| 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. Motor boat to Pariti & Intja Island. Camp |
Elevations
Lake Titicaca 3,810m (12,497f)
Timing
Walking: 1-2 Hrs
Motor boat: 1-2 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
Today we will start
trekking in the Bolivian Highlands. We will visit the archeological sites
of Khala Uta (house of stones). Later we will take a motor boat to navigate
through a natural labyrinth of reeds that host many Andean bird species
towards the island of Pariti. There we will visit its extraordinary museum.
After lunch we will head to Intja Island where we will set up camp and enjoy
the sunset overlooking the Cordillera Real massif. |
| Day
4. Motor boat to Suriqui island & Puerto Pérez. Transport to
La Paz. Hotel |
Elevations
Lake Titicaca 3,810m (12,497f)
La Paz: 3,650m (11,972ft)
Timing
Walking: 2-3 Hrs
Motor boat: 1-2 Hrs
Driving: 2-3 Hrs
Meals
B,L |
In the morning we will
navigate towards Suriqui Island whose inhabitants are the famous reed boat
makers of Lake Titicaca. Some of them have helped adventurers like Thor
Hyerdahl, Kintín Muñoz and others to build the ships they
used to attempt Trans oceanic expeditions. We hope to 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. There our vehicle will be waiting to take us
back to La Paz. |
| Day
5. Transport to Pinaya. Trek to Tojra. Camp |
Elevations
Quiliwaya River 2,600m (8,528f)
Pinaya 3,945m (12,939f)
Tojra 4,500m (14,760f)
Timing
Driving: 3-4 Hrs
Walking: 6-7 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
The road towards Pinaya
snakes along the ridges and slopes of the southern part of Illimani mountain
in Cordillera Real massif, more precisely through the Palca canyons. The
continuous change of colors and textures in the mountain sides are amazing
to the eyes: the agriculture fields between the canyon faces, the protruding
rocks guarding the rivers and the shining glaciers overlooked from the pastures.
Pinaya is a typical Aymara Indian village. Our ever smiling porters and
mule drivers live there. They worship Illimani as their protector and benefactor.
The first part of the trek will be quite steep up to Chapoco; a swampy grassy
plain used as a base camp for climbers who attempt this mountain. From this
point we will continue on an abandon road towards our campsite located in
an old mining campsite. After sunset, a shapeless “ameba” of
light appears under the horizon: the city of La Paz. |
| Day
6. Trek to Kosuna river. Camp. |
Elevations
1st Mnt Pass 4,650m (15,252f)
Kosuma river 3,584m (11,755f)
Timing
Walking: 5-6 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
We continue to follow
yesterday’s old mining track this morning which takes us over an easy
pass before we head downhill and begin towards Urania mine. This was once
a large operation, judging by the disused buildings and machinery and will
contrast with the other mining activity we will encounter on our journey
– where just a handful of men live rough in the mountains and work
fissures on high rock faces. It is difficult to visualize how people could
work at these heights and in such a harsh environment. Suddenly the landscape
changes dramatically as we descend to the dirty road that we follow until
Atawallani village. From this point, we leave the road and start following
a path through grassy fields will lead us into a high mountain forest. A
small meadow, at the side of a stream will serve us as a campsite. Since
we are now on the other side of Illimani we will be able to enjoy twinkling
lights of another sort – the fabulous stars and constellations of
the southern hemisphere sky. |
| Day
7. Trek to Jokoyo valley. Camp. |
Elevations
1st Mnt Pass 4,550m (14,924f)
Jokoyo 2,700m (8,856f)
Timing
Walking: 7-8 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
A new gold mine has
started operations and now the route to our pass is very distinct and it
navigates between vertical rock faces and along slopes of scree. The pass
itself is but a small notch in a black rocky ridge that runs down from the
Illimani massif. The passage is dramatic insofar as we leave one world behind
for completely new vistas. Once through, instead of skirting round Illimani
we will be facing east towards the cloud forest and spotting Quimsa Cruz
mountain range for the first time – and as the mountains get lower
and lower, so they get greener. It is also a good spot for sighting condors
riding the thermals. We will spend some time exploring and old abandon gold
mine at the other side of the pass as we descend towards the bottom of the
valley where we will set our campsite. It is even possible to start smelling
the perfumes of the forests down below. In the evening before it goes dark
you will likely hear what sounds like thunder – in fact it is the
dynamite blasts of a small handful of gold miners working on the rocky slopes
above. |
| Day
8. Trek to Quicuma. Camp. |
Elevations
El Rancho 2,350m (7,708f)
Quircuma 2,460m (8,069f)
Timing
Walking: 6-7 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
After ascending to a
ridge with superb views of the eastern face of Illimani mountain and the
colorful patchwork of cultivated fields where many varieties of crops are
cultivated; namely: corn, peas, beans and even fruit trees. Today we will
have a long steep descend to the bottom of the valley; certainly our knees
will feel it though. As we get lower into the microclimatic valley of Chunga
mayo, the vegetation will get thicker and temperature increase. On our way
to our camp we pass by Chultiwaya town and later by “El Rancho”;
a rundown old buildings that probably were part of a more extensive hacienda
before the land-reform that followed the 1952 Revolution (the seminal historical
event in modern Bolivian history). If we are lucky to find anyone there,
we may buy some sweet limes or chirimoya (custard apples). The former are
great to eat simply peeled like an orange – or if you have bought
a bottle of Singani (Bolivia’s national spirit) with you, to make
a citric rocket fuel aperitif before supper. Our campsite will be located
in a small settlement called Quircuma a little higher from the river bed
and more than 2km lower than yesterday’s mountain pass. |
| Day
9. Trek to Kasiri laggon. Camp. |
Elevations
Trapiche 3,770m (12,365f)
Kasiri lagoon 4,200m (13,776f)
Timing
Walking: 7-8 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
Today’s climb
is not really noticed as the trail takes us into a “lost paradise
valley”, the weirdest thing is that the higher we go the most dense
the vegetation grows because of microclimatic conditions in this valley.
