered by fairly good size outboard engines. In the case of buses, the passengers disembark and ride across in launches. in our automotive case, we just drove onto the barge and were on our way across the straits.

The crossing takes about 20 minutes and we got out of the car and leaned against the rail of the barge to take in the scenery. To the north, one can see the Isla de la Luna and on both sides there are other barges moving vehicles of all description. We landed on the far side and drove about 45 more minutes of winding two lane to arrive in at the top of the hill above town. We pulled over and looked down on Copacabana as it lay between two hills and on the shore of the lake. We drove on into town, around the main plaza and up the Avenida de 16 Julio to a new hotel across from the Hotel Gloria. The hotel was newly constructed and the room was clean and had a great view out onto the lake. The sunset soon followed and after a bit of a rest, we met up with Martin to find some dinner.

The three of us wandered about, first to a restaurant that didn't have any cooking gas for the evening and then down to a gringo populated place that served more kinds of trucha than I have fingers and toes. Butter trucha, lemon trucha, cheese trucha, wine sauce trucha and just plain trucha. Trucha is trout and that is what you eat when near the Lake Titicaca. We did the trucha dinner, a brew or two and then headed back to the hotel for the night. We were to be ready to go to the Isla at 7 the next morning.