GPS Track Details
Difficulty: 3/5 - Medium
Track length: 10.55 Kilometers
Total Ascent: 651 Meters
Total Descent: 569 Meters

B-2.2 Loop, Uruchi-Valley - Pass 2125m - San Pedro de Vilcabamba

Distance          10.7 km - Loop

Time                3.25 hours

Altitude          1525m - 2125m

Ascent             650m

Descent           575m

Rating             Medium  3/5

Start                Vilcabamba tourist office

End                  San Pedro de Vilcabamba

This loop leads via the quiet, shady Uruchi-Valley over a 2125 meter-pass and along the ridge of Cerro Grande down to the picturesque village San Pedro de Vilcabamba.

Route: From the Tourist office head east along Calle Diego Vaca de Vega to Yamburara bajo. In 20 minutes you find “Craig’s Book exchange” on the left. On the right-hand-side of that building, turn left into the Uruchi valley. (See photo B-2.2-3) This vehicle track along the shady valley ends after 2 kilometers. 20 meters to the left of the vehicle turning place is a farm gate. Enter and find to the right the trail zigzagging uphill along the ridge.  After 150 altitude meters, you reach the gate to the “Finca Numba”. Enter the gate and immediately turn left on the trail skirting around the farm. At the second farm building uphill, you find the vehicle track, by which the farm is accessed from the Rio Uchima valley. Follow this track uphill, and after 30 minutes, you reach a farm gate at the pass of 2125 m. Descending for 5 Minutes, you reach the farm gate at the Toronche intersection, where you have to branch to the left. One kilometer further down, we reach the intersection, which marks the upper limit of the Cutanapamba-ecology-project. Follow the top of the ridge to the west. After 200 meters, a vehicle track forks to the left, but we continue strait on the ridge. After another 800 meters we notice a house on a little hill ahead on the ridge. Just before and below the house, our trail forks to the left, circling the hill.  From this fork, the trail is easy to follow; it’s a 300 meter elevation drop down to the pedestrian bridge across the Rio Uchima. A 5 Minute-climb gets you to the San-Pedro-Sacapo road. Turn left, and after another kilometer, past a little shrine and San Pedro college down below, you reach the unspoiled & compact village of San Pedro de Vilcabamba. On the Loja-highway in San Pedro, you can catch the “Vilcatouris”-Bus ($0.50) back to Vilcabamba, in order to spare you the 3 kilometer-hike along the asphalted & busy highway.

 

 

 

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