TRAIL

REMOTE AND TOUGH Trekking Mapiri Trail

This trek will take you through a beautiful and remote region of , from the Cordillera Real, through the Yungas, a transition ecosystem between the dry and the humid Amazon Basin, and then into the cloud forest. You will start in the village of , drive up and over the pass of Abra Chuchu (4658m), and descend past the massif. You will follow the same ridge line for most of the trek and after 7 days you will arrive in the scenic village of Mapiri, which will be the first village that you will pass since leaving Yani. This trail was built for the rubber trade which was done in the lower Amazon. The trail is about 150 years old and is not pre Colombian.

[1] PROGRAM DETAILS MAPIRI TRAIL

Type of activity: Trekking up to 4500m

Difculty: 4 – Good fitness

Experience required: 3 – Good trekking skills

Number of days: 9 days, 8 nights

Tour starts in

Tour ends in La Paz

Best time of the year: May to September

Season: Dry season: Days are mild and nights are cold

Highlights: Visiting the Cordillera Real, the upper amazon basin, cloud forest. Views Illampu and Ancohuma. Visiting the villages of Sorata, Mapiri and . Chance to see wild life including the rare spectacle bear.

Butter fly

[2] PROGRAM Day 1: La Paz (3600m) – Sorata (2600m) Our first day is the drive to Sorata. As we head out of La Paz into the city of Al alto with have great views of La Paz city and the surrounding . Later we cross the were we pass most of the Cordillera Real. After 2 hours we reach a pass which takes us down into the valley of Sorata. A long the way we can stop for photos of Illampu, one of the most impressive looking mountains in the Cordillera Real. Once in Sorata we notice the climate is much warmer and is a great place to relax and drink a beer in the plaza. 3 – 4 hours driving (LD) Hostel

Day 2: Sorata – Yani (4000m) – Huilapata (4000m) We will leave early in the morning by 4WD, to go over the pass of Chu Chu (4700m). Before dropping down into the valley of Yani, we have some great views of Illampu (6356m). We drive about 1 hours to the village of Ingenio. Ingenio is a small gold mining town and has grown over the years from the mining. We will stop here for lunch before we start to trek. Trail starts of flat and we then need to climb for some hours before making camp. 3 hours by 4WD, 3 - 4 hours walking (BLD) camping

Day 3: Huilapata – Tolapampa (3800m) Walking most of the day on a ridge, with views of the snowy capped peaks of the Cordillera Real on our right. On our left the Yungas drops down into the Bolivian Amazon. The trail well marked and easy to see. 5 - 7 hours (BLD) camping

Day 4: Tolapampa – Koka Punku (3500m) Still in alpine country we will be able to see the trail a long way Mapiri village ahead of us. After midday we start to head east where we get closer to the forest. The late af- ternoon cloud will start to roll in. The area be- low us can look like a huge lake. 6 - 7 hours (BLD) camping

Day 5: Koka Punku – Alto Palmar (2700m) Today we will really start to get into the cloud forest. It’s wet and dense and tough going. Crawling under logs in the mud the trail is still easy to find as there’s only two ways to go. The way we came and the way in front. This forest here is very untouched. 7 - 8 hours (BLD) camping

[3] Day 6: Alto Palmar – Pararani (1900m) Another day we push our way through the jungle, crawling over logs in the mud. We some times get a view of the place where we are. We don’t see anybody in this part of the world. If we are lucky we might see a bear or some birds, but with such thick vegetation this can be difcult. 7 - 8 hours (BLD) camping

Day 7: Pararani – San Josè (1200m) Around here the jungle clears slightly and we should be able to see a river on our left as we walk high on the ridge. Finding water in this area is difcult so we will need to carry at least 2 liters each, especially since we will start to feel the heat of the lower Amazon. 6 - 7 hours (BLD) camping

Day 8: San Josè – Mapiri (760m) We will drop fast into the last valley which takes us to the gold town of Mapiri - life has an easy pace here. In the evening the miner’s come to sell their gold from their day’s labor. 5 - 6 hours (BLD) Hostel

Day 9: Mapiri – Guanay (600m) - La Paz (3600m) Today we have the long drive back to La Paz. We follow the winding roads to Guanay. From here we connect to more dirt roads which take us to a pass of 4700m. Finally we arrive in La Paz. This drive takes us from the low lands to the high Altitude in one day! Drop of at hotel. 9 – 11 hours driving (BL) END of SERVICES

[4] Prices Prices include:

Professional English speaking guide, guide ratio 3 clients to 1 guide Meals as mentioned, including drinks at camp meals and restaurant meals (B – breakfast, L – lunch, D – dinner) All private transport, to and from the trek Porters to carry all equipment for 7 days Full camp, includes: tents, kitchen equipment, etc Cook 2 night’s hostel (Sorata and Mapiri)

Not included: Mapiri Trail Personal clothing Personal insurance Extra services not mentioned in the program Tips

Prices:

1 person $3890 US 2 people $2220 US each 3 people $1795 US each 4 people $1760 US each

Prices with Spanish speaking guide:

1 person $3510 US 2 people $2030 US each 3 people $1715 US each 4 people $1665 US each

Contact details: Calle Linares #940 Email: [email protected] 1st Floor Web page: www.climbingsouthamerica.com La Paz Office phone number: 591-2-2971543 Bolivia Cell phone number: 591-71903534

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