09 – 27 Iruya Trek

Iruya 2730m
Iruya 2730m

Anden Trekking am Bolivianischer Grenze, Iruya – San Pedro – Rio Nazareno

Mittwoch 27.September

Am Nachmittag Flug nach Salta, die schöne Kolonialstadt im NW des Landes. Empfang durch Luis und Maru, unsere lokale Führern, gemeinsames Abendessen. Übernachtung in Salta, 1200 m.ü.M.

Donnerstag 28.September

Morgens je nach Wunsch Besuch des städtischen Marktes mit seinem vielseitigen Angebot an Frischwaren und Gewürzen in allen Farben und Geruchsvarianten. Der Trekking-Gruppe fährt mit Luis nach Norden (in Richtung bolivianischer Grenze) durch die farbenfrohe Quebrada de Humahuaca (UNESCO Welterbe der Natur) und über den Pass Abra del Cóndor (4000 m.ü.M.) zum Dörfchen Iruya. Unterwegs Besichtigungen, z.B. des Dorfes Humahuaca. Übernachtung in Iruya im kleinen Hotel Federico III.

Freitag 29.September

Aufstieg zur gemütlichen Berghütte “Refugio Cóndor”. Marschzeit ca. 6 Stunden. Gepäck kann auf Esel geladen werden, dazu ist ‘geruchshalber’ eine geeignete, am besten eine alte ‘Wegwerf’-tasche bzw. Sack empfehlenswert. Ebenso ein paar alte Turnschuhe oder Sandalen, um bei Bedarf einen Bach zu überqueren. Schlafsäcke stehen zur Verfügung.

Samstag 30.September

Ganztägige Bergwanderung.

Sonntag 1.Oktober

Abstieg in den farbenprächtige Rio Nazareno Schlucht und über einem Pass zurück nach Iruya. Weiterfahrt nach Purmamarca. Zusammentreffen mit der anderen Teilgruppe.

After another big steak lunch in Buenos Aires we were off to the airport again, this time to Salta, which is situated quite high in the mountains. The plane was over an hour late so there was only time for a beer in the big colonial style plaza before bed. The three of us who had opted for the trekking program, together with Luis and a French girl who was assisting him, set off in a jeep for Iruya, an indio village which can only be reached by an unpaved road over a 3900m pass. The weather became worse and worse as we ascended, so we saw nothing and it was raining heavily when we reached Iruya. The next morning was still very cloudy, but we walked to the hut on the shorter route and arrived at about 3 o’clock just before it started to rain. This was all apparently very unusual if not unheard of in September. We were the only occupants of the small but attractive Refugio Condor on the edge of a settlement (San Pedro) at the edge of an almost dry river bed. The next morning was mostly clear and we could see it had snowed on the higher peaks – also unprecedented. We had a good walk to a mountain on the other side of the valley and came down partly on the same route as the previous day, so we did see the impressive coloured rock sceanary there. We also saw condors and I tried to take some pictures – not easy. The following day was perfect and we started early to return on the long route along a river in a canyon which we had to continually cross by jumping. It was like a much larger version of the caldera in La Palma, as is much of the landscape here. The best parts are in the canyons rather than on the mountain tops which are quite rounded. However the snow considerably improved their appearance. On arrival in Iruya we saw that there had been a festival there that day and there was a large market just outside the town. We returned to civilisation along the original route and were able to see the spectacular views this time.


Purmamarca – Iruya

 

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