the path of the salt

Difficulty: Medium.

Maximun Altitude: 4200 meters.

Expedition Overall lenght: Three days, two nights (25 walked kilómeters).

Operates: March to November.

The salt path was recently used (only six years ago) by local families who, using troops of donkeys, exchanged salt, llama meat and animals for fruits form La Quebrada de Humahuaca.  It is believed that the last llama caravan that used this path did it a hundred years ago.    Currently we are reusing the salt path, within the frame of the Rural Tourism with local communities program, administered by Jujuy Minister of Tourism. In this project we are working together with members of different  local communities of the Puna: Pozo Colorado, Carrizal and Colorados.

Day 1: Salta – Purmamarca (2190 msnm) / Puna – Pozo Colorado. (3500 msnm)

The journey begins early in the morning enjoying the south part of the Humahuaca´s Gorge, Purmamarca and the Seven Color Mountain. After lunch we continue the trip driving to Pozo Colorado, located at the east border of the Salt Flats. The people from the community welcome us and with them we visit the Salt Flats and the town of Pozo Colorado. It is a previous day needed for the adaptation to high altitude (3500 m.). At night we are offered dinner and lodgings to start early the next day

Accommodation in family house, private room (or shared in case of groups), shared bathroom. (Full board).

Day 2: Pozo Colorado (3500 msnm) / Carrizal (3700 msnm)

When dawn is breaking, we provide the llamas with alfalfa and load them with our cargo. The plain Puna path takes us to Carrizal. The town takes its name by the abundance of carrizos (reeds, a local typical plant). There, we take lunch with the Valdiviezo family. In the afternoon we start to walk up to our destination, the Colorados community (3900 m). After three hours of hiking, we arrive to Colorados where we are hosted by the local community (with meals and lodgings).
3 a 4 horas de trekking.
Accommodation in family house, private room (or shared in case of groups), shared bathroom. (Full board).

Day 3: Carrizal (3700 msnm)/ Huancares / Colorados / Tilcara
In this day we return to Pozo Colorado using an alternative path. During the journey we visit the Huncar Sonador (dune that makes noise) and the petrified hills. We arrive to Pozo Colorado in the first hours of the afternoon. After a snack we return to Tilcara by car. We end the trip in the Llama Corral.

6 to 7 hours of  trekking.
Accommodation in family house, private room (or shared in case of groups), shared bathroom. (Full board).