Laguna Seca: where summer meets winter (2/3) weatherman Ninth exile: Bolivia (AMPLITUDE) October 19, 2024October 19, 2024 17 Minutes Journey photo album Catedral Metropolitana Basílica de San Lorenzo, Santa Cruz de la Sierra: My plane landed at Viru-Viru airport on 13th September where hot wind (around 36 C) and haze greeted me. Feels also pretty humid. Not the weather I came for, but certainly an interesting debut. The city has a rapid pace, maybe too rapid for my taste. You must be careful with the traffic, the drivers does not have much patience here. At the central square is better. During the night the weather changed, cooling down significantly (around 20 C) because of the torrential rain. Only the wind remained there from the old equation. Back to Viru-Viru, as I have local flight to Sucre. Big festivity in Sucre: With some delay the plane landed at Alcantari aiport (3100 m elevation), around 30 km from the city (2800 m). Taxis are not expensive here. While Santa Cruz (400 m elevation) has some dodgy neighborhoods and can be challenging during the night (I didn’t tried out), Sucre feels much more safe and is also cleaner. Let’s forget about the mess after the mega-party, it was rapidly cleaned the next morning. Not my head which was heavily strucked by “soroche” (altitude sickness) because of the rapid change from near sea-level. It was kind of surprising, never felt ill at this elevation until now. At “Jesus’s heart” monument the next day: Around noon my condition improved, so went out to do some mild cardio workout. This hilltop (300 meter elevation gain) was a good choice to check the gears. The communal cohesion is evident in the city, which is known as the second capital of Bolivia. Locals may say it’s the real one. Also known as “the white city”, with its general colonial aspect, Sucre has a positive and tranquil vibe Yes, those are palm trees at 2800 meters. The climate here is one of the best in the country, which can be summarized as a constant spring. Not hot, not cold, not too rainy, not too arid. But don’t underestimate the UV radiation, which isn’t modest. Potosí historical center: Reaching the heights of the Altiplano (almost 4000 meters) the next evening by bus, I felt in my elements both physically and emotionally. The soroche didn’t returned. I’ve read before that the body’s reaction to the high elevations are pretty unpredictable, now I experienced it live again. Similar in its colonial aspect with Sucre, Potosí is dominated by pastel colors (especially pinkish), which gives him a more ancient general look. While Sucre can be considered the heart of national identity, here is the center of the spanish heritage. Pleasant cool morning, around positive 5 degrees between the old walls. Statue of liberty: nice hyperboloid shape by the way Yeah, definitely has a soul, I think it’s my favorite bolivian city View from a tower towards Cerro Rico (4780 m), the famous mountain which had the biggest silver mines in the world in the 16-18. centuries, strongly contributing to the rapid ascent in power of the Spanish Empire. Still a lot of inner richness there in our days. Well, take this literally, the actual story behind the exploitation is less appealing from a humanistic perspective. Villa Alota: After another 4 hour bus journey to Uyuni, only slept there once as I felt rushed by the good weather conditions to start the research as soon as possible. Having a previous arrangement in this regard to hire a private jeep, we reached the very basic looking settlement on the new paved road before noon. It was windy as it can be, what a start! Flamingoes in the wetlands (bofedales): I decided to stay 3 days in the area, spending the latter 2 in the wilderness, while in this first one I will sleep in Alota after placing the measuring equipment. The forecast shows the best conditions for the second and third night, that’s why. Henry, the driver with a lonely altocumulus lenticularis above: Continuing on the dirt track in the direction of Villamar Mallcu around 15 km, we approached the chosen place more and before 1 PM I started the hike Above 4000 meters elevation: O yeah, I was waiting for this from a long time. Too bad, my GPS died right at the starting spot (could be the dust or just bad timing?) Anyhow I have everything crucial in my memory, let’s get into it. First view of the endorheic basin: It seems that I guessed the directions right, the edge of the depression wasn’t too far. The weather is still windy, though less than in Alota where was on the border of violent. The temperature is moderate. Unsurprisingly, nobody in the entire area. Reaching the bottom around 2:30 PM, I mounted the instruments on the tripod, secured it with an attached bag (actually the tripod’s own) filled with rocks collected near the slope