Summary:
Mount Illimani towers in the distance as you walk back in time through a dramatic canyon to the rural life of a Bolivian village. Highly Recommended One Day Hike Trail Description It is almost certain that La Paz will be your starting point. The highest capital in the world is an amazing sight: a metropolis sprawling across a 5km-wide bowl etched into the Altiplano, surrounded by the peaks of the Cordillera Real. Like a sentinel, snow-covered Mount Illimani (20,998 ft/6,402 m) rises imperiously in the distance. As with most large cities, La Paz is affected by horn-honking traffic, jostling people and poverty. But there is an escape for the city-weary – one that takes you out of the conurbation and into an unspoilt canyon connecting rural villages.

This hike takes a little planning. You will need transport to Huni and back from Palca as both villages have little accommodation for travelers. The cheapest option is to catch a bus but be sure to check the running times back from Palca. A more expensive but easier option is to hire a taxi for the day: it will cost around US$50. If you don’t speak much Spanish, the simplest way is to book one through the tourist office. They can arrange for the driver to take you on the 1 hour journey from the center of La Paz to Huni, then wait for you in Palca for the journey back to the city.

Huni is a small collection of houses surrounded by fields and wandering sheep and donkeys. After confirming the pick-up arrangements with the taxi driver, simply take the main track through the village. Although it is hard to get lost, there are no signs or information boards. This is not a National Park, which also means no entrance fees, no parking lots and no crowds. In fact, it would be extremely surprising if you see another Westerner here. You pass traditional Indian houses among a patchwork of green fields and clumps of whispering trees as the track meanders and descends. Imposing Illimani forms a fantastic backdrop, a few clouds clinging to its summit like white candy-floss.

About 1.5 hours from Huni, you reach Quebrada Chua Khein river, just a trickle of water in the dry season. Look for a place to scramble down the crumbling bank to the riverbed and head into the canyon. Mammoth walls gather around you, and the further in you walk, the narrower and more spectacular the ravine becomes. Spires of sandstone, some hundreds of feet high, rise from immense cliffs, like a line of skyscrapers towering over a long city avenue. In many ways the scenery is reminiscent to Bryce Canyon in Utah.

Continue along the stony floor of the canyon. Eventually, an unmade track appears on your left near some mud houses. It leads away from the riverbed and into picturesque scenes from the past. The villagers tend their fields of crops and livestock, surrounded by the imposing canyon (see main photograph). A few huts are scattered among the trees. There is no machinery to be seen. No telephone or power lines. No clue that this is the 21st century.

Soon you will approach the small community of Palca, but there’s no need to rush. Take your time, stop and admire the incredible scenery. Your driver will be waiting for you, possibly slumped over his wheel asleep as ours was! Driving along twisting roads, you pass Huni, and a bit later the outskirts of La Paz. The modern world will be waiting, its gateway the golden arches of a McDonald’s restaurant.

This contrast makes the day even more special, truly unforgettable. You pass through wonderful scenery, across a very different land to the one most of us call home. You feel as though you are stepping back in time to a place whose secret cannot be known from sitting in a car or a touring coach. This is what OneDayHikes.com is all about.

FACT FILE

Location: La Paz province, west Bolivia. Directions: The trail starts at Huni, 15-20 miles east of the Bolivian capital La Paz, and ends at Palca. A taxi is the easiest option from La Paz, although a limited bus service also serves these villages (a bus back to La Paz from Palca costs around US$1). Trailhead: Huni – take the main track through the village. Length: 6 miles / 9.6 km Trail Type: One way Elevation Change: N/A Duration: 4 hours Trail Condition: Clear track initially. Dry riverbed with rocks and boulders inside the canyon. There are no signs but the trail is instinctive. Features: Canyon, rock formations, views of Mount Illimani, rural life. Climate: Dry season is winter, May through October. During the wet season, November to April, the canyon may be flooded. Accommodation: Many hotels and hostels in La Paz. Trail Notes: Acclimatize to the high altitude before hiking. The topographic map for this area is IGM Palca 6044 III, although it is not necessary. Arrange transport at the La Paz tourist office on the Plaza del Estuiante, on the corner of Mexico and 16 de Julio (the Prado).

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