Pico ahead
Market Ver-o-Peso
Belém: Cathedral (18th century)
Arrival in Belém should be in the early afternoon. The group will be picked up by the tour coordinator and transferred to the hotel and rest. The welcome drink and the first briefing will be followed by a dinner. Overnight.
The capital of the northern Brazilian state of Pará is located at the banks of the 250 km large estuary of the Amazon fluvial system. Since its foundation in 1616, Belém represents the gateway to the entire Amazon region. In the morning you visit the internationally renowned Goeldi Amazon Research Institute, with its botanical-zoological garden, where you get to know more about the flora and fauna of the Amazon region. Lunch will be at a restaurant featuring Amazon specialties. The afternoon is spent with a sightseeing tour through the colonial old town, with its churches, fortresses, the splendorous Teatro da Paz, which was built, like the better-known brother, the world-famous theater in Manaus, during the rubber-boom. You will visit the famous Ver-o-Peso ("Check the weight") market, with its exotic products, and fascinating variety in sea- and freshwater fish, snake-poison elixirs as well as of imaginable or unimaginable medicinal herbs and tasty fruits. You spend the evening at the old piers and warehouses in the port area, which were beautifully restored recently. Here, at the banks of Rio Guamá, various handicraft-stores, fancy bars and restaurants offer unexpected sophistication to the foreign visitor. Sitting on the terrace among and underneath the old cranes, you look out at the river while you enjoy the fresh breeze and icy cold draft beer in the only in-house brewery of the whole Amazon region. After dinner, return to the hotel and overnight.
The cupola of the Teatro Amazonas
The Teatro Amazonas in Manaus
Floating port of Manaus
Rio Negro rapids near São Gabriel
Transfer to the airport of Belém and flight to Manaus with arrival estimated around noon and transfer to the hotel. After lunch the group starts for a sightseeing-tour. Manaus is the gateway to the inner Amazon region and has been of significant importance for the conquest of the whole region, a fact for which the jungle theater and the harbor, included in our city tour, deliver rich testimony. With time left, we visit the confluence of the Rio Negro and Solimões rivers that form the great Amazon River.
Early departure with Trip Linhas Aéreas to São Gabriel da Cachoeira, located on the upper Rio Negro. The group is welcomed by our Operation Manager Henrique Leão "Branco". Transfer to the hotel. During a stroll through the small town the permits from the National Park authority and theFUNAI will be collected. After returning to the hotel, the equipment and baggage will be checked and packed up for departure next day. In the late afternoon the outboard engine will be checked on a ride through the rapids of the Rio Negro. During the dinner the complete crew and participants will get acquainted. Overnight in São Gabriel da Cachoeira.
Dirt road
At the equator
Camp
Departure from São Gabriel da Cachoeira <1> at 8 am on board Toyota Jeep 4x4 to hit the dirt road to Frente Sul. Estimated travel time for the 85 km is 3 hs. Boarding of canoes on the Iá mirim river <2>, which after about 30 minutes funnels into his brother, the bigger Iá river. After 1:30 hr the Cauaburi river is reached <3> and after another 3 hrs canoe ride on the Cauaburi we arrive at the Maturacá channel and moor the canoes. Now a camp is pitched on safe location on the river banks to avoid that, after heavy rains on the river head sudden downstream swells might wash the camp away. We are going to pick up our Yanomami guides and carriers at Maturacá village. They will join in for dinner which has been prepared in the meantime. Overnight will be in hammocks.
Departure from the camp at 8 am to the mouth of the Tukano river <4> which should be reached before noon. Canoes are moored, engines and gasoline are stashed away and the hike to the Pico da Neblina begins now. After 3 hs of mostly up and down hill hiking we arrive at a Yanomami plantation site called Cachoeira do Tukano. The Yanomamis maintain such plantations with Banana, Manioc, Lime and other fruits also to support their hunting groups in the forest. There is time for a refreshing bath in the river. You may also want to check fishing skills and eventually contribute some fresh fish for dinner. Overnight is either in hammocks or tents.
Designed by nature
Crossing the Rio Tukano
Will I make it?
Vegetation underneath the Pico
The base camp
Where is the (ilegal) gold? As usual, we breakfast and leave camp at around 8 am, destination camp 3, called Bebedouro Velho <5>, which could be translated into the "old water supply" or "water source&. For the 12 kms trail on pretty irregular terrain, requiring regular breaks, a total of 6 to 7 hrs is estimated. The Bebedouro Velho is located at 400 m above sea level and offers splendid views of the Pico da Neblina and surrounding mountains. With the helping hands of our Yanomami guides the camp is pitched, fire lit and the dinner prepared. There is a wide choice of overnight options: hammock or tent!
From the Bebedouro Velho, a difficult trail, with plenty of ups and downs gets us to the Bebedouro Novo <6>, or new water source or supply. A 460 m difference in altitude to the Bebedouro Velho, plus another 12.5 kms of trail, sums up to a total of 860 m above sea level and 25 kms of trail, making up an average of 6-7 hours of hiking for that stretch. The camp is pitched at a beautiful spot next to the Cuiabixi river, offering great bathing in the cascades, natural hydro massage for relaxation included. For the night we sleep again in the hammocks.
