Takesi Trek
by Lawrence Rubey and
A. Bennett Hennessey
At least a half dozen Pre-Hispanic
or "Inca trails" link the altiplano
with the sub-tropical Yungas. Constructed over 500
years ago as a vital transport and communication link, many are still in use
today by local people. In the last few years, these "Inca trails"
have also emerged as a major tourist draw. For the trekker, the Takesi trail has some of best preserved Hispanic stone
paving, steps, and retaining walls in South America
and offers great views of the flat-topped Nevado Mururata (5868m). For the birder, the 40 kilometer
trail descends from 4600m to 2220m passing through a variety of interesting
habitats, from puna grassland and high-altitude bogs
to second-growth Yungas forests. As
the trail descends into the Yungas the vegetation
changes, subtlety at first, with the introduction of tall grasses and shrubs,
gradually growing denser before finishing in the second growth cloud forest
below the mining town of Chojlla. Try and do this
hike during the week as weekends (especially holiday weekends) can be very
crowded with Bolivian hikers. On average over 5,000 people trek
the trail each year. Also, during the peak season, quite a bit of litter
accumulates along the trail (follow the candy wrappers if you think you are
lost!). Please pack out your all your garbage.
With a lift to the trailhead at
Mina San Francisco, one can skip the long uphill slog through farmland from Ventilla, and the journey becomes a nice two day trek with
plenty of birding time. If you decide to start walking at Ventilla,
you may end up camping at or near the trailhead the first night (where it can
be quite cold). The times below are for an acclimated but out-of-shape hiker
carrying a pack without including rest stops.
From Ventilla
town to the trailhead: Four
hours. Due to limited transportation, trekkers often have to make the trip from
the town of Ventilla
to the trailhead through the dry Choquecota valley.
If possible, try and arrange a lift from La Paz
directly to the trailhead as the Choquecota valley is
mostly shrubs and farm fields. Birds that may be seen include: Puna Hawk, Spot-winged Pigeon, Giant Hummingbird, Sparkling
Violetear, White-browed Chat-Tyrant, White-winged Diuca-Finch and Black Siskin.
From the trailhead to cumbre:
One hour. This section is only one of two significant uphill segments on the
trail and passes some beautiful examples of stone paving. A signpost showing
the route is found at the trailhead. From the trailhead, follow the branch to
the right. Near the summit, the path becomes broader with excellent Inca stone
paving. Reach the summit (cumbre) at 4600 meters and start
downhill through more beautiful stone paved areas. Interesting high altitude
birds here include Andean Hillstar, Andean Tit-Spinetail, Streak-throated Canastero,
Plain-breasted Earthcreeper, and Puna
Canastero. The keen birder may choose to take three
hours for this one hour climb! Just before the cumbre,
encounter several small bogs that are worth a rest stop. Watch
for Cinerous Ground-Tyrant, Andean Flicker, and
Andean Swallow. Andean Condor can occasionally be seen soaring above.
From the cumbre
to Takesi:
Three hours. This section is relatively barren but a half hour or so below the cumbre lies a large lake which
makes a nice stop for lunch. The boulders around this lake are good for
Short-tailed Finch. However, be careful in identification, Short-tailed Finch
can easily be confused with the abundant Plumbeous
Sierra Finch. Andean Goose also likely in this area. Birdlife picks up
considerably near the village Takesi as vegetation
increases. The area just below Takesi village is good
place to camp (3700m) with streams providing a water source (be sure to treat
all water). The low shrubbery below Takesi village is
also good for the endemic Black-hooded Sunbeam and the rare Stripe-headed Antpitta. Other birds of interest include Andean Tapaculo, Light-crowned Spinetail,
Brown-bellied Swallow, White-browed Conebill,
Red-crested Cotinga, Black-throated Flowerpiercer, and Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant. As the area
below Takesi is one of the best birding sites on the
trail, it is worth getting here in time to do some birding before dusk. Another
option is to camp here and plan on spending a couple hours birding at first
light before continuing down the trail.
From Takesi
to Kacapi: Three
hours. Just beyond the village of Takesi, the trail crosses
the Takesi
River and, with the river
on the left, begins a gradual descent on smooth stone paving (which can be
treacherous when wet). The trail then levels out and making a
long sweep right turn around the Loma Palli Palli with the river far below. With the descent
into Kacapi, the vegetation increases, although the
area is fairly dry and, unless a rare foraging flock is encountered, this
section of the trail has limited birdlife.
From Kacapi
to Chojila:
One hour. From Kacapi, where locals operate several
modest restaurants, it is a brief yet steep descent to the Quimsa
Chata river (2600m). Full of
boulders, the stream-side is a wonderful place to soak your feet in the icy
water and have a snack. Then there is a long uphill segment to the tiny,
seemingly unpopulated village
of Chojila.
As this area is somewhat drier than the area near the Takesi
area and somewhat more disturbed, birds along this section are rather scarce.
From Chojila
to Chojlla: Two
hours. From Chojila, the trail descends and
re-crosses the Takesi River.
After crossing the river, the trail parallels the left bank and enters quite
good habitat. Birds likely to be encountered include: Andean Guan, Speckled
Hummingbird, Scaled and Tyrian Metaltails,
Blue-banded Toucanet, Highland Eleania,
White-eared Solitaire, Rust-and-yellow Tanager, Collared Jay, and Dusky-green Oropendola. White-capped Dipper and even Torrent Duck can
be found on the boulders in the river. As you approach the mining town of Chojlla (note the minor
difference in spelling between the neighboring village of Chojila and mining town of Chojlla),
a cement covered aqueduct begins. This acuaduct
offers excellent birding and is dealt with under Site 12. From the acuaduct it is a short, but steep, uphill climb to the town
of Chojlla,
a filthy and unpleasant mining town. Best options are to camp near the acuaduct or continue down the dirt road from Chojlla to Yanachachi where there
are a couple modest hotels (alojamientos).
Logistics: The Takesi
trailhead is located near the San
Francisco mine, though the poor condition of the road
means most drivers stop well before reaching the trailhead. Public
transportation goes daily to the nearby town of Ventilla, leaving from the market area above Calle Sagarnaga on the corner of Calles Rodriguez and Luis Lara in La
Paz. It is about a three hour
journey. Another option for larger groups (6 to 10 people) is to charter a
minivan to the trailhead outside of the village of Choquekhota. Many of the tour
agencies along Calle Sagarnaga
can arrange transport or contact the Fundación Pueblo
office in La Paz
(tel: 413031). Fundación
Pueblo, a Bolivian NGO, supports rural development projects in the Yanacachi/South Yungas region
aimed at increasing economic opportunities for the local people through, among
other things, developing tourism infrastructure along the trail. To return to La Paz
after the trek, early morning buses leave from Chojlla
(Site #12) and Yanachachi.
GPS reading at trail head of Takesi Trail (near Mina
San Francisco): S 16 29.743' W 67 54.124'