Indigenous women in Bolivia: climbing to combat stereotypes

The ‘Climbing Cholitas’, or ‘Cholitas Escaladoras Bolivianas’ as they call themselves, are a group of indigenous women from Bolivia. They belong to the Aymara people, one of the oldest ethnic groups in the high Andes. Most of the group come from the cities of La Paz and El Alto and are aged between 25 and 50. Many of the women are married to mountaineers and have already worked in the mountains of their homeland as cooks or porters.

In 2015, eleven of the women decided to step out of the shadows of their male counterparts and tackle a climb themselves. Led by Lidia Huayllas Estrada, they made it to the summit of Huayna Potosí (6,088 metres above sea level) on their very first attempt. Instead of modern mountaineering clothing, they wore their colourful flowing skirts. They carried their equipment in traditional cloths. Both items later became their trademark and gained them publicity. In the years that followed, they completed numerous other ascents. In 2017, they began accompanying tourists on their mountain tours. They also took climbing and safety courses to become professional mountain guides. In 2019, they reached the summit of Aconcagua (6,961 metres above sea level) in Argentina – the highest mountain outside Asia.

The word ‘cholita’ used to be, and in some cases still is, used as a derogatory term for indigenous women in Bolivia, who were socially ostracised and systematically marginalised until about ten years ago. But the Climbing Cholitas have given themselves this name, claiming it as a badge of honour and wearing it with pride. The group aims to break down stereotypes, combat negative gender roles and encourage other women to pursue their own path.