We were determined to do a trek from La Paz, despite it being the wet season and some of the agencies calling us 'loco' for contemplating such an idea. However, we found Pachamama Tours to be either a bit more adventurous or a bit low on custom over the festive period. They enrolled our guide Franz, possibly the most athletic Bolivian we have ever seen (non-smoker, no alcohol, not even a cheeky coca leaf chew), to take us on the 3-day Condoriri trek high up in the Cordillera Real, passing by the Huayna Potosi (6088m) base camp.

After a long journey by taxi, rather than the more suitable option of a 4x4, deep into the Cordillera Real, we arrived in the middle of nowhere, where a lady and her 2 donkeys (our porters) awaited us . After defending our lunch from an onslaught of nomadic dogs and a flock of chickens, we set off in the sunshine towards some glaciated peaks...

We soon found out that 'wet season' at 5100m equated to waves of heavy snow/hailstones. We spent the first night on the edge of a glacial lake and the second night at 'base camp' of the mountain, Huayna Potosi. Accommodation was a roof over our heads with a straw mattress...it was cold, very cold. Sam's hired 'large' Bolivian-size sleeping bag struggled to reach his arm pits and Sophie, cocooned in 20 layers, was unable to move at all! Franz cooked on gas at this altitude, a culinary feast of pasta with red sauce. He repeated this winning combination, even adding a drop of meat, at each meal time.

On reflection, this was a brilliant 3 days with breathtaking views in a truly incredible, untouched environment. We felt privileged to have had the surroundings to ourselves; just us, big Franz and a few friendly llamas.

After an hour of skimming stones on the lake waiting for our pick-up lift back to La Paz, we arrived back to Hotel Milton absolutely exhausted but very content with a fantastic few days of trekking.