Elena Quispe in a scene from "Cholitas."

Climbing a mountain seems hard on a good day, even when you have previous experience crossing glacial fields and hanging on to ropes as you pull yourself up.

Now, do it in a skirt with no experience and with the weight of generational discrimination behind you.

In Jamie Murciego and Pablo Iraburu’s documentary “Cholitas,” we follow five women on their visually stunning and emotionally stirring journey to prove to themselves and the world that they can conquer the highest peak in the Americas, the nearly 23,000-foot Mount Aconcagua in the Argentinian Andes.

These women are Aymara, indigenous people of Bolivia, and consist of homemakers, a teacher, a cook and a housekeeper. All of them dreamed of climbing Mount Aconcagua mostly out of curiosity, wondering why women couldn’t climb.

The production of the documentary helped make their dream a reality, and they set off from their home in El Alto, Bolivia, to Argentina, some never leaving their families for such an extended period of time before or even flying on a plane.

When they get to the mountain, they are led by two experienced guides who encourage them at every step of the way calling them “champions” and praising their efforts.

The ascent up the mountain is supposed to take 20 days, and while one regular guide cites it as a not technically difficult climb, the elevation and lack of oxygen toward the top can lead to casualties.

Loaded with packs made of colorful blankets tied across their backs and skirts blowing in the harsh, bitter wind, they make their way up, offering thanks and asking for protection from both Pachamama and Achachila, the earth and the mountain, before they begin.

The film allows you to understand the surface of the importance of these women’s literal climb from marginalization, but it doesn’t quite go far enough. It does, however, spark further research into a culture that has been subject to enslavement and discrimination over centuries and how these indigenous Aymara women have been fighting for their voice in society since the 1960s. Previously, the women, who are recognized by their bowler hats atop braided hair and wide skirts, were banned from certain public spaces and public transportation and had their career options limited. It really is a fascinating history and worth the extra research after watching the film.

Luckily, to feel the full impact of “Cholitas” you don’t need a full course in indigenous Bolivian history; all you need are these women mounting this impressive feat.

Living in Central Oregon, there is no shortage of mountains to climb, and we take for granted the opportunities to climb no matter who you are. As shown in the film, these are six women who have no climbing experience who decide that if their husbands are able to climb mountains, why can’t they? It is inspiring to see their slow and steady pace as they make their way to base camp and then ascend Mount Aconcagua.

Filmed right alongside these women during their trek, the cinematography in “Cholitas” is gorgeous and allows the women to tell their own stories — sidelined for generations — vividly capturing all the ups and downs of the trip.

The point of the entire film can be made with a paraphrase of what a cab driver told the women as they drove to the airport at the start of their journey: The voice of native women that were silent — these women represent them all.

“Cholitas”

80 minutes

Rating: No MPAA rating

3.5 stars