{"id":1992,"date":"2019-11-01T21:58:36","date_gmt":"2019-11-01T21:58:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.packitgourmet.com\/blog\/index.php\/2019\/11\/05\/trekking-through-one-of-the-least-visited-regions-of-mexico\/"},"modified":"2019-11-05T22:55:46","modified_gmt":"2019-11-05T22:55:46","slug":"trekking-through-one-of-the-least-visited-regions-of-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.packitgourmet.com\/index.php\/2019\/11\/01\/trekking-through-one-of-the-least-visited-regions-of-mexico\/","title":{"rendered":"Trekking Through One of the Least-Visited Regions of Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

 <\/p>\n

It\u2019s closing in on\u00a0noon, and the day couldn\u2019t be more perfect. The morning started out in a cool, mist-covered shroud, but now the sun is shining bright, trickling down as the pine-needled carpeted trail gently meanders uphill, past peeling madronas draped with Spanish moss. The thin air up at 8,000 feet makes for slow going, but the birds are singing and colorful patches of wildflowers are a welcome distraction. \u00a0 In front of you is a fern-like plant that appears small at first but grows larger as you get closer, until it dwarfs the rest of the forest understory. It\u2019s a cool green, with massive fleshy leaves that look like they belong in a science fiction film in this seemingly familiar forest landscape.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
Stranger than fiction flowers in the Oaxaca Mountains of Mexico. Photo by\u00a0Kira Richards<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\n<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cAgave,\u201d says the guide, except this is not the agave of tequila country, waiting to be harvested for rowdy Americans in Tijuana. This is wild agave, plants that can live 20 to 30 years before yielding their last surprise, a powerful spike of flowers that shoots straight up in the air. At 10,000 feet above sea level, in one of the least-visited parts of Mexico, you\u2019re a long way from Kansas. And a good thing too, since it\u2019s the middle of winter.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
A sampling of the ecological diversity in the Oaxaca Mountains. Photo by Robin Anderson<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\n<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This is the Sierra Norte of northern Oaxaca, a remote mountain range in central Mexico home to the Zapotec people, who first came to the area in 1000 B.C. Today, their ancestors still live in a half dozen mountain villages ranging in size from 700 to a mere 70 that are interconnected by an ancient trail system. To survive in a fast-modernizing world, these villages have chosen to embrace the outside world as a way to protect their way of life from the twin perils of depopulation and deforestation.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
Looking down on Latuvi. Photo by\u00a0Robin Anderson<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\n<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For now, this means inviting outsiders to explore the unique ecosystem that thrives at elevation (locals refer to the Zapotec as the \u201ccloud people\u201d) and experience day-to-day life in their communities. \u00a0 The Sierra Norte create a natural rain shadow for the winds that bring in rain and clouds from the Gulf of Mexico, allowing for overlapping microclimates that range from tropical forests to subalpine meadows and hardwood forests of \u201cpinabetes,\u201d 300 year-old pines that grow to nearly 100 feet.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
A church in Amatlan. Photo by\u00a0Kira Richards<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\n<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But perhaps what\u2019s most special about this out-of-the-way landscape are the natural juxtapositions created by its geography. \u00a0 The trail system is managed by the Pueblos Mancomunados, a local cooperative that provides employment and revenue opportunities for participating villages. Routes are vast and varied, and visitors can create almost any kind of hike, from a 5-mile, village-to-village stroll to a 50-mile trip through the entire system. Most choose to hire a local guide for each leg of their journey, both to contribute directly to the cooperative, but also because the crisscrossing trails of the Sierra Norte are notoriously easy to get lost in. (If you\u2019d rather hike without a guide you\u2019ll be required to sign a waiver.)<\/p>\n

Permits can be obtained through the Expediciones Sierra Norte office in Oaxaca prior to the start of your trip. If you\u2019ll need English-language assistance, it is recommended that you contact their U.S.-based partner, Crooked Trails\u2014an educational nonprofit that works to sustain local communities and the environment\u2014who can arrange for an English-speaking guide to accompany you on your trip.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
The jungle juxtaposed to pine forest. Photo by\u00a0Kira Richards<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\n<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of the most popular hikes in the Sierra Norte is a 4-day circumnavigation of the region, stopping over each night at a new village. Starting from Cuajimoloyas, the trail travels\u00a06-miles northeast to Llano Grande. It\u2019s a short hike, so plan to head out in the afternoon on a 3-mile round-trip hike to watch the sunset from\u00a0La Sepultura.<\/p>\n

On your second, and longest, day of hiking, head northwest 13\u00a0miles following the\u00a0Rio Yavesia\u00a0until you reach the remote village of San Miguel Amatlan,\u00a0situated on the slopes of the Sierra Norte midway between deep river valleys and 10,000-foot peaks. \u00a0 On the third day, you\u2019ll travel southwest for 10 miles, dropping first into a deep river valley where the\u00a0Rio El Arco\u00a0and\u00a0Rio Cara del Leon converge. Follow the Rio Cara del Leon upstream until you reach the village of Latuvi.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
Sunset at the coast. Photo by\u00a0Kira Richards<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\n<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Get there early enough and spend the afternoon enjoying the view from one of their conveniently-situated hammocks. \u00a0 On the fourth day, travel southwest 5 miles to La Neveria before turning southeast and hiking the final 7 miles back to the start in Cuajimoloyas. \u00a0 Most visitors choose to stay in one of the cabins provided by the Pueblos Mancomunados, a system similar to village-to-village trekking through Europe, where travelers carry just their clothes and day-to-day items between inns. Each cabin contains comfortable sleeping accommodations and, to help visitors stay warm during the blistering cold nights, a fireplace. Traditional meals made from local ingredients are provided by the villagers.\u00a0Hikers interested in a more traditional backpacking experience can choose instead to camp overnight at one of the two established sites in the interior of the Sierra Norte.<\/p>\n

Experienced backpackers interested in a longer trip should stay tuned: Crooked Trails is currently teaming up with\u00a0Expediciones Sierra Norte\u00a0to create a two-week trek from the heights of the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca out to the ocean, winding through cloud forests into the humid jungle before tracing the remote and rugged coast.<\/p>\n

To learn more about this long-distance trail project or to plan a multi-day trip through the Sierra Norte, contact Crooked Trails at:\u00a0Info@crookedtrails.org<\/em><\/p>\n

Written by Laura Lancaster for RootsRated and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network.\u00a0 Featured image provided by Robin Anderson<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n