Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Lagunillas to Agua Blanca (Curva to
Pelechuco) Trek
This fantastic four- to five-day hike (45km) passes through splendid and largely uninhab-
ited wilderness. Recent reports indicate that safety is a concern here, as are pollution and
the lack of support services along the way. Check around before you head out.
The track stays mostly above 4000m and includes five high passes. There's arguably no
better scenery in the Andes, and along the way you're sure to see llamas and alpacas, as
well as more elusive Andean wildlife, such as viscachas, vicuñas, condors and perhaps
even a spectacled bear.
The trek may be done in either direction, as both ends have relatively reliable - albeit
limited - public transportation links with La Paz. Most people do the route from south to
north, but starting in Agua Blanca would mean an additional day of downhill walking and
could include a grand finale at Charazani's hot springs. The trail is pre-Columbian and
built on a stone platform; some areas still have cobbled paving up to 2m wide.
It is strongly recommended that you hire a guide and pack animals for the trek - no reli-
able maps of the region exist. Clients must often carry their own food and stove, and are
also often expected to provide meals for their guides, porters and muleteers. Bring enough
food for a week, preferably from La Paz, as Curva and Pelechuco have only basics at in-
flated prices.
Access
Trans Altiplano
(
in La Paz 2-238-0859)
runs daily buses to Lagunillas from La Paz.
They leave from Reyes Cardona in the cemetery district in the early hours of the morning.
Trans Norte
(
in La Paz 2-238-2239)
runs a daily service to Agua Blanca and
Pelechuco from El Alto (at the ex-
tranca
Río Seco) at 6am (B$35, 12 hours). The bus
may stop en route - depending on the driver's mood - at the market in Huancasaya on the
Peruvian border, before continuing to Ulla Ulla, Agua Blanca and Pelechuco. Buses return
at odd hours so check the schedules before leaving La Paz, as they change often. At the
time of writing, the return from Agua Blanca departed between 3am and 4am.
A more expensive but considerably easier and more comfortable way to go is by 4WD.
A vehicle and driver from La Paz to Lagunillas (B$2100, seven hours) or Agua Blanca
(B$2500, 10 hours) may be worthwhile because it allows daylight travel through the in-
comparable scenery. Alternatively, you can pay to leave the logistics to someone else and
do the trek with an agency.