and shortly before 3 PM the logger was started: 14.4 degrees Celsius, must be around the hottest time of the day. The wind persisted. First milestone, happy with the installation Even flatter than I thought, the bottom of the basin is situated around 4028 m according to Google Earth. The vegetation is made up mostly by separate patches of Paja Brava (Festuca orthophylla), which often grow in this characteristic circle arc format. Must have been vicuñas (wild relatives of the llamas), I saw a few running in the distance in the eastern part of the basin. Planning to reach Alota before dark, I left the research area already before 4 PM. Isn’t really a must, but I’m a guest in the village and not sure about the quechua ethics regarding the dinner. Llama herd on the outer slopes The track I follow on the way to the village is flanked by quinoa fields. Beside the llama meat this plant is the other basic food of the local population, between the very few which can grow at these elevations. It seems that the spring work (sowing) has already started in some parts. Trying to do a shortcut as the road turned too much to the left, around sunset I reached the wetland situated south of the village Beside the flamingoes this is a very common bird species here. Sometimes they will fly round just a few meters above your head, while screaming. Not a welcome sign, I guess. Altocumulus lenticularis is by far the most common cloud type here. Must be very windy at the highest elevations. It seems that I will not make it to the village during daylight. The marshland’s topography forced me to turn to the left myself too, like I was corrected by an invisible quechua policeman because I did not follow the local rules. No bad feelings, I really like the ambiance here. More adventure, the better. Am I right? Okay, I reached the bridge The cool evening wind is an early precursor of the cold night what will follow it. I reached Alota shortly before 8 PM after an almost 20 km hike, much more than the direct line which shows only 12 km. Early morning in the remote village, the sky is clear, the wind has gone Far from the previous day’s sunny afternoon You can buy coca leaves here (legal in Bolivia), a mild to medium (if you chew as much as a cow) stimulant, frequently consumed by the locals. Be sure your mouth will feel numb as after a visit to the dentist. The small green bag on the big one: As you can see I’m prepared for the long hike, three sunny days (read it as UV blast) and two cold nights are waiting for me The weather warms up quickly and the first daylight hours are basically windless. This seems to be a general pattern here, which often extends to around noon, the wind starting to increase only in the early afternoon. The work of the night The wetland has a rich and variate fauna even in the dry season, beside the bird species there are many llamas, sheep and even bovines As I heard they leave the area only in the winter months (June-august), so possibly returned here not long before First I want to visit a canyon area, which is situated a few km’s to the east from my main target The warming continues, without wind the temperature differences are very noticeable Reaching higher elevations, I continue the hike on rougher terrain Like it was cut by a giant guillotine The top part is very fragmented, thus after meandering my way through the rock-labyrinth for some time I concluded it’s a bad idea to continue, trying to go round all these ravines and decided to return before heading to the endorheic basin. I have a heavy backpack with limited water for a big and more strenuous bypass. Let’s be reasonable. NO, the decision is fixed Noon approaches. One can almost sense the UV burn just looking to this picture. Extensive quinoa fields on the other side, a reminder that this barren place is not entirely forgotten. Jubina mountain is in the right side of the background, that’s my direction. The water in the stream is surprisingly balmy. I suppose it’s a hot spring area, I don’t think the daily warming itself could do this. However, careful with the drinking, many llamas are present in the surroundings. I mean DON’T. Crossing the terrain transversely is not that straightforward even is there are no topographical obstacles of major scale Or are? I see now, that’s actually the main canyon, the more visited one. I was in a secondary one, though likely the same spectacular. Maybe I miss the GPS a little. Crossing the shallow river. If not before, now I am using the “legionary hat” as my face started to feel the abrasion caused by the intense radiation. And not only the face. The exposed parts of the skin (which are pretty large as I am wearing shorts and T-shirt) are continuously attacked from various directions. Doing a lot of outdoor activities in all seasons