Exploring the cloud forests of the Peruvian Chachapoya people

The land of the Chachapoya people lies in north western Peru, some 200 kilometres from the border with Ecuador and a similar distance from the Pacific coast. It is here that the far western approaches of the Amazon rainforest meet the northern end of the Andes. We are in pre-Inca territory here – the Chachapoya (also called ‘the Warriors of the Clouds’ which is a tremendous name) culture started around 800 AD and its high point came around 1400-1450 AD, coinciding with their mastery of ceramics. The Incas journeyed north from Cusco and conquered the Chachapoya around 1475AD after significant Chachapoya resistance, resulting in the dispersion of the population and and dilution of the culture. Inca domination didn’t last long however as the Spanish Conquistadors were dominant in the region by the mid 1500s AD. The below handy chronology found in the Museo Leymebamba puts the Chachapoya reign in local and worldwide context. The rise of the Chachapoya coincided roughly with the rise of Islam and when the Vikings first landed in Newfoundland, Canada.

Although the native Chachapoya population and culture was significantly reduced and dispersed through the Incan and then Spanish conquests, today there remains a strong core population of Chachapoya descent and evidence of their buildings and traditions across the region (interspersed with some more recent Inca and Spanish colonial sites).

We decided to spend some time here instead of its much more famous fortress of the Incas at Cusco, as Chachapoyas is much less visited hence quieter and has a broader range of cultures and influences to take in as it stretches from pre-Inca onwards.

The untouched mummies of Laguna de los Cóndores

As we spent more time in the Chachapoya region we came to realise that exploration and study of the area, Chachapoya culture and archaeology has only accelerated surprisingly recently. Chachapoya sites are still being discovered and even more remarkably some of these have been untouched since they were sealed back in 1000-1450 AD. This is in contrast to ancient sites in many other parts of the world, for example in Egypt where it is rare to find an ancient Egyptian tomb that hasn’t already been pillaged in antiquity.

Laguna de los Cóndores is one of the largest lakes in the Chachapoyas territory but crucially it is remote – a ten hour hike from the nearest population. In 1996 forestry workers for a nearby cattle rancher were working on one bank of the lake when they glanced up the cliff faces opposite, and noticed something puzzling. They hiked several hours round the lake and climbed more than 100 metres up to investigate. What they found came to be one of Peru’s most important ancient sites. Seven late Chachapoya mausoleums built into ledges and caves on the cliff face. Subsequent academic work suggests had been placed there in the late Chachapoya / Inca era ~1450-1500 AD and then forgotten as the Chachapoya and Incas focused on dealing with the Spanish conquistadors. In the sheltered, uniquely dry conditions they found more than 200 mummies of important civic people and royalty as well as thousands of items that went with the mummies on their journeys to the gods – all unseen and untouched for at least 500 years.

Sadly the discoverers of these treasures then set about many of the mummies with machetes looking for commercially viable treasure and left several mummies to quickly deteriorate in the rain. However, within a year the artefacts had been recovered, the pillagers jailed and the antiquities transported those ten hours to Leymebamba where a new museum had been built for them.

Having seen several mummies when in Egypt earlier in the trip, Rafe and Odessa were quick to notice that these mummies are very different compared to those we’ve come to expect. They were preserved and wrapped in a tight seated position, almost foetal. Beyond the mummies themselves, the museum did a great job of placing the Chachapoya people in historical context and explaining what is known of their customs. We found their method of capturing stories, figures and messages in long series’ of knots particularly interesting.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this part of the trip though, is the fact there are at least 17 more known ancient Chachapoya sites in the hills and forest. Thought to be similarly untouched, the Peruvian authorities and others simply haven’t had the resources to survey and fully document. As you might imagine, these locations are not widely shared. It left us wondering how many more sites remain to be discovered.

The hillside village of Macro

No, not the cash and carry superstore Makro, rightly lauded for its vast selection, large quantities and low prices. This is Macro, a hillside village of the Chachapoya. Here the journey was every bit of a wonder as the ancient site itself. Macro is located halfway up a hillside on the bank of the Utcubamba river – the far bank away from the road. Getting across the river felt as if we were taking part in popular TV show Challenge Anneka. As we arrived it was quickly clear that the way across was a small hand-pulled platform slung under a taught wire. However the platform itself was resting halfway across with no apparent way of bringing it to our side. After several minutes of investigation, furrowed brows and quizzical looks we found a bell and the only thing for it was to ring it. Not long after, a gentleman came down to the far end of the bridge, lifted an extraordinarily long pole and hooked the hanging platform towards him. Moments later he was on our side and we were boarding. Later, the return trip was even more memorable as Helen and I went in a boat tethered to the platform, while the kids pulled us all along from above.