Today we have to negotiate a short but steep trail of 6 kms only that brings us to an altitude of 2000 m above sea level. As usual, we travel an average of 6-7 hours. The temperature drops and the vegetation changes on the way to the Camp Base <7>, situated below the peak of the Pico da Neblina. To get there, we will have to master, among a series other natural obstacles, like roots and trees and rocks and rivers, a swampy turf plateau where you get stock up to your knees with each step in the muddy terrain. After arriving and a well earned relax, the crew pitches the camp, while the others may want to visit the nearby camp of a lonesome garimpeiro (gold digger). On request, and to the disguise of the environmentalists and naturalists in the group, he will show how he washes the gold out of the rapid banks. No further activities are planned for the rest of the day, which certainly has been a very strenuous one for most of us.
15 Minutes to the top 
The last effort
At the top
Branco is nearly there
The last leg (6 km) to the top of the Pico da Neblina <8>, will take about 7 hours of heavy mountain trekking including 3 hours through swampy terrain, another 3 hours over a large plateau covered with loose boulder and rock, plus 1 hour climbing on the rope, for which technical climbing experience is not necessary. Provided everything running smoothly, a tired but happy group would arrive at the 2994 m peak around 3 pm, with daylight at hand for admiration of the Imeri massif, and the infinite rainforest that stretches deep into the Venezuelan territory. Although Neblina means fog, you may be lucky with the weather and be able to take some great photos of this magnificent environment. For overnight in the tents on the peak you will need a sleeping bag for low temperatures of up to -5º Celsius and warm clothing.
While being in the area we will not miss out on Brazil's 2nd highest mountain, the neighboring Pico 31 de Março (2972 m NN). Early decamp at the Neblina to trek to the 31 de Março. A short while remaining at the summit before hitting the same trail back that leads to the Pico da Neblina. Arrival at the Campo Base expected around 5 pm. Overnight is at the Campo Base.
We have planned an additional day as safe guard to be able to coop with eventual weather inconveniences and to explore the area around the plateau of the Campo Base, which offers a splendid array of endemic plant life and a great variety of birds. This day however can be spent either before attacking the peak or after returning from the peak, before beginning to descend. The expedition leader will decide according to the circumstances.
It's cold up there
Beutelnester
A refreshing bath at Cauabixi rapids
Looks dangerous
Fine handicraft made by Yanomami girls and women Decamp, packing gear and returning to descend to the Bebedouro Novo with arrival there estimated for 2pm approximately. No further activities are planned for the rest of the day. Again there is the Cuiabixi river for great bathing and refreshing.
An 8 hours hike always descending, straight to Cachoeira do Tukano, requires several breaks. An invigorating bath in the Tukano river after arrival there, will help to relax body and mind. Camp at the Cachoeira
Further descend to the mouth of the Tukano river. Picking up engine, gasoline and other equipment and provisions that were left behind there, the canoe is loaded and off we are heading for the Yanomami Indian village of Maturacá. Arrival estimated for the end of the day. We will stay overnight with the Yanomami people in their traditional cabanas
Today we will have the rare opportunity to visit the biggest Yanomami village on Brazilian territory, which host roughly 2000 Yanomami people. We will meet their leaders and discuss issues of interest. The Yanomami handicraft, made by their women, is well known for its beauty and quality. We will be impressed by their dedication while watching producing artifacts from natural resources, mainly fibers, woods and clay. We will get to know, their way of living today and in the past, their traditions, their food and visit their manioc plantation to witness the process of production of flour, an essential diet for all Indians and most of the Brazilians in general.
Particularly touching is the contact with their joyful children. The stay in Maturacá provides an insight view of the reality of the Brazilian Indians today and in particular of the famous Yanomami tribe.
Will we make it home?
Yanomami women
Salesian church in São Gabriel
"Meeting of the waters" near Manaus
Via the rivers Cauaburi, Greater Iá and Iá mirim we return to the Frente Sul, Southern Front, where our jeep takes us back to the town of São Gabriel da Cachoeira, with arrival estimated for the late afternoon. At the hotel "Deus me deu" or "Given by God" a hot shower is waiting. Dinner tonight will be at the best Restaurant in town. A real bed and air condition will guarantee deluxe accommodation for the last night, which hopefully you did not miss while on expedition.
We like to suggest what one could call in other places a city tour and do some walking around the town to get to know some of the history of the region and also to visit the Salesian church and the port area. Back at the hotel we must pack gear before we go for lunch and transfer than to the airport to take flight back to Manaus at 5:45 / 8:00 pm. Transfer to the Hotel.
City tour and depending on your departure time from Manaus, and in case it has not been possible on arrival, visit of the phenomena of the meeting of waters between Rio Solimões and Rio Negro, forming the Grand Amazon River. Transfer to the airport and flight back to your countries.