Palca Canyon
I had planned on doing a multi-day trek from La Paz – but I changed my mind. It’s still technically the rainy season and there was a lot of rain in the forecast. And it’s kind of cold, even hitting freezing temperatures beyond the valley. I could maybe handle wet or cold, but not both. On top of the weather, the pandemic has changed bus routes and schedules, so I knew the info I’d found online about transportation to and from the trailhead was likely to be incorrect.
I found a nice day hike to do instead. It’s a hike from a village called Uni, down to the bottom of the valley, through Palca Canyon and then back up Palca Village. Not long or difficult, and close enough to the city that transit would likely be easy. I was up rather early one morning and the weather wasn’t bad, so I figured I’d give it a try. I packed my rain jacket and sunscreen and my trekking poles. I had some coffee while reading details about getting to Uni. Minibus – no problem. Transit in La Paz is essentially a whole bunch of minibuses (15 passenger vans) with destinations advertised on the windshield. So I went to the main minibus area and kept my eyes peeled for a “Uni” sign in a minibus window. And I waited a while without seeing one. I scanned the web for more info and found a post that recommended going to Chasquipampa to catch a Uni bus. I looked up from my phone and my eyes locked onto the word “Chasquipampa” in an approaching minibus window! I flagged it down and got in.
I found a nice day hike to do instead. It’s a hike from a village called Uni, down to the bottom of the valley, through Palca Canyon and then back up Palca Village. Not long or difficult, and close enough to the city that transit would likely be easy. I was up rather early one morning and the weather wasn’t bad, so I figured I’d give it a try. I packed my rain jacket and sunscreen and my trekking poles. I had some coffee while reading details about getting to Uni. Minibus – no problem. Transit in La Paz is essentially a whole bunch of minibuses (15 passenger vans) with destinations advertised on the windshield. So I went to the main minibus area and kept my eyes peeled for a “Uni” sign in a minibus window. And I waited a while without seeing one. I scanned the web for more info and found a post that recommended going to Chasquipampa to catch a Uni bus. I looked up from my phone and my eyes locked onto the word “Chasquipampa” in an approaching minibus window! I flagged it down and got in.
It took about 45 minutes to reach Chasquipampa, which is essentially just an area on the edge of the city of La Paz. I jumped out where the highway took a right turn towards Uni. I think the driver undercharged me – it was 2 Bolivianos (about 40 cents).
I bought a couple of buns from a street vendor to take with me. I didn’t even ask about the ingredients, they’re usually pretty standard – meat and vegetables. And they’re safe. I found out later (when I ate them) one was potato and vegetable with an egg at the center, the other chicken and vegetable. Both were good.
As I was packing my buns in my backpack, I saw a bus headed for Uni! I flagged it down and jumped in. That part of the trip was rather spectacular. We went up and over the mountain ridge on the edge of the city and drove past some amazing rock formations. And it wasn’t a very long trip. We stopped in the village at the main plaza – though it’s not much more than a parking lot for minibuses. That ride cost 3 Bolivianos – 60 cents.
I bought a couple of buns from a street vendor to take with me. I didn’t even ask about the ingredients, they’re usually pretty standard – meat and vegetables. And they’re safe. I found out later (when I ate them) one was potato and vegetable with an egg at the center, the other chicken and vegetable. Both were good.
As I was packing my buns in my backpack, I saw a bus headed for Uni! I flagged it down and jumped in. That part of the trip was rather spectacular. We went up and over the mountain ridge on the edge of the city and drove past some amazing rock formations. And it wasn’t a very long trip. We stopped in the village at the main plaza – though it’s not much more than a parking lot for minibuses. That ride cost 3 Bolivianos – 60 cents.
By then I was a little hungry and wanted a snack before setting off, but I wanted to save my buns for later. Options were limited - I had an ice cream sandwich.
I followed the gravel road down into the valley toward the canyon in the distance. It was a really lovely walk. The valley was green and full of flowers. There were homes and farms and everybody I passed said hello. And they eyed me curiously, but I’m getting used to that. The weather was nice. I followed a woman and a tiny lamb for a bit. The lamb had to run a bit every 10 seconds to keep up to her. So adorable.
I followed the gravel road down into the valley toward the canyon in the distance. It was a really lovely walk. The valley was green and full of flowers. There were homes and farms and everybody I passed said hello. And they eyed me curiously, but I’m getting used to that. The weather was nice. I followed a woman and a tiny lamb for a bit. The lamb had to run a bit every 10 seconds to keep up to her. So adorable.
