Cordillera Kimsa Cruz

P1F1

The Cordillera Quimsa Cruz, Aymara and Quechua Kimsa Krus, including "Tres Cruces " ( German " Three Crosses " ) called, is a mountain range in the La Paz Department in Bolivia.

The Cordillera Quimsa Cruz is one of the most remote mountain regions of Bolivia and has strong alpine character. The high peaks are heavily glaciated part and built largely of stable granite rock. The name comes from the Aymara language - or identical Quechua - and means something like three crosses. The mountain range has a length of 30 kilometers and is 9-15 kilometers wide. Approximately 80 peaks reach 4900-5760 meters in altitude.

Location

The Cordillera Quimsa Cruz is part of the Bolivian Cordillera Real and continues the series of Andean peaks of Illampu, Ancohuma, Huayna Potosi and Illimani in a southeasterly direction away. The year-round snow-capped mountain range lies between 16 ° 53 'S 67 ° 28'W and 17 ° 07 'S 67 ° 13'W in the boundary between the province Loayza in the west and the province Inquisivi in the east and has a length of 30 km. Further to the southeast, the ridge of the Cordillera Mazo Cruz joins. In the north, the mountain is limited by the Cañon del Río de la Paz, in the south by the Paso de las Tres Cruzes.

Climate and altitude levels

The Cordillera Quimsa Cruz is divided into four different height levels. The valleys extend 2500-3700 meters above sea level. The average temperature here at 12 ° C, with an annual precipitation of 600 mm. The Puna starts at 3700 meters and ends at about 4000 meters. Here the annual rainfall is only 300 mm and the average temperature at 7 ° C.

From 4000 meters to 4800 meters up the Alto Andino, the Andean highlands extends. The climate is very cold and subhumid. It rains mainly in the months of November to March, the remaining months are quite dry. The average temperature falls to 5 ° C and the annual rainfall is 600 mm. Above that is the Nival zone. This is sparsely covered and characterized primarily of rock and ice. Here, the average temperature is down to 1-2 ° C and the annual rainfall is 700 mm.

The glaciers on the east side pull himself down to about 5400 meters above sea level, on the west side to 5200 meters. The glacier area of ​​the Cordillera Quimsa Cruz represents 10 percent of the total area of ​​the Bolivian glacier. This is 566 square kilometers, the Cordillera Quimsa Cruz ie at about 57 km ². Again, losing the glaciers because of the general warming steadily in volume.

Summit

The Cordillera rises to about 5800 meters and has among other things next summit on:

• Jacha Collo (also: Jachacunocollo ) 5800 m
• Gigante Grande 5748 m
• Cerro Don Luiz 5754 m
• Piramide de Atoroma 5650 m
• Huayna Cuno Collo 5640 m
• Nevado de Atoroma 5565 m
• Korichuma 5500 m

Development

Most important town at the foot of Quimsa Cruz is Quime, other important towns are Viloco, Araca, Mina Caracoles, Mina Argentina, Pacuni and Cairoma.

The Cordillera Quimsa Cruz is rich in mineral resources, so that there are at altitudes of nearly 5,000 meters mining tunnels and mining camps. Place of access to the ore mining is primarily the place Viloco who has been a prosperous mining town with a cinema and a private telephone system until the 1920s, as well as villages such as Mina Argentina and Mina Caracoles. There are mainly zinc, tin, copper, tungsten and lead, but also mined gold and silver.

Flora

The flora in the Cordillera Quimsa Cruz is strongly dependent on the altitude and is one of the most diverse in the highlands of Bolivia. Near Araca is one of two places in Bolivia and four in the Andes where total nor the Riesenbromelie Puya Raimondy is encountered. In the heights of the typical Andean vegetation like the moss Bofedales hard or too hard Ichugras growing. In the temperate elevations, there are oodles of flowers. The only remaining tree species are Eucalyptus and Polylepis ( Qiwuña ). In addition come the valley systems still Retama, Tico, Ramran ( Aliso ), Molle, Lambrada, Jamillo, Verbena, Chilliwa, Paiqo, Muña, Kharwinchu ( Cardo ) and Sawsi ( sauce) before. In the Puna is found Sewenkha, Nunumaya, Mutumutu, the Chachakuma, Q'uwa, Warichillkha and Umachillkha. In the high Andes then only Ichu, Pluma Pasto, Pasto Bandera, Napha, Chiji, Anawaya and Thula remain.

Fauna

Many of the typical Andean highlanders are to be found also in the area Quimsa Cruz. In addition to the very rare condor also hawks and smaller species of eagle are found. The largest ground- living species is the spectacled bear, which, like the Puma hardly to be found. The Andean fox, however, is more common to see, as well as various species of wild cats. Their prey consists mainly mice, but also rabbits and Viscachas. In the numerous mountain lakes trout have been used by now.

Swell

• Bolivia - A Climbing Guide ( English)
• Report of the University Colle London ( English)
• Report of the American Alpine Club ( English, PDF file, 4.42 MB )
• Sanjines Rodriguez Denys, Travesia Quimsa Cruz, Instituto Boliviano Cultura

• Mountains in South America
• Mountains in Bolivia
• Andes
• Landscape in the department of La Paz