After breakfast of coffee, granola, and fruit, we picked up a picnic lunch and borrowed walking sticks from Pat, the hotel manager. We then set out to hike to a nearby canyon and waterfall.
Garganta del Diablo (Devil's throat) is about 6 km from Tilcara. The plan was to get there and back by midday to avoid the chilly afternoon winds that sweep down the mountain.
The trail is not steep and junctions are well marked but we felt the altitude. As we hiked up the mountain the plants changed from grass and scrubby trees to flowering sage and cactus plus many yellow flowers.
The trail follows the Huasamayo river, which is Tilcara's water source. At the slot canyon, the Devil's throat, much of the river water is routed into an open channel which is collected and then fed into Tilcara. Most of the town's buildings have rooftop water tanks for storage and pressure.
The trail is shared by tourists (Hola!) and locals driving burros laden with stuff. I felt like a rich gringo trespassing on their land, with hiking clothes and an expensive camera. But later I read that the locals want tourists who bring money to their community so my discomfort was eased a small amount.
The hike supplies views of the surrounding mountains. The mountains display a water-carved geology and bands of red rock, reminding me of Death Valley. Mornings are especially beautiful as the sun gradually highlights the bands of white, brown, and red rock.
Once we reached the trail's highest point (3,000 m) we checked in at a small station manned by a friendly local. I paid ten pesos then signed in. He then walked us around to explain in Spanish the path from this point to the falls. He also provided a Spanish/English pamphlet so we could follow along.
We then climbed down from the overlook to the riverbed. The falls are up the river. Unfortunately, the last short bit to the falls involves several river crossings and we were not interested in getting wet, so we stopped to eat lunch and take more pictures. The hike down was easier than the hike up and we arrived back at the hotel just as the cold winds started.
