Looking at the mass of cactus taxa that I have
scribbled in my notebook and at the hundreds of Angie's, Cliff's and my
digital images stored on Angie's laptop, it is difficult to believe that today
we are only half way through our trip. Looking at our slightly modified
itinerary, there are still lots of exciting places and plants to come.
Everyone was up early, because Rudolf and Leo wanted
to be dropped off at the northern most edge of the Pan de Azucar, near Las
Lomitas. Some of our party were keen to join them, so we drove their
Toyota Hylux to a suitable point near Esmeralda, where Rudolf figured their
hike would end, and then all (Rudolf, Leo, Ian, Benjy, Finn and myself)
crammed into the Nissan to drive the party to the drop-off point, some 800 m.
above sea level. My role was to drive the Nissan back to Secret Valley, after
taking some pictures at the drop-off point (S159) of Copiapoa
hypogaea.and in the Quebrada de la Cachina
S159a
When I arrived back, the remainder of the party had
packed away the tents and were ready to go. Having seen the Guanillos Valley
yesterday, today was the turn of the next valley north - the Tigrillo Valley,
home of KK 1385 - Karel Knize's Copiapoa tigrillensis n.n.
As we turned each corner, the temptation to stop and
photograph the impressive clumps of C. longistaminea and the stands of
C. columna-alba but we knew we would pass these plants again on the way
home, so waited until we reached the end of the valley for another picture
stop (S160). These were gorgeous plants, forms of C. longistaminea,
but with some beautiful orangey spination. It became easier to see how this
taxon varies as it moves north with its last outpost at Cifuncho, seen earlier
at S129. The scenery too was spectacular, with the plants nestled
between huge lumps of granite that had been weathered away by wind, sand and
sea. Again there was an Eriosyce sp in evidence as well.
Rudolf had told us that there was another valley,
north of Tigrillo, so this is where we made our next stop (S161) with
much the same mix of cacti as at the previous stop. On the way back, but still
in view of the ocean, we finally gave in to our craving to stop earlier and
took some nice shots of the army of C. columna-alba seemingly in a
hurry, all leaning at some 60 degrees, heading north (S162).
Cliff also managed to find an empty shell of what was once an Eriosyce
aurata.
More C. columna-alba were shot (by cameras)
later at S163, before returning to Secret Valley to await the return of
the hikers. We got back into our usual car-parties for the ride back to
civilisation and a shower and bed at the Hosteria Chañaral,
but not after some beers and Pisco Sours in the hotel bar, to exchange stories
of today's finds.
