Tuapurie is the Wixarika name for Santa Catarina, one of the main communities of the Wixarika, whom outsiders know as Huichol, in the Sierra Madre Occidental of northern Jalisco. It is a high, remote, rugged landscape of pine and oak forest cut by deep barrancas, and it is one of the places where the Wixarika have kept their religion and customs alive more fully than most Indigenous peoples in Mexico. The community's centre includes a ceremonial building and a temple, and the seasons are marked by pilgrimages, in particular the long journey to Wirikuta in San Luis Potosi, where the sacred peyote grows. The route from here to the sacred sites is the subject of the ride, and it touches places that have deep meaning for the people who live here.
A visitor should come with humility. This is not a tourist stop but a living community, and many places are sacred and not open to outsiders. Photography may be forbidden or require permission, and it is usual to ask before entering a village or ceremonial area. The community's art, yarn paintings and beaded figures of animals, is made with great skill and can be bought directly from the makers, which is the best way to support the people who create it.
The riding is demanding. Much of the way to the sierra is paved, but the last stretches are on dirt tracks with rocks, ruts and steep gradients, and rain can turn them to slippery mud. Distances are long, mobile signal is patchy, and the nearest services are far away. San Andres Cohamiata, sixteen kilometres off, is a small settlement with basic supplies at best. The sensible approach is to fill the tank in the larger towns in the valley before climbing, carry spare fuel, and have a plan for a breakdown.
The weather swings from warm days to cold nights, and heavy rain falls from June to September. The best time to go is the dry season from November to April, when the tracks are firmer. Autumn light falls golden on the pine slopes. Check the local situation before you set out, as road conditions and community access can change from one season to the next, and respect whatever decisions the community makes about visitors.