As I approached the bottom of the valley, I came upon a fresh land slide. A section of the road had slid down a couple of meters, leaving sheer walls on either side of the slide. Getting down to the collapsed bit didn’t look too bad, but getting up on the other side worried me. I also noticed that the road was cracked and very soft below my feet. I wasn’t sure the road wouldn’t collapse further under my weight. There was no evidence of anyone passing through the slide since it had happened. I was guessing it had only been a day or two. By this point, there weren’t anymore farms or homes, so I didn’t see any alternative footpaths to follow. The hill above and below the road looked steep and there were prickly cacti everywhere.
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I had noticed a trail on my GPS app that left the road a short distance behind me, so I thought I’d give that a try. It was only about 5 minutes back up the hill to find the path. I was encouraged, sadly, by the amount of fresh garbage along the trail. It meant the trail had been used recently. Unfortunately, the amount of garbage quickly lessened, and the trail fizzled out. I found myself on the side of a steep hill, still high above the river, and surrounded by cacti. I fought my way along the hill a little further, but I had to keep backtracking to find a way through the thick brush. It was getting annoying, and I still couldn’t see any way to get down to the river. I went back to the road. I tried cutting through the field above the road, hoping to find a path to bypass the collapsed section, but I only found more cacti and a deep, impassable gorge.
I ended up crossing the collapsed road after all. Getting down wasn’t too bad, but it was so soft and sandy; I did a lot of sliding. I crossed the collapsed portion rather slowly, hugging the hill and making sure the road could hold my weight. It was fine. Getting up the other side was difficult. I couldn’t climb the wall itself because it was too soft; it gave way when I poked it with my walking stick. So I climbed the hill beside the road, clutching the tufts of grass that hadn’t moved in the slide. They had really strong roots, so it wasn’t too bad, but I did slip once and land on my butt. It sucks that I wasted time trying to avoid the road, but at least it was done. I only hoped I would be able to keep moving forward. I had my GPS app set to record, so I'll share a screen shot of my ridiculous attempts to bypass the collapsed section of road (indicated with the red arrow). |
The road was fine the rest of the way down to the river. I had read there was a road that went the entire way through the canyon, and there was – once upon a time, but most of it had been covered by landslides or washed away by the river. I walked along the riverbed most of the way but did enjoy the short sections of road that did exist (just easier to walk on).
I had a great time walking though the canyon itself. I had to cross the river a few more times than my maps indicated, but I never had to take off my boots. I always found a place where I could jump across or do some rock hopping. Walking on the riverbed is slow and tedious, but who cares when you’re surrounded by scenery like that?
I had a great time walking though the canyon itself. I had to cross the river a few more times than my maps indicated, but I never had to take off my boots. I always found a place where I could jump across or do some rock hopping. Walking on the riverbed is slow and tedious, but who cares when you’re surrounded by scenery like that?
The walk up to the village of Palca was steep at first, but it soon leveled off and got easier. At the top of the hill, I ate my buns and enjoyed the view overlooking this new valley. A half hour later, I was walking into the town of Palca, and it’s kind of neat – it has a couple of cobblestone roads and bridges. In the main square was a minibus with a “La Paz” sign in on the windshield. I asked the driver when he was leaving, and he said about an hour.
In the village of Palca, almost nothing was open. I would have loved a cold drink, but they only had freezers for ice cream, no refrigerators. I bought more ice cream and sat on a bench near the minibus, waiting for its departure. I didn’t have to wait an hour. There were enough people to fill the bus before that, so I only had to wait about 40 minutes.
The drive from Palca to Uni (the start of my hike) was rather spectacular. And there were snow-capped mountains peaking out of the clouds. The drive back to La Paz was long, but I had a window seat, and the scenery was entertaining - and I could crack a window when I was hot. The bus took me all the way back to city center, not far from my hostel. It cost a whopping 10 BS (2 dollars).
It was a lovely hike, and my pants weren’t nearly as dirty as I’d feared. It was (relatively) easy and fun. And no wet tent to worry about!
The drive from Palca to Uni (the start of my hike) was rather spectacular. And there were snow-capped mountains peaking out of the clouds. The drive back to La Paz was long, but I had a window seat, and the scenery was entertaining - and I could crack a window when I was hot. The bus took me all the way back to city center, not far from my hostel. It cost a whopping 10 BS (2 dollars).
It was a lovely hike, and my pants weren’t nearly as dirty as I’d feared. It was (relatively) easy and fun. And no wet tent to worry about!