Like the milk that flows from the breasts of a mother, Pampa de Achala gives rise to two thirds of the rivers that irrigate Córdoba, the Argentine Mediterranean province, whose rainfall regime becomes strong in the summer. It seems a coincidence, but coincidences do not exist. A few kilometers away is the town of Nono, whose name means in the aboriginal language “woman’s breasts” by virtue of some provocative hills that adorn its landscape.
Pampa de Achala is located in the Sierras Grandes of Córdoba, Argentina (about 2,500 meters above sea level average), deploying from the town of “Los Gigantes” to Cerro Champaqui, the maximum height of Cordoba, covering about 1,500 km squared. As dreamed by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in his “Lost World”, evolution did its own thing by transforming this alternation of grasslands and tall rocky stones into an evolutionary laboratory, isolated by its peculiarity of being a biogeographic island.
This plain of immensities and hindsight invites those who have the ability to merge with the landscape to discover a large number of endemism, although for those who are not biologists, it is also an excellent hike. Mr Atahualpa Yupanqui, a transcendental musician of our land, has already said it: “For those who look without seeing, the land is only land”. It is a sea of pastures merging with the horizon rocked by the wind and the silence so deep that it is sometimes stunning.
Water Tank
The intricate array of grasslands and forests recalls the Andean landscapes that run along the backbone of the South American continent. At that height there are forests of Tabaquillo (Polylepis australis) with the occasional Maiten (Maytenus boaria). The Polylepis adorn the slopes of the mountains with their cinnamon skin, which serves as a thermal protection against the cold, which reminds some of the tobacco leaf, which made them creditors of their name: Tabaquillo. These dream forests make possible the appearance of an elf; watching them is an unforgettable experience. Its climate is so ephemeral and its beauty so delicate that it can pass from the most intense sun to a mist that does not let you see your hands, soaking everything in its path.
Below 1,700m of altitude there are abundant rocky sites characteristic of low-level shrubs, such as the Romerillo (Heterothalamus alienus), the Carqueja (Baccharis articulata), the Romerito (Eupatorium buniifolium) and the barba de tigre (Colletia spinossisima). Its unmistakable aromas whisper to us about its healing properties.
Beyond the delight of the senses this water basin stores during the summer the excess rainfall of the wet season, which gradually releases during the winter season fulfilling an essential role in the maintenance of the human life that sustains downstream.
Government Protection
Tabaquillo forests in the heights of Córdoba have been preserved and reforested for decades thanks to the efforts of various non-governmental organizations and the efforts of hundreds of volunteers headed by Daniel Renison.
Since 1996 the area is protected under the figure of National Park – unfortunately the only National Park established in the province to date, although there are two more projects with different degrees of progress. To visit the Quebrada del Condorito National Park, located 97 km from the provincial capital, you must travel to the southwest, to the Pampilla Place, where the entrance to the Quebrada del Condorito National Park is located, with 40,000 hectares. The road is completely asphalted, and I recommend visiting with ample time to enjoy the panoramic views, with its changing vegetation as it progresses in height. The occasion can also be conducive to taste some “alfajores”, a tenderloin and toast with a Fernet with Cola if you do not have to drive (alcoholic mixture of fernet and cola, intangible cultural heritage of the province). Without a doubt, if the radio is heard, some quartet will sound; it will break the silence to put some rhythm in the body.
A Huge Wound
The Condorito Gorge is about 800 meters deep and about 1,500 meters from edge to edge. From the viewpoints the visitor can enjoy numerous species such as swifts, various raptors, the American Black Vulture, and the undisputed stars, and I’m talking nothing but the world’s largest birds next to the wandering albatross: The Andean Condor (Vultur griphus). These giants find their most eastern nesting site in Achala and an ideal place to practice their flights. It really surprises the number of juvenile specimens that can be seen developing their flight practices when the thermal currents that come off the floor allow it. With a little luck you can enjoy contemplating the “Bath of the Condor”, a natural pool where these “ugly adorable” tend to worship of cleanliness. Even in this behavior, a strict hierarchical structure is respected where the largest females are sovereigns.
Endemism with Feathers and Scales
Twelve species of birds are endemic to Pampa de Achala. Among the furnarids, are the Rufous-banded Miner (Geositta rufipennis ottovvi), the Common Miner (Geositta cunicularia contrerasi), the White-winged Cinclodes (Cinclodes atacamensis schocolatinus), the Cordilleran Canastero (Asthenes modesta cordobae), and the Puna Canastero (Asthenes sclateri) and the Grey-flanked Cinclodes (Cinclodes oustaleti), which is usually seen crossing the streams in search of aquatic insects for food. In the group of tyranids, are the Black-billed Shrike-tyrant (Agriornis montana fumosus) and Rufous-naped Ground-Tyrant (Achalensis) (Muscisaxicola rufivertex achalensis), which frequent grasslands and rocklands. Among the Iterérids, a representative that is frequently seen is the Loica or Long Tailed Meadowlark (Sturnella loica obscura), of striking presence together with the Plain-colored Seedeater (cordobensis) (Catamenia inornata cordobensis), the Plumbeous Sierra-finch (Phrygilus unicolor cyaneus) and the Ash-breasted Sierra-finch (Phrygilus plebejus narosky), which some people still call Oquencho.
Among the mammals of high conservation priority, an endemic canid stands out, the Achala Red Fox (Pseudalopex culpaeus smithersi), a breed of distribution restricted to these mountains and currently in clear numerical recovery thanks to the protection it has after the creation of the Park, (prior to this he was a victim of poaching for sale of his leather). Also, at this point the mountain mouse (Akodon polopi) lives, who only inhabits the highlands of the mountains of Córdoba.
Among the endemic reptiles, the Achala Green Lizard (Pristydactilus achalensis) stands out, of notable bluish green color, which is usually, observed sunning in the rocky areas in summer. Among the poisonous snakes is the Yarana Ñata or Patagonia Lancehead – Snub-nosed Yarará Viper (Bothrops amodytoides), which owes its name to its snub nose; this viper frequents the rocks where it stalks rodents for feed. Among amphibians, two endemic species stand out: the Toad of Achala (Bufo achalensis) and Achala Escuerzo-frog (Odontophrynus achalensis); do not forget the snakes, particularly Liophis anomalus.
In the ichthyofauna there are two native fish, the Red-tailed Mojarra (Astyanax eingenmanniorum) and the Torrent Cat- Fish (Trichomycterus corduvense), and introduced since the beginning of the 20th century, the Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and the Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) that are reducing the population of native species.
Pampa de Achara is one of Argentina’s outstanding natural areas and center of biodiversity – and well worth a visit by biologists and nature photographers.