from many years, I think that never felt burning sensation on my arms and calves before since childhood. But you can’t really prepare to this level of UV intensity (13-14 now), it’s clearly above the European scale. Another small scale ravine on the other side. Look, a viscacha! Oh, it’s gone, had no time to record it. Very quick, likeable creatures, with their appearance somewhere between a rabbit and a squirrel. The campesinos (local farmers) working on the quinoa fields. Well, even if they live here from centuries, are fully clothed and are using hats… A little later I reached the dirt road where the 4wd cars circulate towards Laguna Colorada and the Siloli desert. Jesus’s heart was present and I received a full bottle of water (did not asked for) from a kind female tourist after stopping to curiously ask what the heck am I doing here alone with a heavy backpack. Now I’m sure I will stay both nights outside. Reaching the col of the basin. The slightly undulating terrain was misleading as there were more topographical discontinuities than one could conclude simply looking from the distance. A little tired until now, the elevation taxes you and it’s different with a bigger luggage. On the cracked bottom of Laguna Seca, which locals told me is the name of the place studied by me. Proper name. WHAAAT !? This was one of the biggest and most pleasant surprises of all my cold-hunter career until now. NINE degrees below Alota, which itself is already on the bottom of a flat basin? This is the definition of a Jackpot. And the following two nights could even beat that! How about the 33.3 degree amplitude? Yeah, some vivid colors there. Maybe I too should have used Mr. Barani’s helical radiation shield? After scanning the surroundings I decided to spend the night a little higher on the southern slopes of Jubina mountain. Spotted there a rudimentary building, which later identified as related to a nearby small-scale mining activity. Shortly after I changed my mind seeing a lot of rodent feces in one corner inside the rectangular walls. I like animals but don’t want to wake up with jerry on my face… More exposed to the elements, but another level of freedom. Good night! Wait, it’s only around 5 PM or so. Park ranger feeling. Not the best payment, but nice view. Now seriously: Good Night! Was the night good? To be honest, far from my favorite one. Despite the optimistic forecast regarding a completely clear sky, from the late afternoon well into the second part of the night there were constant altocumulus invasions like the place was seriously cursed. And the previous one – which I decided not to spend here – was spotless, despite the forecast showed partial cover. The westerly clouds are just coming and going, but never disappearing completely. I fell asleep late, but when woke up around 4:30 AM the sky was clear and there was barely any air movement. Great! My thermometer showed -3 degrees, must be a strong inversion down there. Soon I was ready to an early morning visit to the weather installation. Indeed, in the lowest part of the basin it suddenly felt colder. The air was completely still. I guessed well, the minimum is well below -10, but less cold than the previous morning. Not bad after the altocumulus marathon. No T-shirt time anymore, the lack of rest also weathered me a little Sunrise above Cerro Tomasamil (5890 m), the highest peak you can see from my research spot (around 50 km as the bird flies) That likely was a vicuña, but what killed it? A cougar (puma) could be part of the equation, no doubt Around 8 AM already reaching the positive range, that’s a serious leap! Lord of space and time This is what I talked about a little earlier: there are a few crevices in the rock nearby, which evidently are anthropic. Then I remembered the conversation with the quechua woman in Alota regarding Jubina mountain: “it’s very rich, silver, gold and many other”. Maybe they think I am a gold-digger in disguise? Until the early afternoon he weather warmed even above yesterday’s maximum. You can’t really comprehend it’s the same day on the same spot. Maybe only the pretzel shaped tufts of paja brava know what this remote basin’s climate is capable of The second night was completely clear, though somewhat windier in the evening. As at dawn the mobile thermometer showed -5 degrees at my camp, I knew it will be even colder on the bottom this time. And it was: -16.5 degrees, the lowest temperature until now. The golden mantle lowering into the depression I left the research spot in the morning and hiked back the roughly 20 km’s to Alota. This must be the dwelling-place of a llama herder, but nobody at home now. Gotcha! Culpeo fox The vicuñas are the ancestors of the alpacas, also related to the llamas. Very common on the Altiplano, you can spot