{"id":1893,"date":"2025-12-24T11:55:24","date_gmt":"2025-12-24T10:55:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/by-car-to-the-uturuncu-volcano-along-one-of-the-highest-roads-in-the-world\/"},"modified":"2026-03-22T19:53:55","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T18:53:55","slug":"by-car-to-the-uturuncu-volcano-along-one-of-the-highest-roads-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/by-car-to-the-uturuncu-volcano-along-one-of-the-highest-roads-in-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"By car up Uturuncu: along one of the highest roads on Earth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After a grueling haul from Laguna Salada<\/strong>, we\u2019re finally settled into the warm, spacious dining room of our guesthouse in Quetena Chico<\/strong>. A few hours ago, sunshine kept this space cozy; now, in the chilly evening, a small stove in the corner does the job.<\/p>\n\n

We\u2019re not here by chance. Ever since my first visit to the Altiplano<\/strong>, I\u2019ve been drawn to the nearby volcano Uturuncu<\/strong>\u2014specifically the access road that climbs to a staggering height of almost 5 800 m n. m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

The owner of the guesthouse picks up on our plan to reach Uturuncu almost immediately. He warns us straight away that we\u2019ll need a local guide for a trip like this. We\u2019re stubborn, though, and believe we can pull it off on our own. I\u2019ve studied the maps and satellite imagery for months. Only one question remains: is there a gate or barrier on the route that we can\u2019t get around?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Looking for answers<\/h2>\n\n

Thanks to Bra\u0148o\u2019s Starlink, I go online to hunt for any up-to-date information on the road\u2019s condition and whether it\u2019s passable. After a long search, a recently posted video from a German duo who decided to walk the entire route gives us the answer. In the final shot, one of them talks to the camera while sitting right on the barrier.<\/p>\n\n

Decision made. We need a guide.<\/strong> The chance the barrier is locked and can\u2019t be bypassed is too high to risk.<\/p>\n\n

In life, you get what… you negotiate!<\/h2>\n\n

The evening turns into a round of bargaining with a local guide. It proves fairly drawn-out\u2014not just because of the price, but also the language barrier. It\u2019s also clear he knows one thing very well\u2014without the key to the barrier, we probably won\u2019t pull this off<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

On the other hand, he doesn\u2019t want to lose the job entirely. Perhaps that\u2019s why we eventually settle on 300 BOB<\/strong>. The deal is simple: he\u2019ll secure access past the barrier, we\u2019ll drive our own car, and he\u2019ll just ride along.<\/p>\n\n

An early start and the first hiccups<\/h2>\n\n

We roll out right after breakfast. There\u2019s still a morning frost outside. Early on we cross several frozen fords. Sometimes the ice holds; sometimes we punch through, but the car takes it all in stride.<\/p>\n\n

After a few kilometres I notice the brakes are barely working. I\u2019ll admit it rattles me\u2014we\u2019ll definitely need them on the way back down. It turns out to be temporary, likely caused by water from the fords getting into the braking system. After a bit, the brakes return to normal and we carry on.<\/p>\n\n

The barrier<\/h2>\n\n

At first the road climbs only gradually. That changes after about the first 15 kilometres<\/strong>, where it starts to rise in earnest. Right here we meet the dreaded barrier. It\u2019s been placed smartly\u2014there\u2019s no way around<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

The guide hops out to unlock it. I send Bra\u0148o after him to \u201chelp.\u201d In truth, he\u2019s to check whether it\u2019s actually locked. A minute later they\u2019re both back in the car, and Bra\u0148o sums it up in a single line:<\/p>\n\n

\u201cOf course, it was unlocked.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

We continue, fully aware we\u2019ve just needlessly parted with 300 BOB<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

The road to Uturuncu and its origins<\/h2>\n\n

The road up Uturuncu was built for sulfur mining<\/strong> that once took place here. Along the route you can still see remnants of miners\u2019 quarters and bits of infrastructure. Commercial extraction never truly took off\u2014extreme conditions, altitude, and the logistics were simply too much.<\/p>\n\n

The road, however, remained\u2014and for years it was considered the highest road in the world accessible by car<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

As high as you can drive here<\/h2>\n\n

With altitude the nature of the climb changes. For most of what remains we crawl in first, at most second gear<\/strong>. In some hairpins we need low range. The surface is relatively good, but don\u2019t even think about this without a solid 4\u00d74<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

The higher we get, the more snow patches appear on the track\u2014nothing dramatic, more like lingering leftovers from earlier snowfalls.<\/p>\n\n

Everything goes smoothly until 5 582 m n. m.<\/strong>, where we hit major erosion damage. A deep gully\u2014likely carved by rainwater or melting snow\u2014cuts the road. Similar damage is visible on at least two higher sections as well.<\/p>\n\n

Even though the road officially continues to almost 5 800 m n. m.<\/strong>, it\u2019s clear we won\u2019t get any farther today. Our guide warned us about this spot\u2014this is currently as far as you can drive<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

The reward: the views<\/h2>\n\n

Sure, it would be great to climb higher, but even from here the views over the endless Altiplano are superb. In the distance, the lagoons of southern Bolivia shimmer; around us, absolute silence. We\u2019re warmed by the glow of achievement\u2014and by the sun, now high and strong.<\/p>\n\n

Even if we had to stop early, we\u2019ve driven higher than most people ever do. The car didn\u2019t let us down, even at this extreme altitude.<\/p>\n\n

Uturuncu\u2019s summits from above<\/h2>\n\n

We launch the drones and try to catch the landscape from above. Conditions are perfect, and our drones climb to around 6 000 m n. m.<\/strong>\u2014probably the highest they\u2019ve ever flown.<\/p>\n\n

From above, the whole structure of the volcano is beautifully clear. Uturuncu\u2019s main summit reaches 6 008 m n. m.<\/strong>, the secondary peak about 5 940 m n. m.<\/strong> Between them you can trace the road that once ran up to the saddle at nearly 5 800 m n. m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

A short stop and the return<\/h2>\n\n

We spend only a few minutes beneath the slopes of this imposing volcano. Bra\u0148o\u2019s time in Bolivia is running out, and Iva\u2014whom we left at the lodging with Ibo\u2014has, health issues included, had her fill of the harsh conditions we\u2019ve faced these past two weeks.<\/p>\n\n

Time to turn the car around and head back. First down from Uturuncu, then out of Eduardo Avaroa National Park<\/strong>, and finally back to the civilization of Uyuni<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After a grueling haul from Laguna Salada, we\u2019re finally settled into the warm, spacious dining room of our guesthouse in Quetena Chico. A few hours ago, sunshine kept this space cozy; now, in the chilly evening, a small stove in … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1894,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"Driving Uturuncu, Bolivia: A 4x4 ascent on one of Earth's highest roads \u2022 IBO GUIDE","_seopress_titles_desc":"From Quetena Chico we tackle Uturuncu by 4x4 with a guide to clear the barrier. Erosion stops us at 5,582 m, but Altiplano views reward the climb.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[92,94,131,87],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-americas","category-bolivia","category-know-how","category-road-trips","latest_post"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1893","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1893"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1893\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3147,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1893\/revisions\/3147"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1894"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1893"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1893"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1893"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}