Mexico Copper Canyon Railway Trek

Chihuahua, Mexico · Mexico

Moderate7 daysNorth America~£800 est.

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Overview

The Barrancas del Cobre are six linked canyons in the Sierra Madre Occidental, together deeper and four times more extensive than the Grand Canyon. You arrive the only sensible way: aboard El Chepe, one of the world's great railway journeys, climbing from sea level at Los Mochis through 86 tunnels and across 37 bridges to the rim at Divisadero, where the land simply stops and drops 1,300 metres at your feet. Then you walk. Trails descend from the rim villages through Raramuri (Tarahumara) country to the subtropical canyon floor at Batopilas or Urique, passing three climate zones in a single day. The descent is the trap: 1,500 metres of downhill hammers the knees, and the floor can run 20C hotter than the rim - start at first light and carry more water than feels reasonable. The Raramuri, the famed ultrarunners, live in dispersed ranchos throughout the canyons; a local guide smooths both navigation and etiquette, and your fee stays in the community. October to March gives crisp rim air and a bearable floor. Around £800 covers a week of trains, guesthouses and guides - book El Chepe's first-class carriages a few weeks ahead in high season.