AMC Bolivia: Overview

The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) “Bolivian Day Hiking Adventure” promised hiking and discovery in a country I have always wanted to visit.  Ginette and Anna of AMC and Matt of Adventurebug led 17 of us from La Paz and Valle de la Luna, to Sorata with its views of Illampu (20,892’) and Janq’u (21,086’), over Islas del Sol and de la Luna on Lake Titicaca, and into the jungles and pampas of the Amazon Basin near Rurrenabaque.  We hiked ~5-7 miles almost every day ranging from softly undulating to ascending from 11,500’ to 13,800’ in just 3 miles.  

Our group in the jungle

Best decision Susan and I made was to come two days early to our delightful hotel in La Paz to acclimate to the altitude (11,913 feet above sea level)

Hiked from 11,500' to almost 13,800' in three miles to reach lake Chilata in the Mt Illampu foothills outside Sorata

Walking the ridge of Isla del Sol on Lake Titicaca in perfect weather. My favorite!

Wildlife was our reward for roughing it in the jungle.

AMC Bolivia: Rurrenabaque Jungle & Pampas

Our group filled the 19-passenger plane from La Paz over the mountains to Rurrenabaque in the Amazon Basin. Hail and turbulence made the flight more exciting but the alternative was a 12-hour bus ride. After a comfortable night in "town" we spent one night in the Alto Madidi Reserve and a second night in the Pampas del Yacuma. 

We traveled by boat on the Rio Beni before clambering uphill to hike the trail leading to our Jungle camp. Squirrel monkeys squeaked all around us in displeasure. 

We were greeted in camp by 11-month Gabby, a tapir adopted as a baby when her mother was killed by poachers.  Gabby loves to have her back scratched with a rake!

  

Our jungle hike was on a boardwalk ending in cliffs where macaws and green parrots dwell. Many thanks to fellow traveler Rich Willner for the wild animal shots.

The next morning, we returned by boat and then took a four hour drive to our rustic Pampas camp.

 

Enroute to camp we saw sloths and storks.  Later we saw caiman, pink dolphins, capybaras, howler monkeys, lizards and snakes.

AMC Bolivia: Lago Titicaca

After another 4 hour bumpy ride, we reached the ferry to Copacabana on Lago Titicaca (12,500'.) Actually, our bus rode the ferry and we took a motorboat.  Our hotel was gorgeous and we wanted to stay!  

The next morning, we hiked downhill from our hotel to board our boat to Isla del Sol. We disembarked near the Inca Palace and hiked for 2 hours to reach our guest house "Jacha Inti" in Yumani (~13,500'.)  

We got our rooms and then immediately hiked down to board our boat to Isla de la Luna.  We started our hike with a visit to Inak Uyu / "Court of Women" Inca ruins. Our local guide then led us from one side of the island over the top and down to the other side.  Our boat arrived at Yumani when people were lined up at the dock to transfer bricks. We enjoyed Happy Hour with a view of Mt Illampu.

My favorite hike was walking the length of Isla del Sol from Yumani to Roca Sagrada in the north. We climbed the imposing Inca Steps past villages and Inca ruins before descending to our boat. Most of the hike was on a well groomed "toll" trail named "Willka Thaki" and the weather was perfect.