AM 05
Nature Interpretation in Las
Yungas inside
For those who love the outdoors and for the birdwatcher in
particular, the experience of accompanying a biologist for a couple of days in
the subtropical forest, alternating 5 hours of easy walking with nature
interpretation and camping in the cloud forest, this is a journey rich in
sights and encounters with the ecosystem’s flora and fauna. The trail lies at
2100 to
above sea level, from Las Lauras Valley to the tree fern forest all along the
ridge and including the peak of the
Day 1: From Samaipata we head out for
a one hour ride in a 4×4 jeep. After a snack, we take our packs and head out
for only 1½ hour hike up the hillside past
Las Lauras, identifying along the way the names of jays and parakeets hidden
amongst the sotos, erythrinas and lapachos. We continue past the
our campsite Quetzal where we will pitch our tents next to a natural spring.
Here a tree-fern forest nourishes itself with the humidity of the clouds which wind
their way through the canopy of weinmannias, bolivian pines, bolivian cedars,
and myrtaceaes. After lunch we spend 3½ hours on the eastern outskirts of these
hills. Here the fairy-tale like forest, is covered with epiphytes and curtains
of moss. With a little luck we will cross paths with a capuchin monkey´s aerial
route or hear the song of quetzals and trogons, tinamous and guans, thrushes, antpittas,
etc. Then we will head back to Quetzal camp in time for the magic of eating our
evening meal beside the campfire, alone in the forest and attentive to all the
calls of nocturnal animals. Due to the altitude anti-malaria medication are not
necessary. Bring a rain jacket.
Day 2: We have breakfast and pack up
at dawn, while listening to mountain solitaires, guans y furnariids. In ½ hour
we carry our packs to the next pass, where we will leave them well guarded, in
order to continue with lighter loads. In 2 hours we will arrive at the top of
lookout offers us a 360degree view towards: the Cincho de Los Loros, The Devils
Tooth, the Chafral range, and the
Rafael
well as the far-off mountains of El Alegre, Parabanó, etc. It’s an excellent site to take a break and
observe Black and Chestnut Eagles, Swallow-tailed Kites, King Vultures, and
tinamous. We return in two hours to pick
up our backpacks, all the while photographing the sights with 200 or 400 ISO
film. We lunch between the mojinos and boldos trees and from there head down
with packs for a ½ hour until reaching the vehicle waiting to take us back to
Samaipata on a 1 hour trip down a dirt road.
Duration: 8
hrs. per day, for example, Day 1 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Day
2 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Included:
Guide (English-Español Spoken), snacks, 2 packed lunches, dinner,
breakfast, fruit, bottled water, poncho, camping equipment(ask about sleeping
& pad), transport throughout the excursion, a contribution to the Neighbors
and Friends of Amboró Program.
