Period: August 2001

Partecipants: Axel Kaiser, David Pianelli, Marco Taverniti

It was always my dream to explore remote jungle valley in the Amazon basin, but it seemed impossible to do this without a great amount of time. The occasion arose when I saw the article in the National Geographic of March 2000 about the new created Madidi national park in Bolivia. This park reaches from the top of the Andes till the Amazon lowland, great parts are still unexplored. Even if unexplored is a little exaggerated for this territory where goldhunters and various adventurers roamed for hundreds of years.

I began to gather information 2 years ago. The best, and most adventurous, way to explore this park is to trek to the Andes by foot and then descend the rivers to Rurrenabaque, a small town in Bolivia's lowlands.

The main problem was what kind of canoe or boat to take. A part of the river had been descended by an American expedition in 98 and they reported a lot of white water for about 90 km and then another 110 km of very flat water ( they made this last part with motor launches). Our problem was to whether to take a white water boat, very slow in calm water but fine in the rapids or take a fast boat and portage the rapids. After an extensive research we decided for Pakboats. This are very light, strong and spacious foldable canoes. Mainly and Aluminum skeleton with a PVC hull. Alv from Pakboat was very, very helpful in this process. We realized soon that this boats require a lot of skill in white water, which we didn't have. We decided to go anyway and take our risks.

To the Titicaca lake

Once arrived in La Paz we went immediately to the travel agency were we had prebooked a Jeep to reach the very remote Pelechuco were our trek should start. Here we discovered that the price for the Jeep had doubled another time. First price was 150 US$ and at the end we had to pay 450$!!

In our program were scheduled two days at the Titicaca lake to acclimatize at high altitudes, on the way to Pelechuco. To save some money we left our equipment in La Paz and go by bus.

Copacabana, a little town on the lake, is a peaceful place with great views . Yes, it's the same name as the famous beach in Rio do Janeiro, it seems that the later took the name from the former and not viceversa. We make the usual trip to Isla del sol, which seems more a Mediterranean island than one of the highest islands in the world, we feast with the Trouchas (the trouts) imported by Europeans and have some rest to prepare for the hard times which are expecting us. on the way back we stop at Tiwanacu, to see the preincaic temples, there is really not so much to see as the worthwhile statues and monoliths where pillaged and are now in various museums around the world.

In the Andes

Back in La Paz we prepare all the material we need for 5 days by foot and 14 days on the river. We had some emergency food from home but the main supplies were bought in La Paz, together with three bags of Coca leaves.

Next morning we wake up early for the 14 hours drive to Plelechuco, during the night it had snowed and everything was coated in white. Marco and David where insulting me because I convinced them that we were going to the jungle and that MAYBE we would suffer a little cold when we were high up in the mountains and that warm clothes would just be a nuisance. They bought nice, warm Alpaca sweaters in the next village, I just looked disapprovingly at this two Toyboys, but n my heart I was envying them. We are 5 people in our Jeep, three of us, Ronaldo our guide and the driver. We hired Rolando because, during the trek to the river, we wanted to acquire some knowledge on the Jungle. Very soon Rolando was nicknamed the Tamagochi, because, as a Tamagochi, very expensive and virtually useless.

The weather got even worse when we leave the shores of the Titicaca and climb up in the mountains. In the afternoon we reach the Ulla-Ulla National park which confines in the north with the Madidi and to the west with a protected area in Peru, forming the biggest protected are in South America. This Park is famous for its population of Vigugnas, a smaller species of the betterknown Lamas.

We reach the great watershed between Pacific and Atlantic at dark, but we can see at once that the vegetation is changing as on this side there is humidity the whole year round. When we reach Pelechuco at 3500 m a.s.l. we can spot even some trees in the darkness. we find very basic lodging in the villages only resthouse.

Marco, in spite of his Alpaca sweater, catched a bad cold with fever and David has bad stomach problems, we spend a night without much sleep. Next morning it's raining even more and we decide to give Marco, David feels much better today, some rest. I spend the day wandering around Pelechuco and organizing the mules and guides, at least in this only occasion Rolando was of some help. We prepare also some nylon ponchos against the inclement weather, this plastic sheets, in the next days, save, if not our life, at least our health. 

