Cholita Climbers

The Cholita Climbers, also known as Las Cholitas Escaladoras Bolivianas, are a Bolivian mountaineering group made up of Indigenous Aymara women from the cities of La Paz and El Alto. The group combines high-altitude climbing, guiding, community identity, and cultural representation. Its members are widely recognized for climbing in traditional pollera clothing rather than replacing it with conventional modern mountaineering apparel. Their equipment still includes the technical essentials required for serious alpine routes, including helmets, boots, crampons, ice axes, ropes, and other safety gear. They carry much of this equipment in traditional shawls while wearing brightly colored, pleated skirts and multiple underskirts. The group was formed in 2015 after a group of eleven women successfully climbed Huayna Potosí, a Bolivian peak rising to approximately 6,088 meters, in a single attempt. The expedition was led by mountain cook Lidia Huayllas Estrada, while Cecilia Llusco Alaña became one of the group’s prominent members and early organizers. Many of the climbers already had close links to the mountains through family work, guiding, cooking, portering, or other expedition support roles. Their upbringing in La Paz and El Alto also gave them experience with high-altitude conditions. The climbers’ public identity is closely connected to the social meaning of the word “cholita,” which has historically been used in derogatory ways against Aymara women. By climbing visibly in traditional dress, the group challenges assumptions that Indigenous women’s clothing is incompatible with athletic achievement, technical expertise, or professional work in the mountains. Their activities also respond to discrimination that Aymara women have experienced in employment and public life. In this context, mountaineering is both a sporting practice and a means of cultural affirmation. Following the Huayna Potosí ascent, members climbed a number of major Bolivian and regional peaks, including Acotango, Parinacota, Pomarapi, Illimani, and Sajama, Bolivia’s highest mountain. Several of these summits exceed 6,000 meters. Members subsequently began accompanying tourists on climbs and undertaking professional climbing and safety courses intended to strengthen their qualifications as mountain guides. The group’s most internationally prominent achievement came on January 23, 2019, when members became the first Aymara women to summit Aconcagua in Argentina’s Mendoza Province. At approximately 6,968 meters, Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Americas, making the ascent the group’s highest and first international expedition described in the reference material. The expedition received sponsorship from Bolivia’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism and later became the subject of the documentary film “Cholitas,” which premiered in Spain. In 2019, the Cholita Climbers also began offering introductory climbing courses. Their longer-term ambition has included an expedition to Mount Everest, for which they have discussed training, fundraising, and seeking sponsors or other backers. The group is therefore best understood not as a conventional commercial brand, but as a community-based mountaineering collective whose public profile rests on technical climbing, Indigenous Aymara identity, women’s participation in adventure sport, guiding, and cultural visibility.

The Cholita Climbers emerged from the high-altitude communities of La Paz and El Alto, where many Aymara women already had practical relationships with the mountains. Their backgrounds include work as mountain cooks, porters, trekking assistants, guides, and family members of climbers. Cecilia Llusco Alaña, for example, began helping her father, a trekking guide, when she was eight years old. These experiences gave members familiarity with altitude, expedition logistics, and the demands of mountain travel before the group became widely known. The collective was founded in 2015 by local women seeking to climb together and challenge the limited social expectations placed on Aymara women. In that year, eleven Cholita Escaladoras reached the summit of Huayna Potosí, a 6,088-meter Bolivian peak, in one attempt. The ascent became a defining early achievement and encouraged the women to pursue mountains across Latin America. Their choice to retain polleras during climbs became central to their visibility. They adapted their traditional clothing to the practical requirements of mountaineering by using helmets and boots, crampons, ice axes, ropes, and other technical equipment, while carrying gear in traditional shawls. The group’s clothing carries social as well as practical meaning. “Cholita” has been used as a pejorative term for Aymara women, who have also faced discrimination in employment and public spaces. The climbers recast the term through achievement and public visibility. Their ascents demonstrate that traditional Indigenous dress and professional or technically demanding mountain work need not be opposites. Their public profile also forms part of a broader movement in which Aymara women in traditional clothing have entered highly visible activities, including wrestling and skating. After Huayna Potosí, the women climbed Acotango, Parinacota, Pomarapi, Illimani, and Sajama. These expeditions included peaks above 6,000 meters, and Sajama is Bolivia’s highest mountain. Over time, individual members expanded their work by accompanying tourists on climbs. They also pursued formal climbing and safety courses to become professional mountain guides, linking the collective’s symbolic role to a practical service in Bolivia’s mountain tourism economy. The decisive international milestone occurred on January 23, 2019, when members summited Aconcagua in Mendoza, Argentina. At 6,968 meters, Aconcagua is the highest peak in the Americas. The ascent was described as the first Aconcagua summit by Aymara women and represented the group’s highest and first international expedition at that point. Bolivia’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism sponsored the expedition. Its story later reached an international film audience through “Cholitas,” a documentary that premiered in Spain. Also in 2019, the group started offering courses for people new to climbing. This broadened its activities beyond expedition achievement and guiding into instruction. Members also expressed an ambition to climb Mount Everest and began training, fundraising, and looking for financial backers and sponsors. The available reference material does not establish whether that Everest objective was subsequently completed. The group’s documented identity remains that of an active Aymara women’s mountaineering collective, guide and training provider, and cultural symbol rather than a conventional incorporated consumer brand.