them often near the road while passing by car. Hitchhiking around noon in UV-strucked Alota. A few years ago the road was paved, so now it’s pretty easy to reach Uyuni with basically any means of transport. I was lucky that the Calama bus (from Chile) passed there less than 30 minutes after my arrival and of course the fare was very cheap. Train graveyard in Uyuni: Until the late 19. century the silver mining in Potosí declined thus the carriages transporting the mineral to the Pacific coast through the Atacama were left pray to the time and elements. In the evening of the return I observed signs of a respiratory infection which intensified the next day (likely flu), so I decided to take some rest. Regarding the original plan this meant a single important change: there will be no climbing. Hard to accept it, but that was the proper rational decision. I have to return to collect the equipment in less than a week, so I will not play the Russian roulette. That’s it, next time. I still went out to visit the train wreck at the periphery of the town. Interesting, but… …too bad for the garbage field you have to cross from and to the settlement if you come by foot My condition didn’t improved – to say the least – so stayed mostly inside the following day, but afterwards I felt somewhat better and went out to a walk again. This time the purpose was to identify the weather station, which I concluded it must be somewhere in the area of the airport (some 5 km from the center). I want to visit it and, if possible, obtain some data to compare it with my measurements. As I couldn’t see it from the road and did not know the local rules regarding the airport security (saw soldiers patrolling inside the fence), decided to return and ask the hotel staff regarding this. My hotel room Feeling stronger it was time for a longer trip. I visited the Salar de Uyuni, one (more correctly THE) of the country’s main attractions. At 3660 m elevation, the extensive saltpan is the worlds largest measuring over 10.000 square km and almost 150 km across. You heard it right. As in case of many other scenic places, tourists arrive here through organized group tours (one or more days) by jeep. However, for eccentrics like me is more palatable to do this “freestyle”, so I reached Colchani village by bus (less than US $1) and continued by foot. From the asphalt it’s 4-5 km to the edge of the salar. Under the spell of the infiniteness I could not resist and just walked and walked forward. After a while I saw something in the distance, of which first wasn’t sure if are cars (there is also some exploitation near the shore) or some flatter buildings, but later turned out to be the latter. It was a complex built in and from salt. For tourists of course. Does it look a little like Antarctica maybe? Be sure, it’s only the look as the UV radiation is at a different level here. The place is named “Dakar Monument” and concluding from the walking time must be around 8-9 km inside the salar On the way back. Convective clouds are evolving above the eastern ranges (towards Potosí). The hike was technically easy (very flat) but pretty long (26-28 km) for a “warm-up” after the flu. However, the distance per se should have not be an issue. The problem was the notorious radiation, more specifically the reflected one. I read that a sunglass is a must here, but as I didn’t felt anything suspicious regarding the vision while hiking, just continued without protection. Bad decision. The inflammation started only in the evening and wasn’t over the next day. How can I describe the sensation? Well, imagine that your eyelashes became your worst enemy. You can’t close them because they will feel like wires scratching the surface of your eyes. So, good night… On the third day following the UV incident my vision improved sufficiently to can safely return to collect the equipment. It was also the planned date to do this. After some less potent days, the forecast shows a new cooling in progress, so I was optimistic regarding this last night which I will spend in the wilderness. Taking the Calama bus at dawn, started the hike from Alota in the morning. It was pretty chilly, definitely below -5 degrees. This time I continued to stay on the main road more, turning left towards Jubina only after about 12 km’s. Reaching the periphery of the closed basin I observed two people so entered in conversation and found out they are herders searching for some missing llamas. Told them I only saw vicuñas inside the basin. Reaching the bottom I tried to identify the tripod as soon as possible, but as I approached it became clearer and clearer that something is wrong. The suspense was over after finding the structure in its place, though overturned. So: wind, animal or human? Turned out to be the first as both the