Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
RÍO CHOKE
The Río Choqueyapu, which flows underground through La Paz and opens up in the Zona Sur, might as well be
shortened to the Río Choke. It's the most contaminated river in all of Bolivia, containing high levels of industrial
waste, urine, garbage and excrement. The industrial toxins include cyanide from tanneries and a cocktail of chem-
icals and dyes from textile and paper industries, which cause the river to flow bright orange in places, or red
topped with a layer of white foam. The river also receives about a ton of heavy metals a day from upstream mines,
according to the news outlets
El Diario
and
Gaia Noticias
. Despite recently passed environmental protection
laws, most of the contamination comes from illegal industrial dumping.
Further downstream, the water is used by
campesinos
for washing, consumption and agriculture. Most people
heat the water before drinking it, but few boil it, and even boiling wouldn't eliminate some of the chemical pollut-
ants from industrial wastes. Several years ago there was an outbreak of cholera in La Paz, prompting people to
blame the
campesinos
in a nearby valley, who grow vegetables in the fertile valley.
Valle de las Ánimas
The name Valley of Spirits is used to describe the eerily eroded canyons and fantastic
organ-pipe spires to the north and northeast of the barrios of Chasquipampa, Ovejuyo and
Apaña (which are rapidly being absorbed into the Zona Sur neighborhoods of La Paz).
The scenery resembles that of Valle de la Luna, but on a grander scale. It's worth just get-
ting out here.
There are two (long-day) walking routes through the valley: the Río Ovejuyo Route and
the Quebrada Negra Route. The
Río Ovejuyo Route
requires a compass and 1:50,000 to-
pography sheet
5944-II
and, for a very short section, topo sheet
5944-I
. This option can be
challenging, especially because of the altitude. Make sure you carry plenty of water, a hat
and snacks.
The
Quebrada Negra Route
heads up Quebrada Negra, over Cerro Pararani and down
to Huni. Although only 7km, it's a demanding day hike that requires six to seven hours. It
begins at the Quebrada Negra ravine, which crosses the road at the upper (eastern) end of
Ovejuyo village.
The easy-to-follow 4km route up Quebrada Negra will take you through the most dra-
matic stretches of the eroded Valle de las Ánimas pinnacles. Near the head of the ravine,
you need to traverse southeast around the northern shoulder of Cerro Pararani, until you
find the obvious route that descends steeply to Huni village (not Huni chapel, which is
also marked on topo sheets). In fine weather you'll have good views of Illimani along this
section. For this route you'll need a compass and the 1:50,000 topo sheets
5944-I
and
