La Paz Journals

UCL Quimsa-Cruz Expedition 2004

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A June 2004 trip to La Paz by 80 Ways Tim

The View From The Top Photo - Hotel Rosario, La Paz, Bolivia More Photos
Quote: A university climbing expedition to the little-climbed Quimsa-Cruz mountain range in Bolivia

UCL Quimsa-Cruz Expedition 2004

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Overview

La Paz Photo - La Paz, Bolivia
Quote:
The trip is really split into three parts:1. Preparing for climbing. A week or so in La Paz organising and acclimatising.2. Climbing. Three weeks on our own in the mountains.3. Recovering from climbing. Two weeks travelling around Bolivia, enjoying the simple comforts of beds and showers.We were a six strong climbing outfit funded by our university (University College London) in Bolivia, with the intention of making some first-British-ascents in the Quimsa-Cruz mountain range.The highlights from the preparation stage were definitely the day spent downhill mountain biking (see Going Down’s Never Been Better) and the acclimatisation trip to the Zo...Read More

Hotel Rosario

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Hotel

The View From The Top Photo - Hotel Rosario, La Paz, Bolivia
Quote:
Probably my favourite hotel in the world.We stayed there for about a week before going off into the mountains and then on a couple of occasions after getting back.It's more luxurious than what I would usually choose when travelling, but this wasn't a normal trip. And given that it's in South America, it was not exactly expensive (~US$30 a night).I saw half a dozen or so different rooms during our stay there, and all were of the same high standard (although I'd particularly recommended the large room(s) on the top floor, which offer an impressive view over the city and mountains beyond). The rooms are all cozy, the bathrooms clean, and the showers hot. There's plenty...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on November 24, 2005

Hotel Rosario
Av. Illampu 704
La Paz, Bolivia
+591-22451658

Hotel Rosario del Lago

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Hotel

Copacabana Photo - Hotel Rosario del Lago, Copacabana, Bolivia
Quote:
We felt somewhat extravagant (and a little bit boastful) about the fact that we were staying in the most expensive hotel in town, but given that it was less than US$30 a night, we didn't think about it for too long.Situated near the waterfront, Copacabana's Hotel Rosario is definitely worth a visit if you're not on a tight budget (there are hostels starting at around US$3 a night if you are).It is a very well-kept place with extra-polite staff. The rooms were very clean during our stay, though not all that big.The restaurant inside is excellent and served up the best fish I think I have ever had the pleasure of eating. It only had to travel about 100m to come fresh ...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on November 24, 2005

Hotel Rosario del Lago
Avenida Costanera esq. Rigoberto Paredes a orillas del Lago Titicaca
Copacabana, Bolivia
591-2 8622141

Going Down's Never Been Better

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Story/Tip

The World's Most Dangerous Road Photo - La Paz, Bolivia
Quote:
Today we are going to cycle down the most dangerous road in the world.We have detailed directions to lead us from our hotel (Hotel Rosario, see review) to the Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking HQ (so-called because our trip we see us taking a continual descent of some 3,000m). Our map says that we’ve arrived, and so does the minibus, the roof rack of which houses 30 identical mountain bikes in a row.Olly, the man in charge, comes to greet us. He has a very loud cycling top covered in bike-related sponsors and is sporting a messy, bleach-blond haircut. To say he fits the bill of an extreme sportsman is an understatement. His image only slightly undermined by cranking up some Davi...Read More

The Huayna Potosi Summit Photo

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Story/Tip

The Huayna Potosi Summit Photo Photo - La Paz, Bolivia
Quote:
The alarm sounds at 12. I'm never sure whether it should be 12am or 12pm, but either way, I did know that it was midnight, and I was supposed to be getting out of bed to climb a mountain.Ted was thoughtful enough to get out of bed to help us prepare, even though he knew he was too ill to join us. I'm not particularly fussy about what I eat in the morning, but let me tell you that opening a foil packet and chugging down a lukewarm chocolate pudding at midnight, having just got out of bed, is certainly a strange experience.Come half-twelve, we were outside. Normally, when you start a day's climbing in the mountains, you start from a tent: a little polyester igloo with no roo...Read More