In between the crossings we walked the half an hour or so up the hillside past crops of corn and the curious mix of rainforest plants and desert cacti we saw often in these parts. Before long the first of several semi-circular brick built platforms came into view, clinging remarkably to the hillside. When originally constructed each of these would have had a roof and a firepit in its centre. Quite how they were built up here is a mystery of some genius and surely considerable effort. Based up here the Chachapoya would have had a commanding view of the valley and river, able to spot any intruder a long way off.

Cliffside mausoleums of Revash

The unmade roads of the region, combined with our standard rental car unsuited to the task, meant that we always made slower progress than we expected. After leaving the main road the route to Revash up a steep and sinuous trail took a good hour and a half. It was certainly worth the effort though, as these funeral buildings nestle 2800 metres up the cliffside with amazing views out across hills and valleys beyond.

Having journeyed to the pleasant hilltop village of San Bartolo, it was then another 45 minutes on foot north east out of the village and up to the limestone walls housing the mausoleums themselves. We were surprised how close we were able to get to them. We had feared we might be left gazing at some small monuments in the distance. But instead a path led us to within a couple of metres, the way only eventually blocked by a wooden gate (apparently recently installed after some Ecuadorean visitors decided to inscribe their names on the ancient monument).

Kuelap hilltop fortress

Having got this far down this blog post, we know what you are thinking. Surely they went to Kuelap? The fortress of Kuelap is, by some distance, traditionally the main draw for people to visit the Chachapoyas region. It is said to rival Cusco for its spectacle, sitting as it does 3000 metres up on a limestone ridge. It is also another story of surprisingly recent re-discovery. It was unexpectedly discovered by a local judge from Chachapoyas who happened to hike this mountain in 1843. More recently the Peruvian authorities recognised the potential of Kuelap to bring in the crowds and in 2017 the country’s only cable car route opened, saving the prospective tourist the steep four hour hike up from the valley below.

Sadly in 2022 heavy rain caused landslides and instability, rendering the site unsafe. Entering the fortress is not possible at the moment. We knew this before we travelled here, but the local authorities are not keen to make it widely known that their main site is shut as this would be devastating for the local economy, and somewhat embarrassing with a shiny but now redundant cable car. As a result, many people only realise after having made the not-inconsiderable journey to northern Peru (most often from Lima like us) and then up to the summit itself.

The cable car remains open and fortunately the trip is stunning – certainly worth doing regardless of the state of the fortress itself. The route descends several hundred metres down into a valley before rising back up the other side, gathering more height into the far station. From there it is a twenty minute walk to the outside walls of the fortress itself, and a small recreation of one of the typical chachapoya round houses. It was clear which parts of the wall had become unstable, but no particular evidence of the urgent repair work you would expect of the regions standout attraction. At time of writing there is no date set for reopening. Nevertheless the completists amongst us (Rafe) were happy to have ticked visiting Kuelap off the imaginary list.

How we did it

Avid readers will recall that we turned back from the Bolivia / Peru border in Copacabana, Bolivia. Had we got across the border and headed north into Peru the likelihood is that we would have got our history fix at Cusco and the Inca fortress of Machu Picchu. With civil unrest still apparently brewing in Puno we replanned a circuitous route to pre-Inca Chachapoyas instead – south back to La Paz, eastward to Santa Cruz de la Sierra and then north to Lima. From there it was an always fun turboprop plane ride further north into the high, short runway and therefore tricky in poor weather airport at Chachapoyas. Fortunately for us we landed in clear skies and the morning cloud lifted before we left.

We don’t often write about where we stayed, but the Kentitambo Hummingbird Inn at Leymebamba really stood out. A stunning location in the forest, a very warm welcome and plenty of actual hummingbirds. We stayed in the more affordable roadside B&B rather than the more upscale chalets, so it was also great value.

The walking route at Revash

After reaching the cliff face we had a choice for the return journey. Helen and Odessa retraced their steps while Rafe and Jim took a looping route downward and southward, and then back up to meet them halfway back. It turned out this lower section of the loop was far less well trodden and steep, both downward and then back up. Rafe enjoyed leading and clearing the way through overgrowth and the occasional small landslide before we made the climb back up to the main route. As the return route isn’t especially clear here is the GPS track:

Download file: revash-loop.gpx