From Cusco it's a full day's drive to Vilcabamba and the ruins of Vitcos. From the ruins it's a 4 day hike beginning uphill to the Collpajasa pass at 4650m/15255ft then downhill from altiplano into subtropical high jungle reaching the ruins of Espiritu Pampa at 1470m/4820ft. From the ruins it's a day's hike or possible car ride to our put in location on the Chontabamba River (an Urubamba River tributary). We raft this narrow class 2-3 river for about 32km/20mi to the town of Kiteni on the Urubamba River. Here we can stay a night in a basic hostal and resupply food for the remaining 4-6 days rafting to the Pongo de Mainique canyon and waterfalls and to the native community of Camisea. Returning to Cusco will be either a long car ride on dirt roads or by private motorboat back up the Urubamba River.
KML file (Opens with Google Earth)
Duration
Difficulty
Walking Distance
High Elev
Low Elev
Elev Change
Rapids Class
Raft Dist Total
Water Quality
Bugs?
Best Time
12-16D
3.5 of 5
76km/47mi
4650m/15255ft
351m/1152ft
4299m/14103ft
2-3
193km/120mi
Good
No/Yes
Jun-Aug
Day 1-2 Cusco - Santa Maria - Huancacalle "New Vilcabamba"
From Cusco we take local transportation to Ollantaytambo, through the Abra Malaga pass and down into subtropical shrub to the town of Santa Maria on the Urubamba River. After lunch we take another car to Huancacalle next to the ruins of Vitcos. Night in a local hostal. The following day we can explore the ruins of Vitcos such as "Rosaspata" and "Ñusta Hispana". Night in hostal.
Day 3-6 Espiritu Pampa Trek (76km/47mi) - Put In Location Chontabamba River
We'll begin hiking up towards New Vilcabamba reaching the Collpajasa pass at 4650m/15255ft then down into the Pampaconas Valley and follow the Pampaconas River 4 days through Ututo, Vista Alegre and Concebidayoq to Espiritu Pampa "Old Vilcabamba" and the Inca's Last Refuge. After touring the ruins of Espiritu Pampa we'll hike 1 more day to the north along the Chontabamba River until we find a suitable put in location for packrafting.
Day 7-8 Chontabamba River - Kiteni (Urubamba River)
Over the next 2 days we will raft 32km/20mi on the Chontabamba River through subtropical high jungle until we reach the town of Kiteni on the Urubamba River. In town we can stay in a local hostal, shop, eat at a local retaurant and restock our food supply.
Day 9-14 Urubamba River - Pongo de Mainique - Camisea
Over the next 4-6 days we will raft 100mi down the Urubamba River where high jungle transforms into lower and greener tropical jungle. We'll float by plantations and villages on a smooth, wide and gradually descending river stopping to hammock or tent camp wherever looks suitable. Along the way we'll decide as a group how far we want to go before either booking local land transport or private boat transport back to Kiteni. From Kiteni it's a few hours to Quillabamba by local bus where we can stay a night, then it's a full day's van ride back to Cusco. Please allow extra days in order to secure return transportation in Camisea.
"Kapok" tree growing over Espiritu Pampa ruins
Cost Estimates
Expect about $20 for local van transport from Cusco to Vilcabamba and $10 - $20 for a hotel in Huancacalle. As of now there is no entrance fee for Espiritu Pampa but be prepared to pay up to S/55 Soles. A basic hostal in Kimbiri should be no more than S/30. Similarly, hostals at local villages further down the Urubamba River should be S/15 - S/30 Soles. Return bus trips can be S/20 - S/40 Soles each and a private boat return from Camisea could be from $300 - $400 USD which can be shared among the group. Food purchased at Peruvian supermarkets can be about $10 per day. There are no entrance fees for this trip. There are no fees for our agency for any of these expeditionary trips, no guide fees and also no guarantees on return times, points of interest or the assurance of any planned activities.
Gear
Since we will be carrying our boats over 40 miles, ultralight boats and gear are highly recommended. An ultralight boat such as an Alpacka Scout would work for most of the Urubamba (class 1-2) excluding the Pongo de Mainique and Chontabamba River sections (class 2-3). This is your call and turbidity will depend on the time of year. Water levels are lower in July-Sept. It may be possible to book mules and a muleteer in Huancacalle depending on availability and on your budget. For the first 2 nights camping there are no trees for hammocks followed by subtropical to tropical jungle when hammocks work best. A tarp tent (using a hammock tarp) to hammock/tarp conversion may be ideal. Halfway through the trip at Kiteni we can stock up on food so at most we will need to carry up to 8 days of food at a time. We follow rivers the entire time so carrying large amounts of water over distance is unnecessary.
Risks
Expect some thorny and scrubby chapparal type vegetation for the Pampaconas Valley. Expect some bouldery sections of river with mostly slow with quicker whitewater sections on the Chontabamba River. If at any point it becomes too difficult or unsafe then we can find the road and walk down further until the river opens up. The Pongo de Mainique is a funneled channel with steep walls and some rapids. It should be respected and not attempted Nov-Apr. Although to most unfamiliar, the Amazon is not as dangerous as it is often portrayed. Animals are generally timid, jaguars curious but wary of people, caimans very shy and skittish and yes, you can swim in a piranha-infested lake without being chewed to bits. The real potential dangers are people hurting themselves with their own machetes, falling on uneven ground, ant bites, mosquito bites, allergic reactions etc. In most cases it may take days to reach the nearest clinic or "Centro de Salud" for any needed medical attention. We offer no guarantees for any of these expeditions for planned activites, definite costs or for your absolute safety.
History
After the fall of Cusco in 1537 to the Spaniards, the Incas moved west to Vilcabamba "The New" or "Vitcos" to form a new capital. In 1572 conquistadors reached Vitcos to find it abandoned and the Inca emperor gone. Tupac Amaru, the last Inca ruler had left the previous day towards the northwest fleeing into the jungle. The Spanish followed after them and captured some of his family members. The conquistador Martín García Óñez de Loyola along with 40 soldiers pursued them further and reached Espiritu Pampa where they found abandoned gold deposits and tableware. The local Chunco Indians told them that Tupac Amaru had gone further downriver to a place called Momorí. The conquistadors persisted and built rafts in order to follow Tupac Amaru down the Chontabambas River eventually reaching the Urubamba River and another 100 miles down where they learned the Inca emperor now continued on foot. The Manarí indigenous locals advised them on which path they took and after 50 miles inland they found Tupac Amaru and his wife warming themselves by the fire. Tupac Amaru was then brought back to Cusco and publicly beheaded.
Our trek and rafting trip follows this piece of history!
Chroniclers such as Juan de Betanzos and his "Suma y narración de los Incas" inspired the famous explorer and discoverer of Machu Picchu, Hiram Bingham to discover Espiritu Pampa in 1911. Research and excavations continue today with recent findings of burned Incan pottery and deeper still, silver artifacts and clay pottery by the much older Wari culture who first settled the area.
