Bolivia, 2001

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The Mapiri Trail

2: Sorata

Copyright: Jim Ciotti, 2001

October 11, 2001

Click on Images for Enlargement

Bolivia is rapidly becoming an international trekking center and Sorata, about 4 hours north of La Paz, is the embarkation point for many of its trails.


To get to Sorata, one first travels north between the Cordillera Real and Lake Titikaka and then turns east onto a dirt road that climbs up over a mountain pass and winds down a long valley.		Sorata is a small town located at about 2,800 mts (9,100 ft.) altitude on the north face of the Illampu Massif. At this altitude, it has a pleasant, semi-tropical climate. The Iliampu Massif is a group of mountains that are among the highest in Bolivia. Illampu, to the left is the second highest mountain in the Massif (6360 mts., 20,670 ft.). To the right is Illampu with Ancohuma, the highest (6,430 Mts., 20,920 ft.)

Prior to the Mapiri Trek, we took several day hikes out of Sorata. The region is very mountainous with rivers cutting deep valleys through the hills. Thus, though the view may bring to mind idyllic notions of Julie Andrews stylishly swooping about singing "the Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music," most hikes involve considerable gains and losses of altitude, and thus, considerable grunting, panting, puffing, sweat, and work.


Although its surrounding hillsides are very steep, Sorata is an agricultural region.	The foot is the principal means of local transportation in the area. Small log, dirt, and straw bridges cross the many small streams which originate in glacial melt on the Illampu Massif and roar down hillsides toward the valley floor.		Jim, Abran (guide), Miriam, Debbie, and Anne resting in the mountains on an earlier visit to Sorata.	The small town of San Pedro is a two-hour walk from Sorata. A small cavern called the Gruta de San Pedro is a half-hour further on.

Although there are many alternatives in Sorata, the Residential Sorata is the accommodation of choice of the European hiking set. It is a bizarre place right out of a gothic comedy. It is a huge, old residence that is located at one corner of Sorata's central plaza. It consists of a maze of courtyards, balconies, walkways and large and small rooms all decorated with the furniture, fittings, and knickknacks accumulated over many years by previous owners.


Our room was very large and high ceilinged with an incongruous set of furniture and decorations.

	The Residential Sorata has a pleasant, coherent reading room overlooking Sorata's central plaza.


	The door out of our room led to a long walkway that overlooked a delightfully unkempt courtyard.

	One of the tall tales told by our guides during the Mapiri Trek was about gringo-eating anacondas - anaconda skins hanging in the Residential Sorata were up to 18 feet long. Our guides told us these were the small ones.

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