How to get there: Walk behind the bus station and take a left (south). Follow the dirt road until you come to a paved road. Follow the paved road up the hill for about 1km. You will come to a small bridge with a sign that says, “hosteria Izhcayluma.” Look on the other side of sign and follow trail “C” up the dry river bed beneath you (it was dry in July.) About a 4 hour hike to the top and back. Not sure of the loop route.

Cost: Some sweat.

This sign is the trail head. The picture is of the front and back.

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This trail has to be one of my best hikes so far in Central and South America. Absolutely gorgeous with that feeling of being removed from society. It took me about an hour to find the beginning of the trail, but once I did it was well worth the effort.

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Now supposedly there is a loop route. But I’m not sure which way to go for that. Maybe you can get a map in town with the complete route. Take the unconventional way!

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The video.

At the top you find a gate. I went through the gate and followed that trail down to another town, which I thought would take me back to Vilcabamba, Ecuador. Talking to an old timer he pointed me back toward the way I had come from. At this point I was completely turned around in my orientation (lost) and proceeded to back track my way out.

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Anyways this is a spectacular trail to hike. I would suggest taking some food and plenty of water. It is easy to get turned around up in these mountains and pack some survival supplies if in case you wander off the beaten trail and have to spend the night.

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This would be a great place to camp on the top of the mountain and eat the hallucinogenic San Pedro cactus. Just don’t walk off the cliff. Very isolated on top and the views are magnificent. You could really explore your mind without the threat of anyone interrupting your trip (pun intended.) Not that I would know.

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Two brothers ride 17,000-miles to save Bristol Bay Watershed in Alaska.

Walking through the town of Vilcabamba, Ecuador I came across two bicyclists (brothers) taking a rest in front of a small store. I asked them if they were going to be spending the night in Vilcabamba or heading down the road. They informed me that they were looking for a place to camp and I suggested that they take a look at the hostel that I was staying at, since the hostel offers a place to pitch a tent.
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About a hour later I noticed the two brothers stride into my hostel with their hardened steel bikes at their side.
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Seth and Parker Berling informed me that they have been traveling for over a year (12,000-miles) and still have up to 7 months to travel to complete their 17,000-mile mission. They started their bike journey in Alaska, North America and will complete the bike journey in Argentina, South America. They are riding to bring awareness to the Bristol Bay Watershed proposed open pit pebble mine in Alaska. If the company “Northern Dynasty Minerals” succeeds in getting a permit to mine this area, it will devastate the pristine area and destroy the largest salmon runs in the world. The proposed open pit mine would be the the largest in North America. Not only devastating the area for all the animals that call this place home, but also affecting the Alaskans that the Bristol Bay Watershed has sustained for generations.
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