Rewind

Cold Road

Left: Chacaltaya, the world’s highest lift-served ski area. Right Aprés ski at the world’s highest capital city: La Paz, Bolivia.
Left Parking at 17,500 feet, the hut caretaker suggested I drink a mate de coca to help at this altitude. I couldn’t believe I had actually made it to Chacaltaya, the world’s highest lift-served ski area. Overlooking the vast Altiplano, on my tele skis, it felt like I was on the moon. Photo: Fabienne Mazarei Right Aprés ski at the world’s highest capital city: La Paz, Bolivia. Flush from skiing my second day at Chacaltaya, I stopped into this great spot for some celebratory beers. Not used to seeing skis, these four animated young fellows got into the stoke. Photo: Bob Mazarei
Words and Captions: Bob Mazarei

It was mid-October in 1996, about a month too late to ski in Chile. It had been a low snow year in the southern hemisphere, so after a few days in Santiago searching for snow, my wife and I flew to Bolivia.

The LanChile flight reminded me of a bus trip: a stop at Iquique, then another stop at Arica. Finally, we landed at La Paz’s El Alto Airport, the highest international airport in the world at 13,325 feet.

La Paz sits in a huge canyon with streets and homes climbing the steep hillside. Far below, skyscrapers, like concrete stalagmites, poke upward. The icy ramparts of 21,122-foot Illimani tower sentry-like. My first order of business was to find out if Chacaltaya Ski Resort was open. I didn’t care if it was only 700 vertical feet, I was going to ski. We headed to the Club Andino Boliviano (CAB) and the staff told us they would run the lift if enough people were interested in going up.