B-3 Cerro Toledo (Roundtrip 82.0 km)

Distance         41 km              (82 km round trip)

Time               1.75 hours       (3.5 hrs round trip)

Altitude          1527 m – 3426 m

Ascent            2330 m

Descent          473 m

Rating             Moderate/difficult 3/5

Start               Bus terminal Vilcabamba

End                 Cerro Toledo Antenna

With an altitude of 3445 m, Cerro Toledo is one of the highest points in the southern part of the Cordillera Oriental and offers superb 360° views on clear days, but is often covered in clouds and exposed to very strong winds. Attempt this trip only on nice, clear days. Normally, the road is quite well maintained by the army as an access to its communication system, but after heavy rains, the exposed road might be impassable.

By bicycle this trip would be very strenuous, recommended is only the downhill-tour, which can be arranged by Chinos bike shop https://www.facebook.com/Chinos-Bikes-Vilcabamba-427504074049326/?ref=page_internal (Chino, tel. 098 187 63 47)

Route: From the bus terminal, head south along the new Highway, past the Barrio Izhcayluma. The road ascends 6.3 km and 440 m to the Lambunuma-pass at 2000 m, then descends towards Masanamaca. At the bottom of the descent, you find the turnoff to Quinara on your right, and some 500 meters ahead you pass the Hamlet of Masanamaca. 2 km out of Masanamaca, you can observe on your left the Estoraques (earth sculptures) of Suro, some strange mushroom & pillar shaped earth structures. The highway now ascends 270 meters to another pass at nearly the same height as the Lambunuma pass we crossed before, then drops down to the little town of Yangana. One kilometer out of town, on the climbing highway, you find a small, blue sign, indicating the turnoff for Cerro Toledo on the left. This gravel road ascends from this point steadily for nearly 20 kilometers to the highest point at 3425 meters. Crossing little fincas & orchards, you eventually enter the moss covered rainforest, which later gives way to the Paramo above the timber line. Reaching the Cerro Toledo pass at 3350 m, you can see the antennas at the end of the ridge before you.

From the antennas you can enjoy the superb views with the countless mountain ridges towards the Peruvian border to the south and the ocean of Podocarpus forest to the east.