May 21, 2001
Location - Huariconca, Bolivia

The climb continues

We have now established our Advanced Base at Huariconca, in a grassy clearing 4000 feet high, on the route to "Paititi". The clearing is a riot of colour with Bolivian, Colombian and Jersey flags flying alongside the Union Jack and other flags representing the various nationalities of the expedition members. Daytime temperatures are presently exceeding 95oF, but the nights are cool and pleasant.

Thankfully no serious rain has fallen in the last 36 hours, and the treacherously slippery mule trails are drying out. The bees and bugs, however, are still around and are a constant plague. We are also keeping an eye out for the bears and jaguars that are known to prowl around the area.

At the confluence of Rio St Ana and Rio Chinijo is "Smiths Camp". Here the Royal Engineers are currently constructing a path up the 1000-foot "Leopold's Spur".

An advanced party of archaeologists including members of the Bolivian Institute of Archaeology and Bruce Mann from Aberdeen have been dispatched to the site, carrying only food and light loads. Accompanying them is a local Indian who claims to have seen ruins and engraved monoliths at the site of "Paititi". The group aims to reach the site on May 22nd and will be re-supplied from the Advanced Base. Their supplies will probably be carried up by porters, for it may be impossible to get our packhorses up there.

The expedition's major problem has been a lack of transport for the movement of stores and supplies from Guanay to Quilapituni. This was to have been provided four days ago by the local government, but it has yet to arrive.

Tomorrow, a recce party under Paul Overton goes from Huariconca to Inca Pampa, to study an alternative route up the mountain for packhorses.



Team at Guanay

Ancient Tools

A few days ago two local men brought us some axe heads from a village three hours away from Guanay. One is made of igneous stone and the other is of bronze and is almost flat in profile. As neither shows significant wear at the striking edge it is probable that they were not everyday tools and were only used in ceremonies or as currency. However, it is difficult to date them without knowing their source of origin. However, they are most likely pre-Columbian. The bronze axe head may be from the high Andes and is very similar to Inca produced ceremonial weaponry. It may have been brought down during the Inca expansion of 1470. However, the stone axe seems to be locally produced.

Click image for an enlarged view


Ancient axes

Community Projects

In Guanay the community aid team are hard at work and dentist Graham Catchpole and Dr Sam Allen have endless calls on their time. Shirley Critchley also visited the school and college, and noted their lack of facilities for possible future projects. There is a considerable amount of work to be done, as they have nothing. The ceiling is falling down, there are only eight toilets for 420 children and the absence of a boundary wall or fence results in pigs, goats and hens wandering all over the place. Their chemistry lab is notable for its complete lack of equipment. Shirley returned to Guanay by river because of the impassable mud on the roads. She and her team travelled through heavily forested jungle, passing gold miners at the waters edge. She is planning to return soon, this time getting there by river as well.

A presentation was made to the Mayor of Guanay by a representative group consisting of Prince Leopold, Paul Overton, Shirley, Sam, Graham, Geoffrey Hoskins and Ernie Durie. Our project to collect money for seeds has been greatly appreciated. Floods and mud had devastated an area of Guanay, and it is rewarding to help where the need is so great.