BOLIVIA: Apolobamba – The Kallawaya Trail (12 Days)

La Paz – Kollana – Cordillera Real – La Paz

After an early breakfast we head into the nearby mountains to continue our acclimatization while still making photos of the impressive Cordillera Real. We drive on dirt roads up and out of the canyon where La Paz sits into another set of canyons closer to the Andes. There are a few key places where we will have an opportunity to shoot vast and rugged landscapes only a few miles from downtown La Paz. We return to the hotel for a late lunch. In the afternoon we will get together and download the images from the morning and talk about the workflow, digital capture, processing, etc. as well as vision, framing and how to make better images. There is much to cover so we want to make sure everyone is up to speed on the technology and how to best deal with their particular digital asset management needs. Dinner on your own. Overnight at Hotel Oberland (3*). (B,L)

Copacabana – Island of the Sun – Copacabana

Today is dedicated to getting an early start so we can shoot the sunrise before having breakfast. After breakfast we depart via 4×4 for about an hour to the portside town of Yampupata then board a motorized boat to the Island of the Sun. The boat trip is approximately 1.5 hours to the northernmost bay on the Island of the Sun. From a small port we do a short climb to the area known as the Chincana Inca ruins where we will visit where, according to legend, the first the Inca was first born and see the ruins where the virgins were kept for the Inca rulers. The views are pretty spectacular from the ruins and one can get sense of how large Lake Titicaca really is, with Peru in the near distance. We will hike back to Challapampa for about 45 minutes and arrive at the town where we will have lunch. Afterwards, we will take the boat back to Yampupata where our vehicle will be waiting. The people on the peninsula still cling to a basic way of life so there are many photo ops of people tending to their crops, grazing animals and fishermen pretty much everywhere you look. The road heads high above Lake Titicaca and then drops into the village of Sampaya where most of the houses are built of stone walls and straw roofs, which is very typical of the Altiplano and Andes regions. We want to be in the area for sunset as the views are truly spectacular and in some spots we can see the sun set in the west over Peru and see the last rays of the sun hit the Cordillera Real to the east with blazing colors! We will return to Copacabana after sunset. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at Hotel Rosario del Lago (3*). (B,L,D)

Ulla-Ulla Wildlife Reserve – Sunchulli Valley

Sunrise should light up the Cordillera Apolobamba to the east and create a nice silhouette, so an early start is recommended. Breakfast at an appointed time. We take advantage of the morning light to create images of the Ulla Ulla plains with the Cordillera Apolobamba as a strong backdrop. We pack-up and head into the heart of the range and drive to the mining town of Ilo-Ilo then head to the Sunchulli Valley. This is one of the most beautiful and impressive valleys in the region so we will spend a couple of nights here. After choosing our camp site we will head off to take advantage of the afternoon light that will light-up the valleys and glacier-covered peaks above our heads! The photo ops in this valley are numerous and you will be pulled in all directions. We suggest choose a few good view points and work them more. Dinner at an appropriate time. Overnight tent camping. (B,L,D)

Sunchulli Valley – Ulla-Ulla – Pelechuco

We have one last sunrise photo op today so let’s take advantage of it. After breakfast we pack up and drive out of Sunchuli and head back to the plains of Ulla Ulla then head north and back down into the northen end of the Apolobamba Range to the east. We are going to gain a lot of altitude coming out Sunchulli then loose as much when dropping into the valley near the town of Pelechuco. We will spend time shooting the valley as there are numerous massive glacier-covered peaks in the area as well as a gnarly whitewater river that flows east into the Amazon basin. Dinner and rest. Overnight at Aguas Blancas Hostel for the night. (B,L,D)

Northern Apolobamba Range – Lago Nube

We never want to miss the sunrise so an early start is planned. After breakfast we head back towards Pelechuco then head out the valley onto the plains of Ulla Ulla. Along the way we should see vicunas and other wildlife as well as lakes and the rugged peaks of the southern Apolobamba Range. Lunch en route. Our destination is Lake Nube where we expect to have a great location for the sunset. Whenever there is a body of water, it offers many more options for making beautiful photographs. Dinner at an appropriate time. Overnight tent camping. (B,L,D)

Sorata – Huayna Potosi – La Paz

A leisurely breakfast is in order as the hostel is such a nice place to just hang out and enjoy life. After a hearty breakfast we climb out of the canyon onto the Altiplano and head south, once again hugging the shores of Lake Titicaca before turning east into the heart of the Cordillera Real. Our destination is the village of Tuni and then the west face of Mt. Huayna Potosi (6,088m/19,985’), which is an impressive 3,000 ft face with rock and hanging glaciers that rise to the blue Andean sky above our heads. We hope to catch the sunset in the area before continuing onto La Paz after sunset. We arrive at Hotel Oberland in the early evening. Dinner together to celebrate a fantastic photo tour of the Bolivian highlands. Overnight at Hotel Oberland (3*) (B,L,D)

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