Bolivian cholita climbers conquer highest peaks near La Paz – in pictures

Bolivian cholita climbers conquer highest peaks near La Paz – in pictures


Eleven Aymara indigenous women, ages 42 to 50, who worked as porters and cooks for mountaineers, put on crampons – spikes fixed to a boot for climbing – under their wide traditional skirts and started to do their own climbing. These women have now scaled five peaks: Acotango, Parinacota, Pomarapi and Huayna Potosí as well as Illimani, the highest of all, in the Cordillera Real range. All are higher than 19,500ft (6,000 meters) above sea level

Bolivia’s cholita climbers scale highest mountain yet: ‘I cried with emotion’

Photographs by David Mercado/Reuters

Thursday 21 April 2016 15.54 EDT

All photos are at the Guardian link:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2016/apr/21/bolivia-cholita-climbers-mountains-ayamara-women-gallery

Video & Multimedia:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017360272