The battle of Gondra had forced the Bolivian high command to remove troops from the front of the 9th Division that defended Alihuatá, leaving the advanced area of the stronghold with only three scattered units. 700 men of the "Chacaltaya" regiment remained entrenched near Arce, riding the road coming from Alihuatá, while the "Ballivián" regiment was deployed five kilometres to the left, in Campo Grande. The Bolivian command deployed a company of the "Junín" regiment in Pozo Favorito, four kilometers from the "Chacaltaya", on the right side of the screen.