On this day we visited attractions in the vicinity of Santiago Yosondúa – first a tropical forest and small lake at Lago Minisha, then Cueva Yauvekin. We were taken there by Edilberto and PéPé and in the company of our first-rate guide, José (who arranged for us to get to Yosondúa in the first place.
The Drive In
The first leg of the trip was north from Yosondúa about 5 miles through a dense forest to Lago Minisha and the tropical jungle in the vicinity of the lake. The next stop, Cueva Yauvekin, was an eleven mile drive south through highlands with scattered farms and greenhouses along the way. We made a brief stop at Cañada de Galicia for a snack and rest break, then proceeded to Cueva Yauvekin. From the cave we returned the 10 miles to Yosondúa, again through highlands then the forest and down into the valley of Yosondúa.
The Walkabouts
Lago Minisha Walkabout
Santiago Yosondúa – Lake Walkabout.PatJoséEdilbertoPepe.2024-01-26 … Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line). Click on the image for a full-screen view.
Lago Minisha is a popular place for locals to visit, like a park with the lagoon and surrounding open forest. We enjoyed the walk through the forest and along the lake, while Edilberto pointed out features of the tropical forest as we walked along.
Cueva Yauvekin Walkabout
Santiago Yosondua – Sketch of Cueva Yauvekin Hike.PatJoseEdilbertoPepe.2024-01-26 … Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line). Click on the image for a full-screen view.
Highlight
Cueva Yauvekin was the highlight of this day’s expedition. After a short climb up the hillside and some stairs we found ourselves looking maybe 100 feet down into the Cueva, rocks and tropical plants.
The descent to the bottom is via a steel-spiral staircase – at first glance it appears to be a bit rickety, but ’tis solid. And at the bottom – looking into a dark cavern with stalactites coming into view.
The cave is a very large gallery filled with stalactites and stalagmites. Walking around among the, with flashlights and the lights from our phones was fascinating.
Note: Click on an image for a full-window view. Then click <Back> on your browser to return to the page.
Statistics
Lake Walkabout:
Total Distance: 0.51 miles
Elevation: start 8,666 ft, maximum 8,724 ft, minimum 8,649 ft
Gross gain: 75 ft. Aggregate ascending 103 ft, descending 100 ft
Maximum slope: 23% ascending, 19% descending, 7.0% average
Duration: 0:51 , Average Speed: 0.7 mph, Shade: 30%
Cueva Yauvekin:
Total Distance: 1,197 ft
Elevation: start 5,747 ft, maximum 6,052 ft, minimum 5,747 ft
Gross gain: 325 ft. Aggregate ascending 325 ft, descending 325 ft
Maximum slope: 61% ascending, 61% descending, 28.0% average
Duration: 0:47, Average Speed: NA mph, Shade: NA%
| GPS Track Files for Download | |
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| Link to GAIA GPS: “Yosondua-Lago Minisha-Cueva Yauvekin-Yosondua Driveabout” | |
| If you haven’t explored these hiking tracks with Google Earth, give it a try. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get good idea of the hike and the terrain. For some ideas, check out Using Google Earth Track Files. | |
Related Posts
Oaxaca 2024 Posts
Santiago Yosondúa – Driveabout & Waterfall Visit – 01/25/202
References and Resources
YAU VEKIN THE GROTTO THAT CONTINUES AND HAS NO END (YouTube – 48 minutes, a full tour, in Spanish)
La CUEVA de YAUVEKIN en la Mixteca de Oaxaca (YouTube)
Photos
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