by Pat Tyson
photos by Tere Cedillo

Where to begin?  A highly contrasting land of mountains, rivers, waterfalls, desert and forest, an exotic park full of adventures at Copper Canyon Adventure Park, one of the largest canyon systems on earth, also the third longest cable car in the world and the most exciting zip-lining system in America, all located in the state of Chihuahua, México.  

            The project is called Copper Canyon Adventure Park and counts with a cable car installed by the prestigious European company Dopplemayr.  The park has created national and international expectation because it is located on the majestic Copper Canyon, unique natural wonder in the world, also because it has the largest zip lining system in America.

There are two cabins of 60 passengers each going in each direction. They will support 510 people per hour. The booths will reach an intermediate station to where passengers change to other smaller 8 passenger cabins that take you to a restaurant that offers the most beautiful views in the world and where visitors can enjoy exquisite dishes with incomparable sights. The ride of 2.8 miles lasts 15 minutes, remaining from six to seven minutes in each of the stages.

Then there’s the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railway (El Chepe) which offers a scenic journey that crosses more than 36 major bridges, travels through 87 tunnels, some of which are more than a mile above the canyon floor, and climbs to a height of some 8,000 feet, before descending back down to sea level.  With four of its six massive gorges deeper than Arizona’s famous Grand Canyon, the breathtaking view from the train defies description.

            There are many ways to travel to the Copper Canyon, but few are as comfortable and scenic as the CHEPE, which offers visitors a spectacular experience not to be missed.  With world-class services that include air conditioning and a restaurant-bar that serves high quality fare, riders are provided with an unforgettable trip through the countryside.  Beginning its route from Chihuahua every day at six in the morning, it passes through the towns of Cuauhtémoc, Creel, Divisadero, Bahuichivo, Temoris and El Fuerte, finally arriving at night in Los Mochis, in the neighboring state of Sinaloa.

            Dissecting this region of the Sierra Madre mountain range, the canyons are world- renowned for their magnificent grandeur and spectacular vistas.  Copper Canyon is one of six gigantic gorges covering 64,000 square kilometers.  The name is derived not from the mineral, but refers to the copper-green-colored lichen that clings to the massive sunlit cliff walls.  All of this splendor can be seen by taking the Chepe, which was built over a ninety-year period at a cost in the range of $100 million–and is considered to be one of the greatest engineering feats of the twentieth century.

            Chihuahua, the must-see capital city of the state, is the ideal place to begin the journey.  Its people have inherited a rich archeological, architectural and cultural heritage, which are invaluable treasures that reveal another fascinating side of México.  Here you can discover natural wonders and sites that are an important part of the country’s history. This is General “Pancho” Villa country, where you may see the house where he lived－now a museum－and the car in which he was riding when he was assassinated in 1923.  With so much to see and absorb, it is with certain reluctance that our group took its leave of this great city to continue our adventure, beginning our trip by road.

            Cuauhtemoc City was our first stop to visit the Mennonites, members of which had migrated from Canada in 1922.  Their lifestyle and separate and distinct Christian beliefs date back to the Anabaptist movement and the Reformation in Europe during the sixteenth century.  In México they began the arduous task of developing this arid rocky terrain to grow staple crops and huge apple orchards.  The Mennonite Museum holds many artifacts from the past, such as stoves, traditional wooden furniture, pendulum clocks, basins, farm equipment and photographs.  They also make rich, flavorful cheese that is packaged for tourists to take with them.  They dress as their culture dictates and most speak Low German in their homes and schools.

            From here we headed toward Cusarare.  With flat country all around us and mountains in the distance, we could see three different weather systems; clear azure sky above, a gorgeous sunset on the right creating multi-colored clouds edged in silver and, in front us, dark clouds full of rain and brilliant flashes of lightening－a truly awesome sight!  That night our accommodations were log cabins, no electricity but lit by oil lamps and, surprisingly, extremely warm and comfortable.  Dinner was served before a roaring fire around which we gathered to share our thoughts.

            Next, our journey took us to Mushroom Valley, where the rocky formations resemble mushrooms, frogs and monks.  We paused at the horse-shoe-shaped Arareko Lake, a popular boating spot.  Nearby, the Franciscan San Ignacio Mission, built in 1765, is located next to a boarding school, which houses the Tarahumare Indian children.  This unique indigenous tribe lives high in the Sierra Tarahumara mountain range; its origins reach back more than ten thousand years. 

            Further on lies the Jesuit mission, built in 1741, dedicated to the Cinco Santos Señores; the Loyola Museum’s four main halls display forty canvases credited to the founding teachers of the prestigious San Carlos Academy.  Further on is the imposing Cusarare Waterfall that brought out all our cameras.  Our guide, Javier, then drove us to the Hotel Pueblo Viejo in a “small town” that looked like a cross between Switzerland and Disneyland, where we ate lunch.  Continuing on to Divisadero, we arrived at the Hotel Mansión Tarahumara “El Castillo”－an imposing castle-like structure built up the side of the mountain.  From here an elevator took us to the top for a commanding view over sections of the Copper Canyon.  This was a delightful location to spend the night.

            Next day we visited the Piedra Volada (Flying Rock) where some of the braver members of our group daringly stood on one rock that balanced upon another, or hung on it so that, in the photos, they seemed to be hanging out over the canyon.  A visit to a Cueva del Chino, a cave that had housed a traditional Tarahumara family, showed how their ancestors had lived.  We then headed for the town of Creel, a popular distribution center in the Sierra Tarahumara mountain range offering excellent tourist services. 

            Here we reluctantly said goodbye to Javier and boarded the CHEPE to Bahuichivo, where we were met by Diego, our new guide and owner of Hotel Paraiso del Oso in Cerecahui. That night we visited another boarding school run by nuns, where the excited, gaily-costumed Tarahumara girls sang and danced to their native music for our entertainment.  We were charmed. 

            With one day of our trip left, we drove over very rugged volcanic terrain to Cerro del Gallego, a prime scenic lookout point from which to view Urique Canyon, the deepest ravine in México, at the junction of Copper Canyon and Tararecua Gorge.  Urique, the countryseat, once a mining town, sits on the banks of the Urique River. With its sub-tropical climate, oranges, mangos, papayas and other fruit are grown there.  Finally, we climbed aboard the CHEPE that would take us to Los Mochis. 

            The train ride through the Copper Canyon was awe-inspiring; each time we emerged from a tunnel the rugged landscape would suddenly unfold to reveal the sun glowing brilliantly on the red-hued walls.   It was beyond spectacular–enough to take our breath away!  I had to cling tightly to my companion who was hanging over the rail of the caboose at the back of the train in order to get the best photographs possible!  Some hours later in Los Mochis we sadly said goodbye to our friends and parted to go our separate ways.

            The Copper Canyon had been a shared experience we would always treasure and a journey we would never forget.