| Day
1. Arrival in La Paz. Transfer to Hotel. |
Elevations
El Alto: 4,100m (13,450f)
La Paz: 3,650m (11,972ft)
Timing
Driving: 30 min
Meals
None |
Arriving in La Paz, what
impresses the most is the crisp clear sky of the highlands. In a normal
winter day it is possible to see over a distance of 200Km (120mi). The cold
and dry air feels good after so many hours of treated pressurized cabin
air.
The airport is located
in the city of “El Alto” the highest international airport
in the world from here you will be transferred to your hotel descending
approximately 30 Min. into La Paz city canyon. Do not stress much about
the altitude; our program has been designed to get you gradually acclimatized.
At the beginning we strongly suggest you to take it very easy, drink plenty
of water and eat lightly (get into out Acclimatization page for more information).
You will have the
rest of the day free. At early evening we will have a briefing meeting.
|
| Day
2. Visit of Tiwanaco. Transport to Patapatani. Camp. |
Elevations
El Alto 4,100m (13,450f)
Lake Titicaca 3,810m (12,497f)
Timing
Driving: 4-5 Hrs
Walking: 1-2 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
Traveling through this
land you will understand how important the shores of Lake Titicaca have
been in the origin of the Andean cultures. Surrounded by desert like hills
and snow caped mountains, lake Titicaca offered, and still offers, rich
lands and a mild climate. Tiwanaco used to be a port, an important ceremonial
center and a huge urban establishment. After an illustrative tour through
the ruins and museums, we will drive back to La Paz (El Alto) and from there
to the southern shores of the lake. On the way to our campsite, we will
be culturally transferred to the past as we go by Aymara villages where
Indians have been keeping their lifestyle for centuries. Our campsite will
be located on a beautiful beach on the shores of Patapatani peninsula, with
a great view of the peaks of “Cordillera Real”. |
| Day
3. Trek to Kala-Uta ruins. Boat to Pariti Island & Qwaya. Transp.to
Puerto Pérez. Hotel |
Elevations
Lake Titicaca 3,810m (12,497f)
Timing
Walking: 2-3 Hrs
Motor boat: 1 Hr
Driving: 1 Hr
Meals
B,L,D |
Today we will start
trekking in the Bolivian Highlands. We will visit a small floating island
and the archeological sites of Khala Uta (house of stones). Later we will
take a motor boat. First, we will navigate along the peninsula’s shores
where reeds form a natural labyrinth that hosts many Andean bird species.
In the afternoon we will visit Pariti and its amazing pottery museum. Later
we will catch the afternoon side-winds to navigate offshore towards Puerto
Perez located at the southeastern shores of the lake. The mountains will
“grow” in front of us and will dominate the landscape. As the
glaciers of the mountains get “tanned” by the late afternoon
light, we will get to our hotel and enjoy the sunset overlooking the Cordillera
Real. |
| Day
4. Transport to Pelechuco. Basic hostel. |
Elevations
Pelechuco pass 4,860m (15,946f)
Pelechuco 3,600m (11,800f)
Timing
Driving: 8-10 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
We normally think that
driving almost all day long can be really boring, but driving to Pelechuco
does not feel that long. The road follows the eastern shores of Lake Titicaca
and afterwards gets into the rolling hills of Muñecas mountain range.
