Pirre Station

The area around Pirre Station, an ANAM ranger station in Parque Nacional Darién, offers an experience of the Darién similar to that found at Cana. While Pirre is in the lowlands and Cana is in the foothills, they are on opposite sides of Cerro Pirre and share many of the same birds and other wildlife. Both have good trails, including ones that lead up onto Cerro Pirre.

  Pirre Station is just within the boundaries of Parque Nacional Darién, in an area known as Rancho Frío. The forest here is lush and primeval; it has never been cut. The birding is excellent. Specialties include such beauties as lemon-spectacled and scarlet-browed tanagers, white-fronted nunbirds, and crimson-bellied woodpeckers. Those who wouldn’t know a white-fronted nunbird from a nun should keep their eyes and ears open for flocks of macaws, an impressive sight by anyone’s standards. Mammals include sloths, spider and howler monkeys, white-faced capuchins, and Geoffroy’s tamarins. A 150-kilogram jaguar has been seen in the area, but as usual the chances of spotting it are extremely slim.

  The station is surrounded by primary forest and little else. Facilities are minimal, consisting of a dormitory, an outhouse with flush toilets and showers, a field kitchen, and a couple of picnic tables. The dormitory is basic, to say the least. It consists of two bedrooms and a bare common area with concrete floors. Visitors sleep on bunk beds that are nothing more than foam mattresses on wooden frames. The rangers sleep in the second bedroom. There is no electricity at the station.

  The site itself, however, is beautiful. The crystal waters of the Río Peresenico run by the camp, which sits in a clearing ringed by verdant forest.

Trails
Two main trails originate from the station. One is an easy two-kilometer loop trail that leads to a series of waterfalls just 15 minutes away from the station. It’s a real Blue Lagoon scene. The first waterfall is about five-meters tall and pours into a deep pool filled with cold, clear water and surrounded by deep green vegetation.

  Those feeling adventurous or foolish or both can climb the sheer, slippery face of the first waterfall and follow the river to two more falls. Be aware that there are several ways to get seriously hurt doing this, and it’s a long, long way to a hospital from here.
  Hernan Araúz, probably the top Darién guide in the country, nearly bit it not once but twice here. The first time he scrambled to the top of the waterfall only to come face to face with an annoyed fer-de-lance snake. He had to dive back down the waterfall and was lucky not to break his neck. The second time he slid down the face of the waterfall in a more measured way, only to get pushed underwater by the fast-flowing current; his companion had to dive in and pull him out.

  So don’t attempt to clamber around without a good, strong guide to help you. Throw rocks into the brush at the side of the falls to scare away venomous snakes. Watch your step at the higher falls; it’s easy to step out into space and fall into a chasm. Be prepared to swim hard when you slide back down the first waterfall, especially if wearing lots of jungle gear. And make sure someone’s always nearby in case of an emergency.

  A fork in the middle of the loop trail leads up to a clearing that has a communications tower, but it’s a tough, two-hour climb up a 45-degree incline, and clouds usually obscure the view.

  The Cerro Pirre trail leads up the mountain, starting in the forest and coming out onto an exposed ridge that skirts the mountain rather than climbing to its summit. It’s a fairly steep hike, very steep at times, with lots of ups and downs. Expect the trail to be muddy and slippery. It’s a moderately strenuous trail and only reasonably fit hikers should attempt it.

  It takes about two hours at a rapid clip to get to Rancho Plástico, which, despite its name, is only a reference point and has no facilities. There’s a view of the valley of the Río Balsas from here. Theoretically one could continue along the ridge for two days before turning back. Note that this trail does not link up with the Cana Cloudforest Trail on the other side of the mountain.

  It’s possible to camp along the ridge, but hikers have to bring everything they need with them.

  It’s especially important to have a guide on this hike. The trail is not well-defined and is not being maintained. It’s easy to get lost, and tree falls sometimes completely block the way. If you’re alone and get lost or hurt, you have a real chance of not making it back out.

  In 1996 a lawyer from San Francisco hiked the trail on his own. He not only got lost but also ended up separated from his tent and had to spend the night in the forest without any protection. One can only imagine what that was like. When he finally found his tent the next day, it had been devoured by army ants.

  Note: The environmental nonprofit ANCON owns 300 hectares of land between the village of Piji Basal and Pirre Station and keeps it undeveloped as a buffer zone between Parque Nacional Darién and El Real. Ancon Expeditions, its sister tour-guide outfit, has bought 50 hectares of land close to Piji Basal from ANCON and has plans to build a small eco-retreat, which if completed could make for a much more comfortable, albeit more expensive, alternative to staying at Pirre Station. Contact Ancon Expeditions to check on the status of the project.