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About an hour North of La Paz, Peñas is a small town close to the mountains with a lot of climbing. The Observatory has a station in the area that requires monthly visits as it is part of the nuclear test treaty ban.
About an hour North of La Paz, Peñas is a small town close to the mountains with a lot of climbing. The Observatory has a station in the area that requires monthly visits as it is part of the nuclear test treaty ban.
Access to the station
Access to the station
It's a very different way to approach the field than in Alaska. We go by car and usually we take side roads to the location then we hike up to the station. Penas is a perfect place because it's flat. It is located in what's called the Altiplano. We can drive really close to the station. The town of Peñas has some movement with the tourists and its easy access to the mountains. In fact, you can easily go climbing or hiking from there.
Climbing in Peñas
Climbing in Peñas
If you like climbing, Peñas is a great spot. It's easily accessible from La Paz and you can find all you need there. Climbing in the morning is definitely the best option to avoid the murdering sun of the Altiplano. The shade makes the rock really cold and the sun makes it too warm. You can find multiple spots with different levels of climbing. You also have different styles: slab, cave and so on.
The Treaty ban
The Treaty ban
With the movie Oppenheimer, the nuclear treaty ban got more light than before. It was proposed in 1996 and now 92 countries are part of it. It is highly important as it helps regulate the use or creation of nuclear weapon. We all know that those weapons are the most dangerous on the planet and that it is important to keep peace to avoid their use. Another way to help maintain a status quo is to have a treaty ban on nuclear weapon test. Stations all across the World are used to detect and survey any sort of nuclear weapon activity. We had the pleasure to be visited by the executive secretary of the CTBTO and his crew. They came to access the work we do and the quality of the stations located in Bolivia. It was a pleasure and an honor to be part of the experience.
Station
Station
We have a few stations across Bolivia that you'll discover as I visit them. Peñas is an infrasound system with meteorological data. The system is really well designed with very high precision.
"Cuidador"
"Cuidador"
In Bolivia, the delincance is really high and roberies are very common on our stations. Solar pannels and batteries are very attractive. A way to help with that is to have guardians, looking out for those behaviour and giving us information.
Sharing information
Sharing information
In science, sharing data and information is key to advance. We had a special visit with the director of the IRD and the French ambassador. We hope to keep a good relationship and open the door to new colaboration.
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