The Cordillera Occidental runs along the entire western border of the country and extends from the Payachatas and Sajama in the north to Lincancabur in the south. The southern extension of this Cordillera is known as Sud Lipez. The Sud Lipez region has, despite it's isolation and barrenness received increasing numbers of visitors over recent years.

This is one of the country's most beautiful regions, with the extraordinary natural attractions of the Laguna Colorada ( Red Lake ) and Laguna Verde ( Green Lake ) within the Reserva Eduardo Avaroa, National Park. The National Park is a wildlife reserve, committed to the protection of flamingos, vicuñas (belonging to the llama family), and over 80 bird species. Also in this region are a number of salt flats including the Salar De Uyuni, the world's highest and largest dry salt lake, covering an area of 12,000 sq. km at 3,650m. The salt flats are the remnants of Lake Minchin , which covered the Altiplano in the last Ice Age. Scattered in the dazzling-white Salar are small dark islands with outcrops of cacti. The climatic conditions in this region are extreme, between May and August nighttime temperatures can reach 30º below zero and a daytime average of 3º to 5º. Scattered over this lunar-like landscape are many volcanoes ranging in altitude from 5,000m/16,500 ft. to 6,000m/19,500 ft. Most of the volcanoes are extremely isolated, and while not technically challenging, require major expeditions to make an ascent. Route descriptions are beyond the scope of this work. GPS coordinates and maps provide rough estimates of the location of the more important volcanoes.

Sud Lipez and Uyuni:Trekking