Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
prefer to do it in reverse, thus leaving the prettiest bits to last. Whatever you choose to do,
it is best with a guide.
There are three options for the route between Sorata and Ancoma. First, you can rent a
4WD in Sorata and cut two days off the trek. You'll have to bargain but expect to pay at
least B$400. A challenging alternative is the steep route that begins near the cemetery in
Sorata. The route roughly follows the Río Challasuyo, passing through the village of
Chillkani and winding up on the road just below the Abra Chuchu (4658m) - this is also
the access to the Mapiri trail, a four-hour walk from Ancoma. The third option, which is
shorter and more scenic, is to follow the route through the village of Lakathiya and over
the Abra de Illampu (4741m) to meet up with the road about 1½ hours above Ancoma.
Foreigners are charged B$10 per person to camp anywhere in the vicinity of Ancoma or
you can ask about lodging in the school room. There is also a B$3 charge for crossing the
bridge. Alternatively, continue a few kilometers on to Tushuaia where there is a flat ter-
race that makes for excellent camping.
The Route
Once you're in Ancoma, the route is fairly straightforward. Leave the 4WD track and fol-
low the southern bank of the
Río Quillapituni
(which eventually becomes the
Río
Tipuani
). At a wide spot called
Llallajta
, 4½ hours from Ancoma, the route crosses a
bridge and briefly follows the north bank before recrossing the river and heading toward
Sumata. Another Inca-engineered diversion to the north bank has been destroyed by
bridge washouts, forcing a spontaneously constructed, but thankfully brief, detour above
the southern bank.
Just past the detour is the village of
Sumata
; just beyond, a trail turns off to the north
across the river and heads for
Yani
, which is the start of the Mapiri trail. A short distance
further along from the trail junction is
Ocara
. From here, the path goes up the slope -
don't follow the river. After 1½ hours you'll reach
Lambromani
, where a local may ask
you to pay B$3 per person to pass. You can camp here in the schoolyard.
An hour past Lambromani you'll reach
Wainapata
, where the vegetation grows thicker
and more lush. Here, the route splits (to rejoin at Pampa Quillapituni); the upper route is
very steep and dangerous, so the lower one is preferable. A short distance along, the lower
route passes through an interesting tunnel drilled through the rock. There's a popular myth
that it dates from Inca times, but it was actually made with dynamite and likely blasted out
early in the 20th century by the Aramayo mining company to improve the access to the
Tipuani goldfields. At
Pampa Quillapituni
, 30 minutes beyond, is a favorable campsite.
Just east of this, a trail branches off to the right toward Calzada Pass, several days away
on the Illampu circuit.
