Thread by @BiIndia

#InPics: The world's highest ski resort was once in #Bolivia. Now, it's a ghost town with abandoned buildings and a gloomy past.

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The Chacaltaya ski resort opened in the 1930s, according to Atlas Obscura.

In its prime, Chacaltaya earned #Bolivia numerous titles. It was the country's only ski resort, as well as the world's highest ski resort and restaurant, according to Atlas Obscura.

According to Atlas Obscura, Chacaltaya attracted middle- and upper-class residents of La Paz, which is a major city an hour and a half from the resort.

In the 20th century, the resort was open almost year-round with plenty of snow for skiers to enjoy.

#Bolivia

In 2005, scientists predicted the glacier would survive one more decade into 2015, according to the BBC.

But their prediction was sadly optimistic. In 2009, the glacier — which was an estimated 18,000 years old — was gone, the BBC reported.

#Bolivia

Today, Chacaltaya is a ghost town. Only a handful of adventurous tourists still visit the abandoned ski resort, according to Atlas Obscura.

Snow can still be spotted in the heart of winter, but for the majority of the year, the Chacaltaya mountain is brown and dry.

#Bolivia

Aleah Taboclaon, a travel blogger, visited the abandoned buildings in 2015. Today, she still remembers the sadness she felt climbing up the mountain.

"So much in our world is changing," Taboclaon said. "All the glory of the ski resort is now gone & will never return."

#Bolivia

Taboclaon told Insider that during her 2015 visit, her tour bus dropped her off at the base of the mountain, where the abandoned ski resort stands today.

Taboclaon said visitors could step inside the resort. The only thing left inside is a toilet, she said.

#Bolivia

Along the journey to the top of the mountain, travelers may encounter abandoned weather equipment left by scientists.

#Bolivia

Taboclaon said she expected a fun day. But after learning about the resort's past, she felt reflective and sentimental. She added that seeing the abandoned destination made the #ClimateCrisis feel very real to her.

#Bolivia