The Southern Borders of the Narrow Strip of Wilderness

Abancay Peru is 62 miles west of Cuzco. It is located at an elevation of 7,799 feet above sea level in the Vilcabamba (Willkabamba) Mountain Range above the Pachachaca River and straddles the Marino River.

To the east the Alcamayo River merges with the Urubamba River up in the mountains below Machu Picchu, which is also in the Narrow Strip of Wilderness.

Mount Salcantay (Salkantay or Sallqantay) is the highest peak in the cloud forest of the high mountains of the Vilcabamba Mountain Range. It is located in the Cuzco Region, about 37 miles west-northwest of the city of Cuzco, and east of Mt. Padreyoc (Quishuar) at 18,934. It is the 38th-highest peak in the Andes, and the twelfth-highest in Peru at an elevation of 20,574 feet, about 120 miles northeast of Abancay in what would be the Narrow Strip of Wilderness

Mountains north of Abancay within the Narrow Strip of Wilderness. Note the difficulty in passing through to the north, which is where the Land of Zarahemla

 

Abancay, which is from the Quechua language, or Hamanqay, Amanqay, or Amankay, meaning lily, is a city in southcentral Peru. It is located at an elevation of 7,799 feet above the Pachachaca River and straddles the Marino River. 18 miles to the north of Abancay, over and beyond the Apurimac valley and canyon, the steep slopes of Mt. Ampay rise 3.1 miles above sea level to a height of 17,388 feet. Two lakes dominate the slopes with numerous streams flowing downward through a Podocarpus forest in the montane cloud forests between 6,000 and 11,000 feet. To the east the Alcamayo River merges with the Urubamba River up in the mountains below Machu Picchu, also in the Narrow Strip of Wilderness.

Because of its dry mountain climate and for its famous year-round warm weather it is known as "The Eternal Springtime Valley.” The nearest cities are Cuzco, Chalhuanca and Andahuaylas.

Abancay is located at the junction of two important Peruvian roads: the Caminos del Inca Road, an old road, between the cities of Nazca and Cuzco, and the Via de los Libertadores, connecting Ayacucho and Cuzco, and is referred to as the gateway to the ancient site of Choquequirao.

Mountains and foothills rise abruptly from the North and South end of Abancay, creating a beautiful setting with stunning views very quickly, on the wet is the famed Abancay Bridge, a rope bridge that has been built for more than a thousand years. The city is on the edge of the deep Apurimac Canyon that runs through the valley. The word Apurímac comes from the Quechua language and means “Apu,” deity or divinity, and “Rimac,” oracle or speaker—that is, "gentleman who speaks,” or ““talking river,” referring to the roaring, deep sounding roar of the Apurimac River in the narrow canyon as it rushes by, striking the rocks and sides of the mountains.

According to the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, the Apurímac river was also called Capac Mayu, which means "Main River," in order to highlight its importance on the other torrents. The Spanish Pedro Pizarro helps us understand the place that this river occupied in the Andean worldview, affirming in its chronicles the existence of a temple and oracle, close to this tributary, that were removed during the conquest.

Sunch'u Pata, the truncated hill top

 

42 miles north of Abancay is the ancient city of Choquequirao—whose buildings and terraces are at levels above and below Sunch'u Pata, the truncated hill top. Choquequirao (also Choqequirau or Choquekiraw) is known as the "sacred sister" of Machu Picchu for the structural and architectural resemblance to it. It straddles a verdant ridge at 10,006 feet. The hilltop was anciently leveled and ringed with stones to create a 98 by 165 feet, on a southwest-facing spur of a glaciated peak of the Vilcabamba Mountain Range above the Apurimac River, which has an elevation of 4,760 feet.

The pre-hispanic history of Choquequirao is still unknown, enveloped in a veil of darkness, the site well-protected by its remoteness; however, unlike Machu Picchu, was known to exist and was mentioned for the first time in a Spanish document of the 19th century. Finally, in 1909, the tireless American explorer Hiram Bingham explored it and created maps of the site.

During centuries the History of Choquequirao was unknown, but according to studies, despite Choquequirao not being a place involved in the extraction of gold or silver, its name has sacred connotations. In the Aymara language, that was spoken in a great part of the southern Andes before the Inca, the term Choque designated gold and everything related to it. To date, only 30–40% of the 4,447 acres, have been excavated.

