Illimani

Illimani rises to 6,438 metres southeast of La Paz and is the city's defining feature: visible from almost everywhere in it, appearing on the departmental flag, the beer labels and the taxi windscreens, a long summit ridge carrying three main tops with glaciers hanging on the western face. From the city the mountain is seen end-on and looks like a single mass; from the altiplano the ridge shows its full length. Climbing it is a serious undertaking, usually four to six days from La Paz with a high camp at around 5,500 metres and a long summit night on snow and ice, and the peak has a substantial accident history. For everyone else it is the thing you look at, best in the clear light of the dry-season mornings.

What you actually see

• The triple summit - the long ridge with its three main tops.
• The city view - the mountain closing the horizon behind La Paz.
• Hanging glaciers - the ice on the western face.
• Dry-season clarity - the sharpest views on winter mornings.

When to go

May to September for clear views and for climbing. Mornings are clearest; cloud builds over the range through the day in most seasons. The wet months hide the mountain for days at a time.

Honest expectations

Climbing Illimani is a technical high-altitude ascent requiring experience, acclimatisation, equipment and a guide, and it should not be attempted as a first mountain. For viewing, altitude in La Paz itself affects most arrivals. Cloud can obscure the peak for long stretches.

Nearby

La Paz lies northwest; Palca canyon is at the mountain's foot.