Liita Gonzales grew up in El Alto, splitting time between the bustling city and the agricultural community of Cañaviri, an hour and a half away, nestled in the valley between the mountains of Condoriri and Huayna Potosí. Her father was a mountain guide, and her mother a cook on his tours. She recounts her parents returning from mountaineering trips, tired and dirty. As a child, she always asked her father when she could join them on a trek, wondering what made it worth the struggle up a mountain.
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The Takesi Trail is a 40km stretch down an ancient Incan road, from the sparse landscape of the Altiplano to the rich forests of the Yungas Valley. This road was once used by Incan foot messengers, called chaskis, and later by the Spanish, who used them to bring goods between cities across the Andes mountains.
The trail is almost entirely downhill, so it is not too strenuous. The trailhead of the two- or three-day hike is easy to find, and the trip can be done without a guide. There are campsites along the way where you can stay for the night.
The trail starts with little vegetation, but as you gradually descend along the path, it becomes greener and greener until you find yourself in a lush cloud forest. You walk alongside the Sochicachi River, which offers a nice cool down from the warmer temperatures. The Takesi trail takes you down through the beautiful scenery of the valley, as you imagine yourself as an ancient runner, an important message in hand.