Next day the sun is shining and our little Caravan leaves Plelechuco: 4 mules, two donkeymen, Rolando and us. I feel like Stanley leaving to discover the Nile springs. On the first day we have to climb up to 4800 meters. The landscape is fantastic. Lush vegetation in the Valleys below us, waterfalls all around and snowcapped mountains above.

Marco is still very weak and by midmorning also I start having stomach problems. Only David is strong and in good spirits. I'm deteriorating pretty soon and the climb up to the pass becomes a nightmare. I never felt so tired and exhausted in my life.

Once on the top we have to descend to 4300 meters to reach some huts. It's difficoult to find the right path because we are walking in thick fog and everything is snow-covered. At 6 o'clock we reach the abandoned stone huts. Me and Marco have merely the strength to collapse in our sleepingbags, fortunately David makes some tea and dinner, even if I was unable to eat.

'Hoy toda bajada es!'

At last the hot morning sun breaks up the clouds and a magnificent alpine scenery surrounds us. Today 'Toda bajada es' all way down, so the told us the donkey man. After a few hours we pass the last settlement before the river, Chiara, it's a little village which now is almost deserted. Hundred years ago this area was much more populated than today. The young people abandon this area in search for an easier living in the city.

We are now at 2700 meters and entering a lush vegetation, we already look forward to a warm night, after the cold we suffered in the last days.

But then we start to climb again and soon we reenter into the clouds and a light rain is soaking us. At around 5 o'clock we stop for the night and for the first time setup our 'tent'. We brought only a big flysheet and mosquito nets to install underneath, this to save weight and to be prepared better for the hot jungle environment. Even if some rain get trough the tarp (we forgot to seal the seams) we spend a great evening: we all were healthy again and were immensely enjoying ourselves. Also the two Amaraya guides seemed happy, perched under a rock, obviously they didn't like our makeshift tend, they chatted happily away for THE WHOLE night. They slept very little in these five days of trek, this was because they chewed continuously, 24 hours a day, their coca leaves. Also Marco in this first two days, while he was still weak from his illness, abused with coca and slept very bad, while David and me had no problem at all.

The following day is characterized by a continuos up and down in the mountain Jungle. Of this particular kind of forest is left very little in the world.

Its raining without interruption and, as the trail is in some places very steep, the mules proceed very slowly. We find ourselves waiting on a windy plateau at 3800 meters. We are very miserable, trying to protect ourselves with the makeshift ponchos, we are very reluctant to put on other clothes, because this would mean to sleep with wet clothes (I really envy my two toyboys and their sweater). When the mules arrive we see that our guides are even more tried than we are and we decide to rest. We find a hut with a piece of roof which we complete with our tarp and trembling and frozen we prepare some tea. Huddled together for warmth we sleep pretty good.

Next morning also our guides look quite tired, but we have still two days to go. Today it's really almost the whole day downhill. One last pass and at last we see the river. The trail is really steep, steps cut in the rock or in the mud. Our Aymaras tell us that when they were young everybody had to spent an amount of time every year to maintain the jungle trails assuring that they were transitable the whole year around. This habit, introduced by the Incas is now in disuse and the trials are bad maintained, only in a few places we can still see the logs they put on the ground to avoid sinking into the mud. Sometimes the trail is so carved into the earth and overgrown that we walk in what seems galleries in the jungle.

I'm very disappointed about National Geographic, we based our planning on the informations found in National but we realized that even this prestigious paper is not immune against exaggerating, or even inventing, news. We found that most of the things written, about animals, people, distances etc are pure fiction. I'm sure about this as we had, in part the same itinerary.

