1986 D. A. Good Journal La Cantanaria (250m) to Cuscante (700m) camps 5 April After eating breakfast (600AM) and getting ready to hike up to the 700 m camp ("Cuscante camp"), we were just on the verge of setting out when Manuel Santanera arrived c. a. 830. He was supposed to show up last night (4 April) but didn't. We finally got around to leaving camp at 900 and proceeded to start up the "7 hills and valleys" we were told started the trail (first 1½ km). These, and many more like them, turned out to be extremely steep slopes requiring both hands and feet to negotiate - not easy with a full pack. The trail runs most of its length through 1º forest rising fairly rapidly to 450 m elev and staying there for a larger segment of its length (oscillating 4-500m). It then strikes abandoned pasture ca 500m and climbs up to 700m in the last ¼ of its length. This last part is much easier - though we were all exhausted by then (particularly Chris, who was carrying much more than the rest of us camera gear). We finally reached the Cuscante camp as the sun was going down ca 600. We collected a pretty good number of herps on the way, mostly Eleutherodactylus (see catalogue & spp. accounts). Also seen through the haze of fatigue were a troop of Spider Monkeys and a group of Coatí Mundi. Weather: Today sunny until ca 2-300pm, then increasingly overcast. Partly clear again by night. We spent the early evening pickling the specimens that didn't survive the trip, then to bed ca 8:30 PM.