Carnegie Museum of Natural History

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Discoverers Expedition Vilcabamba: The First Helicopter Flight

The town of Pichari at the shore of the Apurimac River. (Photo Maira Duarte).
The town of Pichari at the shore of the Apurimac River. (Photo Maira Duarte).
Right before our flight, the team poses with the General in command of the Special Commando of VRAEM. (Photo Maira Duarte).
Right before our flight, the team poses with the General in command of the Special Commando of VRAEM. (Photo Maira Duarte).
Unloading the helicopter after a failed attempt to land into the heart of Vilcabamba. (Photo Maira Duarte).
Unloading the helicopter after a failed attempt to land into the heart of Vilcabamba. (Photo Maira Duarte).
The whole team and two accompanying officers of the special forces inside the helicopter in our way to Vilcabamba. (Photo Maira Duarte).
The whole team and two accompanying officers of the special forces inside the helicopter in our way to Vilcabamba. (Photo Maira Duarte).
A view of the Pichari river valley and the clouds beyond which lies the area where we want to land. (Photo Maira Duarte).
A view of the Pichari river valley and the clouds beyond which lies the area where we want to land. (Photo Maira Duarte).
Waterfalls drain the wet cloud forests of Vilcabamba (Photo Maira Duarte).
Waterfalls drain the wet cloud forests of Vilcabamba (Photo Maira Duarte).
Vilcabamba forests from above. (Photo Maira Duarte).
Vilcabamba forests from above. (Photo Maira Duarte).
The Apurimac valley meandering between the Andes and Vilcabamba. (Photo Juan C. Chaparro).
The Apurimac valley meandering between the Andes and Vilcabamba. (Photo Juan C. Chaparro).

On Monday February 22, the expedition team flew from Pichari to the highest area of Vilcabamba on a military helicopter provided by the Special Commando of VRAEM. Although the weather conditions prevented us from landing, we enjoyed a majestic landscape of untouched forests, sharp ridges, waterfalls, and the huge Amazon rivers.

José Padial and his team of researchers are traveling in the remote Vilcabamba mountains of Peru in the pursuit of biodiversity research. He blogs and sends photos as often as possible capturing his expedition along the way.