Moyos

This little village 300 meters above the river was in our fantasies for days. Now that we arrived we see that its only a spoiled church and a few mud huts. We wanted to buy some fresh fruits but a trader with a caravan of mules had passed only two hours before and bought everything available. Here we say goodbye to Rolando, we'll not miss him, and we descend to the river with the mules and the two guides. Once arrived also they are paidoff, they were very good and reliable men. and we were left alone on the bank of the river. We spend what is left of the day preparing the boat and the gear. We are very excited and also a little scared, we saw a lot of whitewater from above. In the afternoon two young boys come to offer us a sack of oranges and 3 Kg of peanuts. Once prepared the gear we cock dinner and spend the after dinner roasting the peanuts.

On The River

Everything is ready, the boat is too low in the water. In the beginning we planned for 4 people and two boats, in the last moment Alessandro had to back out. So we were left three people and we decided to take only one boat.

The water is very low in some points and we have to 'line' the boat. This means that we walk behind the boat holding the boat on a long line. We have also several  big rapids which the boat, without us manages greatly, even if we have to stop several times to empty the boat with our cockingpots. At the end of the day we are very tired. 10 hours in the water take their toll. But we enjoy every minute, the roar of the river and the wild nature around us are what we dreamed for several month. We decide to place the camp for tonight, there is only one little rapid to run, we decide to stay in the boat. We were so tired that we didn't see a little rock, in a few seconds the boat filled with water and was bent, by the force of the river, around the rock. On the two pictures you can see the boat before and after a couple of hours repairing session. We had brought a lot of repairing material fortunately.

Next day, repaired the boat, we depart again. The river is even worse, than yesterday a rapid of several kilometers takes 3-4 hours to be passed, in one and a half day we made only 25 km, had already damaged severely the boat and had paddled only for a few hundred meters in a row.

When we stop for lunch we are always covered by bees and butterflies. It takes some control to ignore the dozens of bees on our body, but if we catch them away they sting. The river, feeded by little streams is increasing its forces. We start to doubt that we will be able to finish our trip. We chosed to descend the river Mojos not only because it was never descended but also because this gave us the possibility to test our material before the junction with the river Tuichi, the only escape point on the entire trip. During lunch we discuss the possibility of abandoning our plan. Davids opinion is that it would be crazy to try, Marco and me, knowing in our hearts that he is right, refuse to listen. So we postpone every decision after dinner. At the end of the day we can see, still far away, what should be the junction. As the day before we decide to run some simpler rapids. In a few seconds nature decides for us. The boat winds around a tree and we have to fight not to be sucked under by the strong current. We work for about an hour to save our equipment which was tied to the boat. We could free the boat only next morning when the river level descends a little for the diminished snowmelting in the mountains.

The Rescue

Even if we are lost somewhere on a river in the Amazon, knowing only that there should be a trail back to civilization. We are of very good spirit and still having fun. Next morning we decide what to leave behind and what to carry with us. With huge backpacks we start to trek along the river, several river crossings pose a big problem, it's very hard to cross the swift flowing river with the backpacks. Only late in the day we find a tiny village, were we rest and hire two horses to get to Apollo. Next day we have a steep 1300 meter climb without shade or water (a fire destroyed all the jungle several years ago), we are happy to have the horses. We walk 11 hours and stop to sleep in the middle of the trail. Next day we reach Santa Cruz where we find a Jeep going to Apollo.

Once in Apollo we have to decide, what to do. We scout all the options, we even phone to an American priest who has a little airplane for hire; bad luck he sold it only two month ago. There is also an old trail directly to Rurrenabaque, but it has not be used for at least 20 years and they doubt that we can do it in less than 10 days, we are running short on time also. So we have to track back all the way to La Paz and fly to Rurrenabaque. The trip back was an boring 18 hours drive, during which we saw burning jungle everywhere. Bolivian government tries to populate its lowlands and the first thing the settlers do is to burn down everything.

Once we reached Rurre we go to see the point were we were supposed to arrive, it was a sad and melancholic moment for us. Next day we took a touristy tour trough the Pampa the alluvional lowlands which are rich with wildlife. In two days we make the whole circuit by: Jeep, canoe, powerboat and horses. We feel very stressed but at least we see all kind of animals even the pink dolphin. Beside Capybaras, Caimans, turtles and a lot of birds.

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