panama - Secret Compass

panama
mysteries of the darien gap
15 - 28 March 2014
THE COUNTRY
The Darien Gap is shrouded
in mystery. Infamous as
an unexplored mountain
and swampland this is a
borderland like no other. We
will head into the heart of
this fascinating jungle which
connects the Americas, in
search of ancient petroglyphs,
forgotten tribes and true
adventure.
It has long evoked a sense of
adventure like nowhere else,
and it has become the dream
of many intrepid adventurers to
‘cross the gap’ on foot.
In 1995, photographermountaineer-explorer Robert
Hyman along with native
Emberá Daniel Castaneda were
the first to document a large
stone covered in mysterious
carvings deep in the Darien.
Our expedition in 2013 was the
first of its kind, and we hope to
continue to set the path for a
new era of exploration in this
forgotten wilderness in 2014.
Previously only known to
the local Emberá indians
who inhabit the area, the
petroglyphs were dated
between 3000-5000 BCE.
Robert returned to the region
in 2005 to successfully locate
another petroglyph site.
Expedition
fact box
Dates: 15 - 28 March 2014
Duration: 14 days
Maximum team size: 12
Cost: £2,699 (ground costs only)
The Darien Gap refers to the
only break in the 30,000 mile
Pam-American highway. It is a
fifty-mile-wide stretch of jungle
and swampland that separates
North and South America.
Since the 1990s this has become
an incredibly dangerous pursuit
as the Colombian border has
become a haven for drug
runners and rebel groups.
Secret Compass aims to achieve
the extraordinary in the world’s
wildest places. We inspire people
to get to incredible places
that would otherwise remain
inaccessible by undertaking
pioneering, bold expeditions that
are open to anyone with the right
attitude and spirit.
We are therefore truly proud
to be able to offer this real
adventure into the Darien’s
unexplored wilderness.
Expedition overvi ew Map
iti nerary
1. Arrive Panama City.
2. Fly to La Palma and boat to
El Bacao (80km).
3. Boat and trek towards Tucuti (17km).
4. Trekking towards Wina, camp
at Piedra Chica (15km).
5. Trek towards Wina (15km).
6. Trek to petroglyphs (7km):
explore!
7. Trek to Wina: boat the Sambu River then trek to Condoto.
8. Boat Condoto to Villa Queresia
(15km), trek to Bayamon (8km).
9. Trek to Santa Rosa Camp
(14km)
10. Hike to Playa Muerto (9km).
11. Day on beach/ contingency.
12. Boat to Garachine, fly to
Panama City.
13. Fly home.
highlights
• Explore the legendary region that
separates the Americas.
• Travel alongside the Embera
Indians and learn about their
fascinating way of life.
• See the mysterious petroglyphs,
remnants of an ancient culture.
• Explore the jungle rivers by boat.
Gulf of Panama
expedition ai ms
The expedition aims to cross the
Darien from Puerto Quimba to
Playa Muerto in order to locate
lost Petroglyphs.
2014
exceptions in parts of the Gap
that we will not be visiting.
Petroglyphs are rock engravings,
often associated with prehistoric
The Darien Gap refers to the
peoples. The ‘Yarre Mongara’
only break in the 30,000 mile
or Monkey Stone was the first
Pam-American highway. It is a
Petroglyph to be documented
50-mile-wide stretch of jungle and by Robert Hyman in 1995. He
swampland that separates North
returned ten years later to
and South America. It has long
document two more sites and
evoked a sense of adventure like
dated the carvings at about
nowhere else, and it is the dream 5000 years old. The area remains
of many intrepid adventurers to
unexplored and there is a distinct
‘cross the gap’ on foot.
possibility there are more sites out
there waiting to be discovered.
Described by adventure author
Hilary Bradt as a ‘swampy
wasteland crawling with
venomous creatures ready
at a moment’s notice to suck
unsuspecting explorers into its
oozing depths’, the security
situation has settled down in the
ma jority of the Darien, with some
The Emberá are one of Panama’s
indigenous Indian groups, living in
the Darien along the shores of the
Chucunaque, Sambu and Tuira
rivers. They live in small villages
of five to twenty houses and have
their own form of autonomous
government and rules. They live
off the land hunting wild fish and
game using traditional methods.
The Emberá are known for their
distinctive appearance, wearing
brightly coloured skirts and
painting their bodies in intricate
geometric patterns.
Wildlife: the Darien contains a
stunning range of wildlife, and
is considered one of the world’s
best bird-watching spots. You can
see a staggering range of birdlife
here including the harpy eagle
and four species of macaw. The
region is also home to jaguars,
tapirs, anteaters, monkeys
and caimans. Our guide, Rick
Morales, has been working as a
wilderness guide in the Darien
and Panama since 1998. Currently
he is one of the most competent
interpretation guides and is well
recognised for his skills.
of the colonial trial ‘Camino Real
Colonial’. In 2011 he became
the first person to walk the
Panama Trail, a thru hike from the
Columbian border to Costa Rica.
This is part of the Trans-Panama
project, aiming to develop and
map sections of trail connecting
regions and people throughout
Panama. For more information
visit: transpanama.org/en
Contingency: we have worked
tirelessly to put together this
challenging expedition in a
remote and fascinating area.
