Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Dangers & Annoyances
Travelers have occasionally been robbed doing this trek solo, with most thefts reported
below Choro village. Though these appear to be isolated incidents, it's a better idea to go
in a group or with a guide. Camp out of sight if possible and do not leave anything outside
your tent.
Access
Once you find the trailhead, the trail is easy to access and follow. From Villa Fátima (
Click here
)
in La Paz, catch any Yungas-bound transportation and ask to be dropped at
La Cumbre
, marked by a
statue of Christ
, where the trek begins.
The road climbs steeply out of Villa Fátima, and La Cumbre is less than an hour out of
La Paz, at the 4725m crest of the La Paz-Yungas road. For the best chance of good clear
views of the stunning scenery, start as early as possible, before the mist rises out of the
Yungas.
You can also take a taxi to the trail (30 minutes). One advantage of this is that they can
take you up the first bit to the pass at
Abra Chucura
, thus avoiding the initial climb if
you think it might cause you altitude problems.
The Route
At the
statue of Christ
is a park registration office where you should sign in. Tra- dition-
ally this is also the place to perform the ritual
cha'lla,
which asks for blessing from the
gods and good luck for your journey. In former times it was an Aymará sanctuary, which
was replaced with the Christ monument in the colonial era. In August,
yatiris
(traditional
Aymará medicine men) set up tents here to bless people coming from La Paz for benedic-
tions from the
achachillas
(mountain spirits). From here, follow the well-defined track to
your left for 1km then turn off onto the smaller track that turns right and passes between
two small
ponds
(one often dry). Follow it up the hill until it curves to the left and begins
to descend.
At this point follow the light track leading up the gravelly hill to your right and toward
an obvious notch in the barren hill before you. This is
Abra Chucura
(4859m), and from
here the trail runs downhill all the way to its end at Chairo. At the high point is a pile of
stones called
Apacheta Chucura
. For centuries travelers have marked their passing by
tossing a stone atop it (preferably one that has been carried from a lower elevation) as an
offering to the mountain
apus
(sacred places). An hour below Abra Chucura lies the re-
mains of a
tambo
(wayside inn) dating from Inca times.