• 2019

  Aconcagua summit

  [1]Cholita Climbersen.wikipedia.org

  Members reached Aconcagua in Argentina on January 23, becoming the first Aymara women reported to summit the highest mountain in the Americas.

• 2019

  Beginner courses introduced

  [1]Cholita Climbersen.wikipedia.org

  The Cholita Climbers began offering climbing courses for people starting the sport.

• 2019

  Documentary premiere

  [1]Cholita Climbersen.wikipedia.org

  The documentary “Cholitas,” based on the group’s mountaineering story and Aconcagua expedition, premiered in Spain.

• 2015

  Group founded

  [1]Cholita Climbersen.wikipedia.org

  Local Aymara women, including Cecilia Llusco Alaña, formed the Cholita Climbers in Bolivia.

• 2015

  Huayna Potosí ascent

  [1]Cholita Climbersen.wikipedia.org

  Eleven members led by Lidia Huayllas Estrada reached the summit of Huayna Potosí, approximately 6,088 meters above sea level.

• Expansion across Bolivian and regional peaks

  [1]Cholita Climbersen.wikipedia.org

  The group climbed Acotango, Parinacota, Pomarapi, Illimani, and Sajama, including several summits above 6,000 meters.

A community-based Aymara women's mountaineering collective that combines technical alpine practice with cultural visibility and challenges stereotypes about Indigenous women and traditional dress.

• Mountaineering · 2015

  High-altitude expeditions

  The group’s principal activity is climbing technically demanding high-altitude peaks in Bolivia and elsewhere in Latin America. Its documented ascents include Huayna Potosí, Acotango, Parinacota, Pomarapi, Illimani, Sajama, and Aconcagua. Members use standard alpine safety and climbing equipment while maintaining the group’s distinctive traditional clothing.

• Professional services

  Mountain guiding

  Individual members accompany tourists on mountain climbs and have undertaken professional climbing and safety training with the aim of working as qualified mountain guides. This service connects their expedition experience with Bolivia’s high-altitude tourism sector.

• Education and training · 2019

  Introductory climbing courses

  Beginning in 2019, the group offered courses for people new to climbing. The courses extend the collective’s role from expedition participation and guiding into instruction and community access to mountaineering.

• 2019Aconcagua expedition

  Bolivia · Argentina · International

  The group organized and completed its first international expedition, summiting Aconcagua in Mendoza, Argentina. The expedition was sponsored by Bolivia’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism and emphasized both mountaineering achievement and Aymara women’s visibility.

  Outcome. Members reached the 6,968-meter summit on January 23, 2019, in an ascent described as the first Aconcagua summit by Aymara women.

  Source
• 2019Everest fundraising and preparation

  Bolivia · International

  Following their Aconcagua achievement, the climbers expressed an ambition to attempt Mount Everest and began training, raising money, and seeking backers.

  Outcome. The reference material does not confirm that an Everest expedition was completed.

  Source

• 2019

  Launch beginner climbing coursesProduct launch

  Background

  After developing expedition and guiding experience, the group sought to make climbing knowledge available to newcomers.

  Action taken

  The Cholita Climbers began running climbing courses for people starting the sport.

  Aftermath

  The move broadened the group’s role from high-altitude expedition team to instructor and community-based climbing provider.

  Source

• 2015

  Retain traditional pollera dress during climbsStrategy

  Background

  The group sought to challenge derogatory associations and discrimination connected with the “cholita” identity and with assumptions about Aymara women’s roles.

  Action taken

  Members continued to climb in polleras and carry equipment in traditional shawls while adding helmets, boots, crampons, ice axes, ropes, and other technical gear.

  Aftermath

  The clothing choice became a defining part of the group’s public identity and cultural message.

  Source

• 2019

  Cholita Climbers summit Aconcagua[1]Cholita Climbersen.wikipedia.org

  Other · Product generation

  Members of the Bolivian Aymara mountaineering group reached the summit of Aconcagua in Argentina on January 23, becoming the first Aymara women reported to have reached the highest mountain in the Americas.

• 2019

  Cholitas documentary presents the group’s climbing story[1]Cholita Climbersen.wikipedia.org

  Other · Campaign

  The Aconcagua expedition and the women’s wider mountaineering activities were documented in the film “Cholitas,” which premiered in Spain.

• 2019

  Cholita Climbers begin introductory climbing courses[1]Cholita Climbersen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The group began running climbing courses for beginners while continuing professional training and pursuing longer-term plans for an Everest expedition.

1. 1Cholita Climbersen.wikipedia.org