As the rocks change colors and the lakes shown their colored waters, the
car runs into the Ulla Ulla plateau, the largest Vicuña reserve in
Bolivia. Thousands of wild animals run in front of glaciated peaks and colorful
lakes. Finally the road passes in between the glaciated mountains and descends
to Pelechuco town. This settlement experienced an economic boom in the time
of the Spanish occupation, and its streets and houses remind us of the old
castle hamlets in Spain. These days no Spanish remain, only an indigenous
population, which has adopted Spanish names. As we drive by the main street,
we feel time transported into the middle ages. The hotel has nothing to
do with last night’s four-star but is as charming as the town. |
| Day
5. Trek to Pusu Punku (Gate to the swamp). Camp. |
Elevations
Pelechuco River 3,000m (9,840f)
Pusu Punku 4,200m m(13,776f)
Timing
Walking: 6-7 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
The ancient trail, probably
thousand years old, will lead us inside the cloud forest. As we hike lower,
the exuberant vegetation covers every single spot; no matter if it is soil,
rock or a human made thing. This trail used to be the main way into the
Amazon basin, but now the jungle has "claimed" it back. The construction
of new roads several years ago has taken the commerce somewhere else. After
descending about 3 hours from Pelechuco towards the lush green vegetation,
we will leave the main trail and start a very steep climbing on a very seldom-used
path that follows the Piukala River. Machetes may be needed to open our
way towards the hut that was used by the National Geographic scientists
to study the Andean Bear. We will camp high above the timber line in a aerial
spot called "Pusu Punku" (the gate to the swamp) and wait for
luck to spot a bear. The line between the forest and the grass lands is
so well marked that only a few steps are needed to be on either of them. |
| Day
6. Trek to Siete Lagunas (Seven lakes). Camp. |
Elevations
1st Mnt Pass 4,560m (14,960f)
Valley 3,900m (12,792f)
2nd Mnt Pass 4,200m (13,780f)
Siete Lagunas 4,150m (13,616f)
Timing
Walking:7-8 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
Today, while our mules
take the main path near the bottom of the valley towards the mountain pass,
we will take a longer way ascending first to the top of the ridge and –
hopefully – enjoy the great views of the Apolobamba Mountains. The
good thing is that we are already acclimatized and the altitude does not
feel like it did a week ago. The landscape changes dramatically as we get
higher in condor’s land. After descending to the valley and crossing
the first mountain pass, we will descend to a steep valley, ascend again
to the second pass of the day, and finally descend to the campsite called
“Canchis Kocha” (seven lagoons in Quechua language) located
in a wide valley where there are several, actually more than seven lakes
surrounded by rolling hills and steep rocky spires. |
| Day
7. Trek to Callistia. Camp. |
Elevations
1st Mnt Pass 4,445m (14,579f)
Callistia 3,875m (12,710f)
Timing
Walking: 7-8 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
Towards our daily mountain
pass we will meet another ancient trail climbing zigzagging towards the
pass, apparently an important route judging by its size. There is a common
confusion and everyone – even locals -, call these roads “Inca
Trails” but the truth is that they are much older and here in Bolivian
territory, they were probably built by the Tiwanaco civilization. Now we
are very deep inside the wild Andes Mountains. After crossing the first
pass, we have a steep descend over a zigzagging trail with some exposed
sections leading. The name of that place: Tokolake, comes after a small
wild bush that produces pink berries and can be found by the sides of the
path, that plant when boiled produces an hallucinogenic beverage used on
ancient ceremonies. A second pass to cross and we descend into a hanging
valley again over a zigzagging trail; at the bottom of the valley there
is a “small” rocky ridge that we have to cross towards our campsite.
|
| Day
8. Trek to Tambo Quemado. Camp. |
Elevations
1st Mnt Pass 4,020m (13,185f)
Tambo Quemado 3,586m (11,762f)
Timing
Walking: 7-8 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
First thing in the morning…
guess what: another mountain pass to cross. After the first pass (not to
mention the usual false pass) we will descend to Comer Cocha (green lagoon
in Quechua) valley, ascend again to the top of a ridge and descend towards
Impillani valley. There, at the other side of the valley, there is a natural
cave, where we will probably have lunch. After a long ascend through a grassy
and swampy slope, we reach the second mountain pass of the day and start
dropping abruptly into a deep microclimatic valley called Tambo Quemado
(Burnt Market). The campsite will be located in the only flat spot in the
middle of a boggy ravine. |
| Day
9. Trek to Ichu Korpa. Camp. |
Elevations
1st Mnt Pass 3,670m (12,037f)
Ichu Korpa 3,523m (11,555f)
Timing
Walking: 7-8 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
Looking at those valleys
and mountains, one realizes that people did not invent “Feng Shui”;
its concepts were taken from nature. The creaks, the ravines, the meadows,
the forest patches in between rocky peaks and the lakes transmit us such
a calm feeling of peace that we do not want to leave. Yet we have a long
distance to cover, there will be plenty of time to enjoy the landscape and
- hopefully -, spot a fox, a coyote, an Andean deer, or - if you are really
lucky - a bear or a puma. Today we start our journey downhill into a deep
valley. After crossing a couple of rivers we ascend towards the pass following
a path tunneled through very thick vegetation. The pass itself is something
unique because it divides the dense forest into the microclimatic valley
in one side and the sparsely vegetated grassy slopes in the other side.
