Second in a series of posts by San Diego resident Farzin Fallah chronicling his preparation and training for climbing Nepal’s Cho Oyu Mountain in Fall 2016 to raise funds for Autism awareness. Farzin is the father of a teenager with Asperger’s, and PACT will be one of the beneficiaries of this project.
Preparing for Next Year in Nepal
As preparation for my Cho Oyu climb in Nepal next year, I spent 3 weeks in the Cordillera Real mountain range in Bolivia during May. Cordillera Real is part of the Andes chain of mountains and contains beautiful 5,000-6,000 meter (18,000 to 21,000 feet) peaks. The main objective of this trip was to climb Illiampu, a 21,000-foot peak, which is the most difficult mountain to climb in Bolivia.
I began the trip by acclimatizing with a small 17,500 feet peak that was then followed by Condoriri at 18,500 feet. Condoriri is one of the most beautiful peaks in the world. 
After a rest day in La Paz, my guide and I set off on a 5-day expedition to summit Illiampu. Although the weather was not typical for that time of the year, we were still able to successfully summit Illiampu. As a bonus, I had time to attempt the west face to Potosi; at 20,000 feet, it is the largest ice face in Bolivia. Unfortunately, due to poor unconsolidated snow conditions, we had to retreat to base camp.
Presently, I am continuing my training and preparation for Cho Oyu. This October I will participate in the Seal Fit Kokoro Challenge in North County. It’s the civilian version of the Navy Seal’s Hell Week!