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Destination Peru
Horseback riding to Laguna de Los Cóndores
By Tanilee Eichelberger South American Explorers

Imagine a black lagoon serving as the site of a sacred burial ground high in the muddy Eastern Andean slopes of Peru. Hidden under a limestone ledge 100 meters above the lagoon, local farmhands find burial gifts, ceramics, and textiles among entombed bodies. “Chullpas,” as the Chachapoyas would call it, are funerary sites adorned with red pictographs, often decorated with deer antlers and some entombed with sarcophagi. The name Chachapoya derives from the Quechua words sacha, “tree” and puyu, “cloud.”

Located in a high cloud forest, this site remained untouched for almost 500 years. Once word spread of the discovery, looters raided the grounds, slashing the tombs in search of gold. It was not until 1997, in an effort to preserve the site, that the Bioanthropology Foundation Peru-Centro Mallqui began working with international anthropologists, archeologists and locals from the Leymebamba community to salvage what was left of the Chachapoyan burial sites.

Over 200 mummy bundles were found, dating from as early as the Chachapoyans around 100 AD, and up to early colonial times. With local community involvement, Museo Leymebamba was established in 2000 to house all the local discoveries in ideal preservation conditions. This beautifully designed museum reflecting local architecture and culture showcases mummies, textiles, ceramics, jewelry, local calendar methodologies, and replicas of the cites themselves. Sounds lovely you may think. But how do I get there? Only after an amazing horseback riding trip that started in the town of Leymebamba.

Leymebamba is a sleepy agricultural town of 5,000 inhabitants that lies three hours south of Chachapoyas. For those who prefer air travel, it is also assessable from Cajamarca.

Departing from Chachapoyas, the dirt road reaches Laymebamba and follows a creek that can be tranquil, though during the rainy season (typically September-March) it becomes ferocious, and the road often times become impassable. The town and main plaza of Leymebamba lies past rolling green hills and agricultural pastures.

A “casona” or traditional house made out of adobe with balconies and shingles creates a rustic charm of peace and tranquility while checking into the basic hostel, “Laguna de los Condores,” located a block from the main plaza. Having many years of experience, Vilma, the owner takes pride in the preservation of cultural adornment and the traditional style of her casona, which she has opened up as a hostel.

It is through Vilma that local guides are contracted to take tourists out to an even more rustic hostel located on the shore of the Laguna de los Condores. The first day - with expansive vistas and a diversity in climate and terrain - is well worth the arduous 8-hour horseback ride. From typical eastern Andeans, to ceja de selva, and even a “rock forest” all pass before we enter the high jungle territory. The route includes many meanderings through the back yards of local cattle farmers with wild horses grazing on the vegetation.

Arriving to the hostel owned by one of the local cattle farmers, guests must prepare for basic accommodations, including having no electricity and cooking over an open fire. The next morning the local guide will lead guests the 10 kilometers around the lagoon on “paths” that barely constitute trails. Knee-high rubber jungle boots are a must to make it around the lagoon. The vegetation and steep terrain make the final destination of the tombs quite rewarding. Once reaching the site, ancient local communication methods such as pictorial paintings can be found on the ruins hidden under a waterfall. The return trip to Leymebamba is a relatively short 6 hours on horseback.

For more information on this culturally and environmentally diverse and rich experience, Author Adriana von Hagen has written Los Chachapoya y la Laguna de Los Condores, a bilingual book with amazing pictures and facts about Laguna de Los Condors and the surrounding area. You can purchase this book at the South American Explorers Club in Lima or write at Limaclub@saexplorers.org

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