Acero Marka Mystic Valley altered by nature
Stories on how details of a beautiful mystical & enchanted valley were recorded on film, which are today irreproducible due to nature effect.
The beginning
Since very small on our way to our summer house I passed many times close to Acero Marka the mystic and enchanting valley high in the Andes. Near the entrance towards the valley there was a stone chimney landmark. My mother told me that it was from an old gold mine smelter dated from the Spaniard time, two to three centuries ago.
The surrounding high vertical mountains were green and with many distant silver colored waterfalls. Used to think they looked similar to places from a Tarzan B&W movies I saw when a child. On a curve of the road towards Chulumani town there was a small entrance with barrier, usually closed.
Always wanted to visit it, had the curiosity of where the small road barrier blocked would take you. Only when I returned to Bolivia a friend, Javier, told me that there was a way to enter the valley. 1984 spring had just started, and we decided to visit it. He was an adventurer who also liked to take photographs.
After negotiating with the guard at the barrier, we entered through the small dirt road with a gentle slope that went up to the valley. Fog and rain enhanced colors of strong green vegetation, that is normally scarce at this altitude (3,200 meters, 10,500 feet). The humidity from the Yungas subtropics that flow up the valley to the highlands allow the green vegetation to grow.
Magical moment
While driving up the road, on a curve in front of my eyes appeared a beautiful, laddered shape cascade. Crystal clear water magically painting the dark rocks with a white velvet.
It was the smell of the rain over the vegetation, the light and the crystal-clear water, and magic of the place that kidnapped my senses and made me return many times more, where I captured one of my best photographs.
We continued driving towards the valley and found a widening of the road where we could park. No far below we saw a patch of flat land covered with grass and furrowed by a small creek. We managed to find a trail to get down to this place, finding that the grass was a type of moss, that gave a look of garden with well cut grass. We agreed that this was a perfect place to do camping and that we should return. I took a few images with my Nikon F3 on slide film that I would develop on Monday.
The lab owner where I developed film, told that I should participate in the La Paz Götte Institut photography contest. The theme was ‘Water’ and the rules were that you had to present three images. I rushed searching in the boxes of slides and printed three images over Cibachrome paper (had some chemicals and paper still available, as it was difficult to purchase them in Bolivia). I won 1st Prize, 2nd Prize and an honorable mention. The 1st prize image was precisely taken during that weekend at Acero Marka valley. After this contest, I would stablish a long time friendship with one of the jurors, Felipe. He convinced me to enter the world of the Medium format cameras (story of a future post).
First camping
The following month after the first visit, we went camping to the valley with Javier and a group of friends. We drove in two cars having difficulty parking them as the small widening was not big enough for both. We manage to leave a clearance to let pass another car through the small road. It rained all the weekend, so no other car came along.
It was difficult to carry the gear through the slippery trail that went down to the green patch, worst to set up the tents during the rain. My wife was eight months pregnant, she and the baby needed a better sleep, so I took a foam mattress. Can you imagine what is like to carry the mattress through a small trail getting tangled with the vegetation?
After fighting with the rain (it rained for three entire days that we camped), we managed to light a fire; we had a small sheet of plastic that only covered the grill. We were soaked deep wet while cooking; nevertheless, we enjoyed good pieces of grilled beef.
During the few moments that the rain lessened, that we were not reading Asterix inside our tents, and the light increased painting the valley, I went out and took photographs.
Rollei 6006
Years later, the entire valley was purchased by a family for their Alpaca farm at the high lands of it. We were friends of them and would obtain the permits to enter the valley.
On one occasion, we went with the children for a picnic day. I was looking at different water subjects to photographs near where we were having the picnic. Found a group of rocks that were contrasted by the white color of the water. A small red petal and a leaf was curiously placed over them capturing my attention.
While I was trying to take these photographs, my son managed to climb over the rocks without me noticing. I was working on, and he almost fell to the very cold water. This gave us all a scare, but fortunately nothing happened, and I was happy how the images came out. At this time I was already using medium format camera, a Rollei 6006.
As the high mountings surrounding the valley would take the light away soon, at 4:00PM started packing. Along the trail towards where we had parked the cars, there was a small creek, with crystal clear water. My eyes noticed a yellow leaf stuck over a black rock in the middle of the stream running water.
While my wife rushed me to get to the car, took out my camera, placed it on the tripod and made two photographs. The leaf was gone few seconds later.
I recorded the image in my retina until Monday, where I was desperately awaiting the outcome from the lab. What I had visualized is a faithful copy of how it came out.
I would return to Bolivia in 2004 and wanted to visit Acero Marka waters, it was a Sunday. Went with my brother and children, but we couldn’t get permit to enter the valley as owner was traveling. We hat to settle taking images of water from the entrance near where the Spaniard smelter was located. Although this image last should be in B&W, the slight tint that blue color gives the image, makes it special.
2021
Writing this post I sadly discovered that during 2017 and 2018 intensive rainy season, numerous landslides changed dramatically the zone. The Spaniard smelter disappeared; only brownish soil covers today that area. The same happened to where I took this last image.
The beautiful white velvet waterfall surrounded by vegetation that I saw for the first time in 1984 is also gone. Part of the small road to enter the valley now is to be done over the riverbed, as the water currents eroded the surrounding taking in its path land and the small road.
Finally, the beautiful green patch of grass is covered with sand with grey look. Will need to leave Mother Nature let recover the vegetation in the years to come.
My eyes memory and my viewers, through these images, can see what I once saw at this mystical and magical place.
Data
Nikon F3
5124–14
200mm + Sky filter + 150 mm extensión bellow
135 Kodak Ektachrome EPR 64 ASA film
1/60 at 4.0
GPS -16.330517, -67.890872
Rollei 6006
Co0025–02
Lens Sonnar 150mm + Sky filter
120 Kodak Ektachrome EPR 64 ASA film
1/8 aperture not registered
GPS -16.326678, -67.888797
Co0051–07
Lens Sonnar 150mm + Sky filter
120 Kodak Ektachrome EPD 160 ASA film
At this date I did not register camera settings
GPS -16.326678, -67.888797
Co0052–03
Lens Sonnar 150mm + Sky filter
120 Kodak Ektachrome EPD 160 ASA film
At this date I did not register camera settings
GPS -16.326678, -67.888797
Co0084–11
Lens Sonnar 150mm + Sky filter
120 Kodak Ektachrome EPR 64 ASA film
1/8 aperture not registered
GPS -16.325519, -67.888481
Co0084–17
Lens Sonnar 150mm + Sky filter
120 Kodak Ektachrome EPR 64 ASA film
1/8 aperture not registered
GPS -16.331214, -67.889889
Co0085–09
Lens Sonnar 150mm + Sky filter
120 Kodak Ektachrome EPR 64 ASA film
1/60 aperture not registered
GPS -16.33132, -67.88995
0789–10
Lens Sonnar 150mm + Sky filter
120 Velvia 100F 100 ASA film
1/15 at 22.0
GPS -16.320236, -67.888925