The site has ritual places dedicated to the God Inti, with mansions for administrators and houses for artisans, warehouses, large dormitories or kallankas and farming terraces Spreading over 2,300 feet, the ceremonial area drops as much as 210 feet from the elevated areas to the main square.

The archaeological complex of Choquequirao is divided into 12 sectors. While the contents of each sector are different, terraces used for various purposes are common throughout. It seems that most of the buildings were either for ceremonial purposes, residences of the priests, or used to store food, though there was a collection of common buildings clustered away from the plaza.

The complex is divided into 12 sectors. While the contents of each sector are different, terraces used for various purposes are common throughout.

In one part of the complex there are 16 ceremonial platforms with canal routes in between that branch off from the main water way; there are also one and two story buildings, and cultivated terraces. There are general living quarters for groups of people, such as workers or families. The buildings are constructed on top of artificial platforms in circular and rectangular design, interconnected by stairways and narrow alleys.

The ancient city of Choquequirao in the Narrow Strip of Wilderness

 

There are also general living quarters for groups of people, such as workers or families with buildings constructed on top of artificial platforms in circular and rectangular design, interconnected by stairways and narrow alleys. 18 terraced platforms have irrigation canals running parallel to the stairs, with 80 terraces used for cultivation, called phaqchayuq ("the one with a waterfall"), which are the most extensive in the entire complex. Also found here are small, quadrilateral enclosures with two levels used for both ceremony and living. In addition there are 57 platforms with permanent irrigation systems. In the uppermost terraces there are buildings for ceremony and a pool of water fed by a spring. In the semicircular enclosures ceramic shards, stone tools and remains of bones have been found.

Other sites in this area are Sayhite, Machu Picchu, Choquesuysuy (Chuqisuyuy) and Guamanmarca (Wamanmarka), all of which share similar architectural styles, with several features appearing to be of Chachapoya design, suggesting that Chachapoya workers were probably involved in the construction.

29 miles east of Abancay is the pre-Inca Saywite (Sayhuite) archeological. It was a famous temple and adoration center, with its temple featuring large columns draped in fabrics with gold bands the "thickness of fist,” and the world-famed Saywite Stone. Beyond the temple ruins are huge hand-shaped andesite stones, one of which has carved stairs and flat places like benches and odd circular and rectangular depressions. The entire work has been snapped in two, as though by giant hands and thrown onto the ground.

The Apurimac River that flows through the narrow Apurimac Canyon

 

The valley of Apurimac starts near the town of Pichigua and the Apurímac canyon in Checa, forming a rugged and extensive territory of 162 miles. The maximum altitude of the populated territory reaches 11,810 feet and its lowest point, at the mouth of the Pachachaca River, at 4,594 feet. It offers three types of climates: puna, inter-Andean valley and wooded mountain. The mountains that are located to the west of the river exceed 13,120 feet, to the east of the valley is the Vilcaconga Mountain Range.

This rugged and difficult configuration has different entrances and exits, all formed by the drains of the lakes that make interconnecting channels and pathways from platforms and narrow spurs that end on steep slopes and fast and stormy waterfalls over the river that creates many blind passes and blocked north and south movement. The valley presents an abrupt geography, formed by narrow and deep valleys, with impressive chasms, cold plateaus and high peaks. It is referred to as the Grand Canyon of the valley of Apurimac.

In addition, the valley has many narrow parts where steep cliff faces render the areas unsuitable for large population settlements, and are often and used as niches for shelters, temporary hiding places or escapes to the other side of the mountain range.

This Narrow Strip of Wilderness that contained these cities, towns and mountains, were built by the Nephites in the Land of Nephi before Mosiah was warned by the Lord to leave the city of Nephi. He, and those who went with him, were led through the wilderness until they came down into the land which was called the Land of Zarahemla. Obviously, movement north through the narrow strip was possible, but the Nephites needed the hand of the Lord to lead them through it.

After Mosiah and the righteous Nephites left the Land of Nephi, the Lamanites occupied these towns and cities and found their way through the narrow strip to attack the Nephites in the Land of Zarahemla that caused Moroni to build forts along the Nephite southern border, or the north border of the Narrow Strip of Wilderness. As Mormon stated: “And he also placed armies on the south, in the borders of their possessions, and caused them to erect fortifications that they might secure their armies and their people from the hands of their enemies (Alma 50:10).