Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
perb views of the Cordillera Real to the south and the Sunchulli Valley to the north and
west.
At the pass the road drops into the valley; at the point where it bears right, look for a
path turning off to the left. This will take you to a point above the
Sunchulli gold mine
.
From Sunchulli, follow a contour line above the aqueduct for about an hour, until you see
an idyllic
campsite
(4600m) below Cuchillo I.
The fourth day of the hike is probably the finest, as it includes sections that have been
used for centuries by miners and
campesinos
. From the campsite, the road ascends for
about two hours via a series of switchbacks to the
Cumbre Sunchulli
(5100m) pass.
From the pass, you can scramble up to a cairn above the road for excellent views domin-
ated by
Colocolo
(5916m), the southern Cordillera Apolobamba's highest peak.
Descend along the road for a few minutes, then jog right down a steep but obvious path
that crosses a stream opposite the glacier lake below Cuchillo II before descending to the
valley floor. If you follow the valley floor, you'll rejoin the road a couple of minutes
above the picturesque stone-and-thatch village of
Piedra Grande
, three hours from the
pass. Camping is possible here.
Follow the road for about an hour, then join the precolonial road turning off downhill to
your right. After you cross a bridge, you should follow the obvious path to the right, lead-
ing you up into the village of
Hilo Hilo
in about an hour. Here you'll find small stores
selling the basics and it may even be possible to rent a room for the night.
When leaving Hilo Hilo don't be tempted onto the path to the left, which leads west to
Ulla Ulla (although this is also a viable trek). The correct route is to the right, leaving the
village above the school between the public facilities and the cemetery. From there, cross
the llama pastures until the path becomes clear again. After crossing a bridge (about an
hour out of town) and beginning up the
Palca Valley
with a sharp rock peak at its head (if
it's too overcast to see the rock, look for several small houses on your left and turn there),
you'll stumble onto an ideal campsite set in a bend in the valley, where there are a number
of large fallen rocks.
From the campsite, head up the valley for about 1½ hours until you reach a bridge over
the stream. At this point the route begins to ascend to the
Cumbre Kiayansani
pass
(4900m), which you should reach in another 1½ hours. From the pass, descend past a
lake, crossing pastures full of llamas, and follow some pre-Columbian paving as well as
stone steps cut into the rock that date from the same period. In less than two hours you'll
arrive in
Pelechuco
, a quaint colonial village founded by Jesuits in 1560.
There are a couple of simple
alojamientos
in Pelechuco, but a 30-minute walk further,
passing two intriguing pre-Columbian settlements, takes you to the mining village of
Agua Blanca
, where there's an
albergue
, for a well-deserved rest.
