Sajama National Park High Route

The Sajama high route circles Bolivia’s tallest mountain at altitudes that’ll leave your engine gasping and your head pounding. This altiplano circuit runs from Patacamaya through the park’s heart, passing herds of wild vicuñas and the world’s highest forest of ancient queñua trees. The track to Sajama base camp pushes above 15,000 feet where the air gets thin enough to make your carburetor think it’s broken.

Easy driving but brutal altitude – stock 4WD handles the terrain fine, but you need acclimatization and backup oxygen for passengers prone to altitude sickness. Best tackled April through October when storms won’t trap you in a whiteout at 14,000 feet. Park entry fees apply and camping is allowed at designated sites. Fuel up in Patacamaya because the next gas is back where you started. The payoff is standing next to 21,463-foot Sajama surrounded by nothing but sky and silence.