Uturuncu, or Uturunku, the highest summit in southwestern Bolivia, is a stratovolcano. It displays young well-preserved lava flows at its summit which were erupted during the Pleistocene period. The volcano also shows fumarolic activity.
In the southwest of Bolivia volcano Cerro Uturuncu is located with its summit at an altitude of more than 6,000 meters and an old mine road leading up there. However, travelogues report very different information about the trafficability of that runway.
All reports agree that the road is only rideable to a few hundred altitude meters below the summit. Respective information varies from 5,200 meters to 5,900 meters. As the old mine is no longer in operation the road is meanwhile blocked up by landslides.
Satellite pictures clearly show the interrupted runway leading to an elevation of some 5,700 meters.
Assuming you can get to Quetano Chico (an uneventful mining and lama herding town west of the very spectacular Cordillera de Lipez, Uturuncu is not in this Cordillera), there is a road that goes to an old sulphur mine on the mountain. Ask anyone, the road winds out of town southwards and is very probably the highest motorable road in the world. It goes up to 5,900 meters but the last parts are often drifted over with snow and not passable. Warning - Roads in this part of Bolivia, and especially this one to Tupiza, are pretty rough and can become impassable when wet.
