Driving the remote Sarani Pass in the Bolivian Andes

Driving the remote Sarani Pass in the Bolivian Andes

Bolivia, south-america

Length

140 km

Elevation

4,522 m

Difficulty

hard

Best Season

Year-round

Okay, adventure junkies, listen up! Sarani Pass in Bolivia's Larecaja Province is calling your name. We're talking seriously high altitude here - 4,522m (that's 14,835ft!) of pure Andean bliss (and thin air!).

Picture this: You're north of La Paz, deep in the La Paz Department, smack-dab in the eastern Andes. This isn't your average Sunday drive, folks. The whole route is unpaved, a proper rugged dirt track. Originally a llama trail (imagine!), it's been beefed up for mining and crazy travelers like us.

The "Illampu route" clocks in at around 140km (87 miles) from the town of Sorata. Be warned: this baby stays above 4,000 meters pretty much the whole time. Expect some seriously steep climbs, parts that have seen better days, and a serious need to get used to the altitude before you even think about hitting the gas.

Oh, and did I mention it's at the northern edge of the Cordillera Real? Translation: snow is a real possibility, especially when it's not the dry season. My advice? Only tackle this beast when the weather's playing nice. Trust me, the views are worth the planning!

Where is it?

Driving the remote Sarani Pass in the Bolivian Andes is located in Bolivia (south-america). Coordinates: -15.0973, -63.1470

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Road Details

Country
Bolivia
Continent
south-america
Length
140 km
Max Elevation
4,522 m
Difficulty
hard
Coordinates
-15.0973, -63.1470

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