It will fell hot and humid as we pass along ancient pre-Hispanic paths that
cut tunnels through the vegetation towards our campsite located on the slopes
of “Cerro Khala Ciudad” (the name of this mountain group translating
as Stone City). Today we have a long way uphill towards Kasiri lagoon, our
route will take us first on a scenic ridge to then drop down to Trapiche
meadow which looks like a Jurassic park with grass fields surrounded by
trees, ferns, parasitic orchids, bamboo and moss clad trees. In the afternoon
we will get back to the altitude lands featured by lakes with vertical rocky
shores. The trail gets wider and the cobble stone is in better shape. It
is amazing to know that they have been built at least a thousand years ago. |
| Day
10. Rest day. Camp. |
Elevations
Kasiri lagoon 4,200m (13,776f)
Timing
None
Meals
B,L,D |
It is almost a week
since we started walking. A rest day will be very welcome. The ones bursting
with energy can go for a hike around Kasiri lagoon (about 2 Hrs) or –
a little more demanding – for a hike around the beautiful Sumuseje
lagoon (about 3 Hrs). |
| Day
11. Trek to Solaka. Camp. |
Elevations
Crest pass 4,350m (14,268f)
Solaka 3,000m (9,840f)
Timing
Walking: 7-8 Hrs
Meals
B,L,D |
It is magnificent to
walk along the ridge and see that the lower slopes are being covered by
jungle forest. Here at the tree line of the cloud forest, there is a lot
of wildlife. Look out for bears, they may be laying on the grassy fields,
in the shadow of the trees. Clouds obscure the valley bottoms as the rivers
drain into the upper reaches of the Amazon Basin. Our camp site will be
just below the tree line (Ceja de Monte). |
| Day
12. Trek to Siquilini. Transport to Chulumani. Hotel. |
Elevations
Chulumani 2,000m (6,560f)
Timing
Walking: 6-7 Hrs
Driving: 1 Hr
Meals
B,L,D |
The trail gets narrower
as we descend into the cloud forest. At times we will be walking through
tunnels of vegetation – as it gets progressively thicker, warm and
more humid our lead guides might have to use machetes to clear the way.
However, it is not unpleasant and there are good opportunities to spot orchids
and birds. We will be descending a ridge and suddenly the cloud forest will
give way to cultivated land as we descend towards the Hacienda of Siquilini.
The Yungas are the semi-tropical valleys that lie in the eastern foothills
of the Bolivian Andes – coca is grown here as it has been for many
centuries, although citrus fruits and coffee are also produced. Today the
Yungas have become a destination for the wealthier citizens of La Paz to
retreat to away from the cold and altitude of the city. We will take our
vehicles to go the nearby town of Chulumani. |
| Day
13. Transport to La Paz. Hotel. |
Elevations
Road pass 4,800m (15,744f)
La Paz: 3,650m (11,972ft)
Timing
Driving: 4-5 Hrs
Meals
B,L |
The journey back to
La Paz is relatively long, but it is an interesting journey one as we climb
back up and over the Andes once more. |
| Day
14. 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
15. Departure. Transfer to Airport. |
Elevations
El Alto 4,100m (13,450f)
Timing
Driving: 30 min
Meals
B |
Transfer to airport. |
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The
Andes Mountains and the cloud forest have a very close relation. They
are part of the same ecosystem. It is impossible to think about one without
the other even though they are so different.