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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Abigail O'Leary

Bride and groom climb freezing 21,000ft snowcapped mountain to get married

A bride and groom climbed 6km up a 21,000ft snowcapped mountain to get married.

Jhonny Pacheco and Heydi Paco said their "I dos" on the summit of Bolivia's Mt. Illimani, near the cities of El Alto and La Paz.

The peak sits 6,462 meters (21,187 feet) above sea level and is the second highest in Bolivia, and the eighteenth highest in South America.

Groom Jhonny said the couple were determined to have a unique wedding, after they got engaged at the top of Mt. Huayna Potosi, a peak near La Paz that rises to a height of 6,088 meters.

They decided to continue the high-altitude celebrations to tie the knot, saying Mt Illimani was their most special of destinations.

They chose experienced mountaineers as their bridesmaids and groomsmen and together devised the plan for the big day (BBC News)

Jhonny said: “Of all the mountains I’ve climbed in Bolivia, Illimani has something magical.

"It has something interesting, something that draws you in and wins you over."

They chose experienced mountaineers as their bridesmaids and groomsmen and together devised the plan for the big day.

Jhonny and Heydi traveled from their home in Cochabamba to La Paz before embarking on the three-day ascent to the summit.

But despite their adrenaline-filled task ahead, they weren't prepared to get wed without some traditional touches.

Jhonny and Heydi traveled from their home in Cochabamba to La Paz before embarking on the three-day ascent to the summit (BBC News)
Footage of the ceremony shows Jhonny wearing a mountaineering helmet and crampons (BBC News)

They tasked some members of the group with carrying the gowns, decorations and food up the mountain, each of whom loaded 20 kilos of weight into their backpacks.

The group hiked for one day to a mountain camp known as “nido de condores” before setting off the following morning on the most challenging stretch of the journey.

Eventually they arrived on August 7 at the freezing summit, met with temperature of -10 C.

Footage of the ceremony shows Jhonny wearing a mountaineering helmet and crampons making his way down a makeshift aisle bordered by bouquets of flowers while latched on to his best man.

Wearing a long wedding veil that two of her climbing companions held behind her, she also carried a bouquet of roses (BBC News)

Heydi also sported crampons as she was guided to her waiting husband-to-be by a rope.

Wearing a long wedding veil that two of her climbing companions held behind her, she also carried a bouquet of roses.

Jhonny and Heydi exchanged vows and received their wedding certificate - before quickly changing into their climbing gear to descend the mountain.

Heydi said: "It was a dream come true for me. As a couple, we’ll remember it forever."

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