Panorama Photo

This is the companion to Panorama 6151, to which it is ideally glued by the common presence of Volcan Sajama.
It is taken the following day while - waiting for my companions to reach the top of the mountain - I am taking a full tour around the summit crater. Here, totally immersed in an incredible scenery, I enjoy in perfect solitude one "crowded hour of glorious life", as Mr. Whymper would put it.
The image is evenly split between Bolivia, on the left side, and Chile on the right one. At the centre lies the border post of Tambo Quemado, on the road connecting La Paz to Arica, on the Pacific Coast. It is one of the few asphalted roads of the region, reaching here an altitude of around 4550 meters, between Cerro Quisiquisini and the three Nevados de Quimsachata: Acotango, Capurata and Guallatiri. The latter, in particular, drawing its name from the Aymará term guallata (= Andine goose), "is a contender for the world's highest active volcano, as it appears to be the highest volcano which has actually been seen to erupt lava" (John Biggar, The Andes: a guide for climbers).
Similarly, at 4515 meters, Lago Chungará is one of the highest lakes in the world, being second, among the "serious" ones, only to Lake Manasarovar and may be a few others in Tibet. More informations on http://www.highestlake.com/highest-lake-world.htm
Images of stunning beauty from this region are to be found in the book "Recorriendo Chile - nuevas impresiones" by Norberto Seebach: http://www.recorriendochile.cl/es/Nuevas_Impresiones.html
The wonderful Bofedal de Parinacota, from which the cover image is taken, is hidden, at the very right end of my panorama, by the rising crater rim.
Panoramio: www.panoramio.com/photo/69311724