In addition to the hazards listed in the printed book, there are several new landslides along the route. These may be particularly unstable after heavy rain, and care should be taken when crossing them.

The authors walked the first half of this trek again in July 2002, as far as the Salazar family home, and found that other than the landslides mentioned above, little had changed. One detail worth mentioning, however, is that there is no longer a clear fork 20 minutes past Río Blanco (page 265, 2nd paragraph). Rather, there is a network of small, muddy, interconnecting trails here. Some lead to the bridge, some to the hamlet of Río Blanco, some to the old route to Amaluza, and some to the Abad family home. It is a good idea to ask one of the locals to guide you here, for a few minutes, until you are on the correct trail which is then easy to follow. Failing that, take the right-hand fork uphill each time, and ask for directions whenever you meet someone.

Transport: rancheras from Palanda run to Río Blanco daily at 0700 and 1300, $2, 2 hrs.