In the high desert of northern San Luis Potosí, among creosote bush, yucca and endless sky, lies a landscape that is sacred to the Wixárika, the people outsiders often call the Huichol. Every year, pilgrims walk or travel hundreds of kilometres from their homes in the Sierra Madre Occidental of Jalisco and Nayarit to Wirikuta, the place where, in their cosmology, the sun was born. Along the way they stop at a sequence of sacred sites, springs, rocks and hills, each with its own name, offerings and rituals. Uxa Tequipa is one of these places, and the route as a whole has been proposed for the UNESCO list as Huiricuta, the Wixárika sacred route.
To an outsider, the land here may look empty, but it is anything but. The Wixárika leave offerings of arrows, candles, coins and beaded objects, and they gather híkuri, the peyote cactus, which is central to their religion and grows wild in the desert. It is vital to understand that peyote is a protected plant, that picking it is illegal for outsiders and deeply offensive, and that the sacred sites should be approached with respect, if at all. Many have no signs, and local guides are the best way to learn what is appropriate.
The landscape is a high, arid plateau at around two thousand metres, framed by ranges such as the Sierra de Catorce, with dramatic light, huge skies and cold nights even in summer. Mining has been part of the region's history for centuries, and the ghost-town atmosphere of Real de Catorce, reached through a long single-lane tunnel, is a popular stop. Large-scale mining projects in Wirikuta have caused serious controversy, with the Wixárika fighting to protect their sacred land.
For riders, this is remote and empty country. Paved highways give way quickly to dirt, and services are few and far between. The old mining town of Charcas, roughly thirty-five kilometres off, is where you will find fuel and basic shops; La Herradura and Santo Domingo are small villages. Carry plenty of water and fuel, prepare for heat during the day and cold at night, and keep a respectful distance from any ceremony you encounter. The silence of the desert at dawn is unforgettable.