This seven-day trek takes us from the North of the Cordillera to the Apolobamba mountain range, Land of the Kallawaya Healers. They are believed to represent the last ethnic trace of the Tiwanaku lords, still speaking their ancient language, the Pukina.
For enthusiasts of wild encounters and lovers of wide-open spaces.

Departure from the hotel at 7:30 a.m. for the long drive in our private 4WD. We skirt Lake Titicaca to Escoma, before following Río Suches. We then enter the Muñecas Cordillera, giving us the impression of being on the Roof of the World. Great view of Illampu and Ancohuma mountain ranges. We then enter in Ulla Ulla wildlife preserve, prelude to the very remote Cordillera Apolobamba. After about 9 hours on a dirt road, we reach the village of Pelechuco, “the place in the clouds” in Quechua.
Cold lunch. All included. Guest house (basic comfort).

Difficulty : altitude trek, with several passes between 4.500 and 5.000 m.a.s.l. (at least two per day).
From 5 to 7 hours walk a day. Good physical condition required.
We start the day by a long climb in the direction of the Katantica Pass (el. 4750 m.a.s.l.). We stop for lunch near Lake Kucha Muyurina, just before the pass, after a 4-hour. From there we can see the summits of Palomani (el. 5770 m.a.s.l.), Azucarani (el. 5580 m.a.s.l.) and, if we are lucky, we may see flying over our head the famous Andean Condor. After a 40-minute descent we reach our camp on a nice grassy spot on the shore of Rio Hilo Hilo, in the place called Atacuani.
Cold lunch. All included. Bivouac.
Hiking time: 6 ½-hour; Elevation gain: +1150m / -600m

We hike a round the mountain located at the end of the valley and reach the picturesque village of Hilo Hilo and its thashed roof homes (about 1 ½-hour walk). We then follow a colonial trail to lunch at Piedra Grande, an estancia where a few families raising alpacas still live in a traditional fashion. We continue on to a pretty waterfall (Pajtcha Pata, el. 4600 m.a.s.l.) before ending the day with a hard ascent to the grassy flats of Liriuni, just before the Sunchuli Pass. We spot numerous viscachas as well as some Andean geese (huayatas).
Cold lunch. All included. Bivouac.
Ascent time: 6 h; Elevation gain: +700m

We start the day by a one-hour ascent to Sunchuli Pass (el. 5100 m.a.s.l.). Impressive view over Cololo (el. 5915 m.a.s.l.), Katantica (el. 5610 m.a.s.l.) and Cuchillo (el. 5655 m.a.s.l.). After performing the appropriate ceremony (ch’alla) consisting of offering coca leaves and alcool to ask for the protection of the mountain’s spirits (Apus), we start our descent. We arrive at a bofedal (wetland, el. 4750 m.a.sl.) which we skirt following the hillsides to quickly reach Viscachani Pass (el. 4850 m.a.s.l.) offering beautiful views of Acamani (el. 5666 m.a.s.l.) and the Cordillera Real. We then descend and cross “pueblo perdido”, an ancient gold mining camp built by the Spanish. We stop for lunch on the shores of the beautiful Laguna Kellua Kota. From where we reach, after a 40-minute walk, the mirador of Mil Curvas (“The Thousand curves”, el. 4590 m.a.s.l.) from which we can contemplate the impressive Acamani (el. 5666 m.a.s.l.).
After a short one-hour descent, we arrive at our camp at Incacancha (signifying “ Inca ruins” – el. 4100 m.a.s..), on the shores of a river where they used to rest their llamas.
Cold lunch. All included. Bivouac.
Hiking time: 6h; Elevation gain: +350m / -1000m

We start the day by the long ascent (2-hours and 40-minutes) of Tombillo Pass (el. 4700 m.a.s.l.), a sacred place where Bolivians come to do their offerings to the gods during the Carnival in February.
After a long descent (1 ½-hour) we arrive at a place called Jatunpampa where we take our mid-day break, and lunch near a river surrounded by an abundant fauna (llamas, viscachas, etc...). Less than an hour later we reach the “Pajtcha Pata” camp, at 3600 m.a.s.l., where three Kallawayas families live. We see the traditional potato fields and the water holes used for the transformation of the oca in kaya (by a dehydration process).
Cold lunch. All included. Bivouac.
Hiking time: 5h; Elevation gain: +600m / -1100m

Short morning hike (2 ½-hours - moderate elevation gain) to reach the charming village of Curva (el. 3800 m.a.s.l.): stone houses, Indians in traditional dress (option to purchase magnificent fabric, traditional clothes and ornaments). We visit the healer’s hospital where the practitioners still treat with local plants.
Our 4WD then takes us to the authentic village of Kallawaya of Upinuaya (50 minutes away on a dirt track). We take a traditional lunch in the company of the community and then attend some healing ceremonies and dances typical of this ancestral culture.
After these celebrations we keep on traveling to the Hot Springs of Charazani and enjoy a well-deserved bath.
All included. Night in 2-star guesthouse.
Hiking time: 2 ½-hour; Elevation gain: +200m

Departure from Charazani at 8 a.m. for our return in our private 4WD vehicle to La Paz via the national park of Ulla-Ulla and Lake Cololo (9-hour drive). On the road we can stop to visit the chapels of the villages of Carabuco and of Escoma, described like the “Sixtine” of Bolivia.
Lunch on the road (included) and dinner open.

IMPORTANT
LIMIT THE WEIGHT OF YOU PERSONAL EFFECTS TO 30 lbs / PERSON DURING THE TREK