The following section towards Kalla (the ruins of an ancient “Tambo”:
a mix between a hostel and a market) we will be hiking on a smooth slab
with an awkward inclination that adds difficulty to the hike. After a short
break, we continue up towards the top of a ridge that we will follow the
rest of the day. Our campsite will be located in the only relatively flat
spot over the ridge with great views of the snow caped mountains and the
sea of clouds down in the Amazon basin at the same time. |
| Day
10. Trek to Tocoake. Camp. |
Elevations
Tokoake 2,377m (7,796f)
Timing
Walking: 6-7 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
The sunrise at Ichu
Korpa is probably one of the most spectaculars you can ever see. It is not
casual that National Geographic - when publishing an article about Madidi
National Park -, has shown that view in the central pages of the magazine.
Today we have no more mountain passes but, a long descend of more than 2km
(1.3mi) in instead. The building technique used in that part of the trail
(almost on top of a ridge) was to dig deep trenches and stone-pave the bottom,
so the running water will naturally keep the bottom free of vegetation and
– since those “corridors” are so deep and humid –
very little vegetation besides fern and moss can grown on the sides. Some
sections seemed like long tunnels because the vegetation has grown over
the path. Our campsite will be located in the biggest camping area to be
found over the ridge; a paradisiacal grassy flat in the middle of the forest. |
| Day
11. Trek to Moxos. Camp. |
Elevations
Tabacuni river 1,426m (4,677f)
Moxos 1,641m (5,382f)
Timing
Walking: 8-9 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
An early start will
be needed in order to arrive to Moxos. Today is a very long day. After having
breakfast with an spectacular sunrise as a background, we will continue
descending towards Tabacuni river. The trail in that section is extremely
narrow (in some places there is no trail at all and we found ourselves practically
walking on branches that have grown out from the mountain side) and sometimes
you have the feeling that your feet are almost “touching the void”.
After crossing a bridge over a deep ravine dug by the river in the hard
rock, we will climb a extraneous trail that zigzagged through thick vegetation.
A killing heat will force us to make several stops to wet our heads, clean
our faces from the sweat and enjoy the shadows of the trees. Finally, a
steep ascent will lead us out of the forested part and start a long traverse
along of the mountainside. There we will find some cultivated fields from
people of Moxos. At the end of the day, after a long and exhausting journey,
we will arrive to the charismatic town of Moxos where we will set our campsite
at the soccer yard. |
| Day
12. Rest day. Camp. |
Elevations
Moxos 1,641m (5,382f)
Timing
None
Meals
B,L,D |
You will certainly feel
that the only one rest day in Moxos in not enough; there are so many things
to do besides laundry and resting. Due to the fact that Moxos is at least
two days by foot to any other populated area, locals have to be self-sufficient.
In fact, the only things they need from outside are salt and matches. You
will find a tour through the town and the surroundings very instructing
in many ways. |
| Day
13. Trek to Suriani. Camp. |
Elevations
Suriani 1,035m (3,394f)
Timing
Walking: 9-10 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
From that point, our
Llamas will return to the mountains and we’ll continue with the help
of local porters. It is always more complicated to sort out the equipment
with them. At the end of the long discussions, we start our journey traversing
to the other side of the valley where people live in rustic huts. There
we will reach the highest point of the day. From there, we have to descend
almost to the shores of Moxos river and follow a trail parallel to the river.
