Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
path climbs southeast towards the 5100m
Sunchuli Pass
, passing through the small village
of Piedra Grande. A mining road runs up to the pass, but you should take the more direct path
that branches off it to the left after the village; in all, it's a five- to six-hour climb from Ilo-Ilo
to the pass. Don't attempt to clear the pass after about 4pm as clouds can close in quickly, re-
ducing visibility and making route-finding impossible. There's a good but cold camping site
on a green meadow about ninety minutes before the pass, where you should overnight if you
can't clear this part of the route before mid-afternoon.
The Sunchuli Pass to Incachani
On the other side of the pass, follow the mining road down for about fifteen minutes to the
top of a green valley; there are good camping spots a little further down beside a stream in
the valley. Otherwise, when the road contours round to the left, cut across to the right-hand
side until you hit a narrow irrigation canal, then take the path running above it to the east.
After about 45 minutes the path climbs over the shoulder of the mountain to the east, opening
up fantastic views to the south of the last cloud-covered ridges of the Andes. The route then
drops steeply down to the abandoned mining village of
Viscachani
, before contouring round
to the south, past a lake and up over another ridge. Above the lake to the right rises the peak
of
Akhamani
(5700m), the sacred mountain of the Kallawayas.
From the ridge you can see the next pass, marked by two stone
apachetas
to the southwest.
From there, take the path down to the southeast, which soon descends a hair-raisingly steep
switchback path known as
mil curvas
(“a thousand bends”) carved out of a loose scree slope.
This descends from 4650m to 4150m in just an hour or two, bringing you out beside a small
stream, where you'll find
Incachani
, a collection of ancient (presumably Inca) ruined build-
ings at the top of a green valley-an excellent place to camp.
Incachani to Curva
From here the path climbs southwest to a 4700m pass below the peak of Akhamani, before
dropping down and contouring southwest to another pass, again marked by stone
apachetas
.
Fromhere,thepathheadssouthdownadeepvalleyto
Jatun Pampa
,analpaca-herdingham-
let set on the grassy valley floor where you can camp. From Jatun Pampa it's another two to
three hours to Curva. Continue down and across the river then climb diagonally up to the left
on the opposite slope. Descend again and cross another river, then pick up a path climbing to
the left to another mountain spur. From here you can see
Curva
a short distance below to the
left, and
Lagunillas
by the lake a little further down to the right.
INFORMATION AND TOURS: THE TRANS-APOLOBAMBA TREK
Food and equipment
You can buy basic foodstuffs in Pelechuco and Charazani, but you'll
need to bring all other equipment and supplies with you from La Paz.