falling direction (towards east) and the time of the incident, which I concluded later from the interrupted graph (between 3-4 PM) supported this theory. As the weight-reinforced installation felt pretty stable and easily bearing the first days wind, those gusts must have been wild. Inspector gadget is back Restoring the measuring equipment Around noon the radiation was over the scale again, hard to found a shelter in this period as the sun is very high on the sky Feeling well, decided to do a hike to the top of Jubina Queñoa (don’t mistake it for quinoa), the highest living tree in the world has an easily exfoliating surface The other endemic plant of the highest elevations is the Yareta (the moss looking one), which often lives in a symbiotic relationship with the former. But don’t be fooled of the aspect, it’s hard as a rock. Wind and UV: On top of Jubina (around 4400 m). I wouldn’t consider it a “true climb” – in the bigger context it’s more like a hill here – but it was the highest point I reached during the journey. RIP Garmin watch, I lost you here... Maybe my favorite plant? Definitely special. Close-up of a yareta Almost like another planet The thick foliage of the queñoa evolved to can endure the drought and the strong wind of the barren plateau Panorama of Laguna Seca Alota in the opposite direction Uturuncu (6008 m) the highest mountain in southern Bolivia and the salt flats of Laguna Yapi (4000 m). The whitish top of the mountain is not snow, but volcanic debris Zooming the bottom of Laguna Seca. Yes, I can spot the weather installation. Descending the rocky slopes. The return to the camp was straightforward and also much faster then the wandering on the bumps of the plateau Colors and waves of the Altiplano Are you looking for me? Not today. IR and UV are gone Last morning temperature check: The evening and night was completely clear and also the calmest of all, thus the temperature plummeted extremely low, reaching -19 degrees just before sunrise. What a finish! Some martian vibes The endorheic basin exceeded my expectation The research is over, the results are excellent Darwin’s rhea (Suri) tracks in the sand near the basin’s col The hike back to Alota was the same long (if not longer) as this time continuously followed the trails between the quinoa fields, without trying to do shortcuts Arriving to Alota space center 🙂 Guardians of Uyuni. After hitchhiking for a while, a truck coming from Chile took me back to the town, same cheap as the bus. Some soviet influence? Everything is revolving around tourism in Uyuni, the small town is full of agencies, accommodations, souvenir shops and small restaurants. But of course, I was more interested to get in touch with the weather station. The problem was resolved with the helpfulness of the hotel staff who arranged a meeting with the weather personnel of the airport. The data I obtained there is valuable (see the third chapter) A lost sherpa? The descendants of the incas might be of smaller stature but they’re far from weak Nothing more bolivian than this colorful load-pack It was time to start the return. Following the same way by bus, first I reached Potosí The well decorated “church of indians”, unfortunately not open for visitors The top of San Francisco church overlapping with the pyramidal peak of Cerro Rico (author’s fault) Now the “Casa National de la Moneda” was open and I take the opportunity to visit it in the last hours of my stay. It’s Sunday and pretty crowded because of the short program, but worth the patience. “Triangular virgin”, a mix between the new Christian religion and the older native mountain veneration Some old coins from the early minting style (16-17th century) Inside the chamber with the huge gears which operated the mint In the mineralogy sector There is even a church inside Pieces of art made from the abounding local silver The next day I continued the bus trip to Sucre Despite the poor statistics in comparison to other South-American countries, Bolivia’s “second capital” radiates a general feeling of prosperity and proudness Uncheangedly white From Sucre I descended to the savanna climate of Santa Cruz with the 45 minute local flight. The same journey would take 11 hours by bus and the cheap prices support the good decision. Again hot and windy. And dusty. At the local zoo Only South-American fauna Not the car… …but the same strong and fast He just stood up and elegantly walked like this for a while, before changing into tree-acrobatics mode Nandu. A smaller relative lives also in the Altiplano (remember the tracks in the sand?) The geometrically designed armadillo Well, I think we’re not completely done here. Hasta luego, amigos! to be continued… Published by weatherman View all posts by weatherman Published October 19, 2024October 19, 2024