But there is one factor we can’t
control. SENAFRONT are the
border police who control the
area. Rick has great relations with
them after working here for 14
years. However, there is a chance
they could shut down entry into
this region at a moments notice. If
this occurs, we have a great ‘Plan
B’ in northern Panama, which will
In recent years he has been
directly related to the rediscovery be equally adventurous!
2014
practicaliti es
Accommodation: will be in a basic
hotel in Panama City. When moving
through the jungle we will be
sleeping in hammocks and in Puerto
Meurto we will be in our hammocks
in basic huts on the beach.
Expedition price: all our expeditions are
priced on a land only basis, giving you
maximum flexibility when deciding how
to get to and from the expedition.
What is included:
•Full services of a Secret Compass
Food: We will eat at local eating
expedition Leader with local guides
establishments when in urban areas.
and drivers
For the ma jority of the expedition
•All meals
we will be on a mix of dehydrated
•All transport as per the itinerary
trekking rations and source food
•All specialist and safety equipment
locally from villagers.
•All accommodation (Including tents)
•All permits
Transport: on the trip will involve
bumpy rides in 4WD vehicles,
trekking and travel in indigenous
What is not included:
canoes. We will also be using and
•Local airport taxes
coastal boats.
•Tips - these are expected by the local guides in Panama and we
Getting there and away: We operate
will discuss how to organise this on
on a LAND ONLY basis. You must
our first night in country. It is
book your own flights but we can
worth bring small denominations
suggest airlines and flight times.
of US$ to enable this.
Further information will be provided
• Beverages & personal spending
upon booking.
•International flights
•Personal equipment. Upon booking
Team members should be over 21,
you will receive a kit list and we also
fit and healthy as this trip involves
have links with kit hire companies.
several continuous days of trekking
up to 15km in remote, mountainous
areas through humid tropical jungle You’ll receive a comprehensive set of
carrying up to 15kg. Please speak to Joining Instructions prior to booking
or on request, which detail all the
us about fitness if you are unsure.
information you need to join the team.
warni ng
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our approach
Our expeditions are exploratory
in nature. They are not organised
tours. We strive to go to places and
work in areas that others do not,
so our expeditions require a robust
and spirited attitude. We will likely
be camping for the duration of the
expedition, walking long distances
and relying on local food sources
which can vary in quality. This adds
to the character of the expedition and
allows you to get under the skin of the
places we travel through, and to have
an awesome adventure.
Foreign Commonwealth Office:
The FCO Travel advice highlights
potential hazards people might
experience when travelling abroad.
Given the nature of destinations
offered by Secret Compass it is
inevitable that from time to time
some itineraries contravene this
advice.
While Secret Compass takes the
safety and security of its clients
extremely seriously, we will not
necessarily cancel a trip because of
the FCO advice.
You will need insurance that
provides cover for emergency
repatriation in case of a medical
emergency. You should be aware
that many standard insurance
policies may not cover you
adequately for all aspects of
a Secret Compass trip and so
we strongly recommend that
youpurchase a suitably designed
insurance policy.
Whilst some areas of the Darien
remain a no-go area, the areas that
we will be visiting are considered
safe for western travellers. Rick, our
guide, is vastly experienced in the
It is recommended therefore that
area and at the slightest hint of any
clients check this advice at www.fco. change in the security situation we
gov.uk before booking and contact
will revert to Plan B!
us if they have any queries or
concerns.
Please see our website for further
information.
We put the structure in place to
enable the team to have an amazing
adventure and achieve its aim. Our
background in the military ensures
that we have a robust planning
process prior to the start of the
expedition. We have contingency
plans and incident and emergency
plans in place for likely (and unlikely)
scenarios. However, luckily this is
not an organised tour. It will not go
smoothly! The nature of the areas
we operate in mean that we will
encounter a number of issues which
may hinder the potential success of
the expedition.
2014
Local Bureaucracy. Our relationships
with local people are crucial to our
success. Often there is no established
visitor protocol so occasionally we get
caught up in local power struggles
or disagreements. With years of
experience in delicate negotiation,
we enjoy the conversational chess,
especially through an interpreter!
Transport infrastructure: the areas we
travel to are remote and infrastructure
is often inadequate or non-existent.
Roads flood, bridges collapse and
vehicles get stuck. We thrive on
overcoming such challenges!
Weather and natural events: the
monsoon comes early, landslides
block key paths, and driving snow all
make for a more interesting time...
Local partners. We can only do what
we do with the help of people in
the communities we travel through.
They work extremely hard and are
incredibly generous in their hospitality
to us. Please remember that they
are from a different culture and will
not have the same concept of time,
environmental responsibility or
‘customer service’. They will be late,
There will be any number of frictions
may be unreliable (in our eyes) and
to our success as a team, which make will do things completely differently
the expedition more interesting. These to us. We respect their outlook on life
are likely to include weather, transport and ask you to do so as well.
and local bureaucracy issues.
panama
2014
Mysteries of the darien gap
Further Information
When you make a confirmed booking, or on request, we will send you our
confirmation pack with complete pre-departure information giving you details
on visas, health and vaccinations, packing lists, suggested reading on the
region, insurance, photography and other useful tips to make the expedition
more enjoyable.
SECRET COMPASS (Ltd)
A UK registered company 7746209
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +44 (0)20 3239 8038 (UK)
Tel: +1 347 6900182 (US)
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www secretcompass com