May 14, 2001
Location - Guanay, Bolivia

It is mid-winter in Bolivia and very cold outside. This is supposed to be the dry season but the rain continues to fall. However, despite the challenging weather conditions, the expedition is now very much underway. Prince Leopold's recce party is steadily moving towards Mount Paititi.

They've been trudging through dense secondary jungle across tracks, which are muddy and slippery as a result of the incessant rain. Over 1500 years ago, in the time of the Inca, the hills that the team is now climbing were terraced fields but with the passage of time lush tropical forests have encroached on these abandoned slopes.

The trek up the mountain has not been uneventful. The team has encountered an abundance of wildlife. Hochi, large rodents the size of small dogs, are very common and can be seen scurrying around the forest floor. The group has also been acutely conscious of the presence of snakes slithering around in search of small mammals. The tracks of jaguar and puma have been spotted, indicating that these large predators are lurking somewhere in the vicinity. Monkeys and birds are common and are less intimidating sights. Their ceaseless chatter and singing are a welcome cacophony, which filters through the jungle canopy. Not so welcome are the biting insects, which are everywhere. Despite the hardships of the jungle climb, the team located the Rio Merke that skirts Mount Paititi. It runs deep but can be crossed. However, in order to ferry our stores across to the opposite bank we will have to construct a 120-foot aerial rope-bridge. The mules and packhorses though will have to swim across.

At the expedition headquarters, in the little gold mining town of Guanay, Craig Halford has thrown himself at the task of advising the local people on flood prevention. The town was affected by floods earlier this year and therefore such assistance is welcomed by the local people.

The team of 12 Royal Engineers will arrive in a few days. We will then be heading up the mountain following in the footsteps of the recce party. Our task will be to improve the trail to Mt. Paititi and construct the aerial ropeway and improvised bridges.

Lt. Col Ernie Durey, a veteran jungle explorer, is also busy at headquarters amassing the necessary stores and equipment for the journey up to Paititi. Captain Katie Gledhill's mules and packhorses will be responsible for carrying the equipment up the mountain. Katie, an officer of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, will be accompanied by four other female horse handlers, and their task will be one of the toughest on the expedition.

As stated in the last report, Colonel John Blashford-Snell, Captain Jim Masters and Yolima Cipagauta, have been in Southern Bolivia, examining the deep gorge of the Rio Grande in preparation for next year's Kota Mama Expedition. However, while flying in their light aircraft they encountered swirling clouds and high winds in the great canyon. "Suddenly, with cliffs closing in on us we ran into nil visibility." said Jim "It was pretty uncomfortable and we were forced to abort the mission." Jim plans to return to the area in June when the weather improves.

At Lake Titicaca, the Aymara Indians building the reed trimaran "Kota Mama III" have almost completed their task. This craft is sponsored by JP Knight Ltd, tug operators in Rochester, UK, who also provided assistance for the reed-built flagship used in the 1999 expedition.

In Bolivia's capital, La Paz, environmental law expert Professor Bill Holmes of Oxford University is busy providing advice to Bolivian governmental bodies and lecturing at the Catholic University of Bolivia Law School. The expedition is strongly supported by the Bolivian Army and the Prefectura (regional government) of La Paz.