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South American Cholita Climbers Aim for Aconcagua

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For the past few years, a number of Aymara indigenous women in Bolivia have been climbing high peaks. Aged 42 to 50, the 11 women gained experience working for mountaineers around Huayna Potosi, a 6,088-metre mountain in the Andes.

They have now climbed five mountains above 6,000 metres, including Parinacota, Pomarapi, Acotango, Potosi and the one the most recently climbing, Illimani. At 6,438 metres, Illimani is the highest mountain in the Cordillera Real. They climbed the standard 1940 route up the west ridge to the main summit of five.

The route climbs past the 2010 route climbed by Florian Hill and Robert Rauch up the South Face called Deliver Me WI6 M6 1,700 m. It’s a big mountain that stands high above the city La Paz and the Amazon valleys. Of the 11 women, eight made it to the summit in a snowstorm.

The women climb in their traditional clothing known as cholita, use modern climbing equipment and wear helmets. From here, they plan to climb three more mountains above 6,000 metres. Their ultimate goal is to climb to the summit of Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside of Asia at 6,961 metres, and plant a Bolivian flag.

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