Although, some maintenance is constantly done to keep the trail in the best
conditions, rains and land-slides sometimes affect the route and we may
be forced to ford a branch of the river, to climbing steep slopes (up to
45-50 degrees) with the help of roots and branches, or to make our own path
though the forest with the help of a machete. After an extremely long day
(the longest of the trip) we will make a clearing in the jungle to pitch
our tents for the night. |
| Day
14. Trek to Virgen del Rosario. Camp. |
Elevations
1sr pass 1,131m (3,709f)
Virgen del Rosario 920m (3,017f)
Timing
Walking: 7-8 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
We will follow a similar
route as yesterday: parallel to the Moxos river. Later we will leave the
relatively flat banks of the river to traverse a sort of dry rocky ridge
with just some bushes and Cactus. After several “up-and-downs”
we will reach the confluence of the Moxos and the Amantala river. From there
we will climb to a small pass, where we will see the Pata village at the
other side of the valley. There is still a long way to do so, we continue
without delay. A short descend will take us to the banks of Amantala (also
called Tuichi) river that we will follow upstream negotiating sandy beaches
filled with rocks and logs carried by the river floods. We will set our
campsite at the main square of Virgen del Rosario village, hopefully have
the chance to drink some “Chicha” (fresh corn beverage) and
take a cold shower. |
| Day
15. Trek to Pata. Transport to Apolo. Basic hostel. |
Elevations
1st pass 1,948m (6,389f)
Apolo 1,815m (5,953f)
Timing
Walking: 5-6 Hrs
Driving: 4-5 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
To continue our way
towards Apolo town, first thing in the morning we have to cross a big river
almost 200m (656ft) wide. We will do it with the help of a “piragua”
(narrow raft made with Balsa wood). That has to be done one-by-one so, it
may take a while until we have the whole group at the other bank. Locals
are very good swimmers and they cross the river just with the help of an
inflated tire inner tube. The
ascent to Pata village is very long and strenuous but it is a well-marked
trail (almost a highway compared with the previous two days), the heat
will bang us hard as we arrive to Pata. There our vehicle will be waiting
for us. Driving along that recently finished road will certainly be as
tough as the hike itself but, very rewarding because of the views and
landscapes we will enjoy on the way towards the village of Santa Cruz
del Valle Ameno first and to Apolo later. There we will stay in a basic
hostel.
|
| Day
16. Transport to La Paz. Camp. |
Elevations
Charazani 3,600m (1,180f)
Road pass 4,800m (15,744f)
La Paz 3,650m (11,972f)
Timing
Driving: 10-12 Hrs
Meals
B,L |
Although, the road to
La Paz has been improved lately and (theoretically) the whole route can
be done in a large day, we will take two days for the trip to have the chance
to spend some time in Apolo, and to enjoy the beauties along of the way.
After breakfast we will take a tour through the town and its surrounding
until lunch, then we will continue towards La Paz as far as we can go. Typically
we have camped near some hot springs at the side of the road. After breaking
camp we will continue our drive towards Charazani the capital of the Kallawayas
(Itinerant which Andean doctors). The road climbs steeply up to the highes
road pass to then drop down to the shores of Lake Titicaca and traversing
the highlands to La Paz city. Farewell dinner. |
| Day
17. Free Day. Hotel. |
Elevations
La Paz 3,650m (11,972f)
Timing
None
Meals
B,D |
Free day in La Paz to
rest or enjoy shopping in La Paz markets. At early evening we will have
a farewell dinner and celebrate all together. |
| Day
18. Departure. Transfer to Airport. |
Elevations
El Alto 4,100m (13,450f)
Timing
Driving: 30 min
Meals
B |
Transfer to airport. |
.jpg)
Centuries
ago during when the Tiwanacu and Inca empires were expanding their boundaries,
despite the difficulties encountered in the north-to-south migration axe;
they were very successful conquering lands as north as Ecuador (what it
is Quito nowadays) and as south as Chile (what it is the Atacama desert
nowadays).