Discoverers Expedition Vilcabamba 2016: Lima, Cargo to VRAEM
January 24, 2016
Our load is ready to travel. We found a transport company that delivers cargo into
the very same area we need to reach, known as VRAEM, for Valley of the Rivers
Apurimac, Ene & Mantaro—this last one, newest candidate for the source of
the Amazon since 2014.
On Monday a large truck will depart with our load and commercial goods for
merchants in the area. The heavy truck will leave the dry coast of Lima,
traveling east toward the old city of Ayacucho, climb up the Andes to the east,
traveling east through the Andes to the City of Ayacucho—know as “the most
noble and loyal city of Huamanga” during colonial times, and home to
Universidad Nacional San Cristóbal de Huamanga, founded in1677. The truck will
continue traveling east to the town of Tambo passing at 4,200 m (13,800 ft)
through Abra Tocto. From there, it will begin a dangerous descent into the
Apurimac River valley through the different habitats of puna, cloud forests,
and plantations of coffee, coca, and cacao, until reaching an elevation of 600
m (2,000 ft) in the hot and humid Amazon forests. We will follow the same route
tomorrow, but first we have to fly to Ayacucho, and I hurry up to finish this
lines and catch our flight.
José Padial and his team of researchers are traveling to the Vilcabamba
mountains in Peru in the pursuit of biodiversity research. He blogs and send
photos daily capturing his expedition along the way.