The Altiplano

The Altiplano, in the Andes mountains which is the most extensive high plateau on Earth, outside of Tibet, and borders Bolivia, Peru and Chile is home to the alpaca. Peru, specifically, and these magical animals, the alpaca, are what inspired PAKA apparel.

Although I was young (21) I had the honor of being part of a service project (through my childhood church) in the Altiplano, which made an indelible impression on me.

The Quechua people and their peaceful ways and abundant awareness of how they live in unison with the earth is incredibly impressive. It is such a rugged and dynamic landscape and working with the alpaca is second nature, which is a tradition that has been handed down for generations from the Incas.

Maybe it is the ancient Incan wisdom so carefully passed down that lives today, or the sites of the Incan civilization that are so miraculously preserved? There is something about the tranquility and beauty of living in the rugged high altitude environment (upwards of 16,000 feet) and the simple lifestyle living with the environment, and the integral respect for Pachamama (Mother Earth) that just sang to me.

The native alpaca

After working with my church group on this project for close to two weeks they gifted myself and my group, hats, gloves, a poncho (all made from the native alpaca) and a gorgeous alpaca wrap. Their kindness, appreciation and the love that I know that went into each stitch sourced from within the area, had me in tears~ sobs, actually.

So when I found Kris Cody’s company PAKA, I thought that he, the Altiplano, the alpaca and his company were speaking directly to me. I immediately purchased a hoodie and several pairs of socks.

The Alpaca are a gentle, calm, domesticated pack animal; They roam free and between their nibbling of grass, and how their hooves are shaped they have little impact on the environment.

There are 85,000 families that raise alpacas in the Andes mountains and Founder Kris Cody works in unison with the families just like the families work in unison with their ecosystem. The list of beautiful things about the Alpaca wool is long, but here are a few: 
 

• The hollow fiber makes it one of the lightest wools out there. 
• The only fiber that is warmer than the alpaca is polar bear fur. 
• It’s hypoallergenic it can be worn without a shirt underneath. 
• Naturally wicking.
• Soft as cashmere
• My personal favorite: their excess of hair each year makes mobility and eating difficult so they have to be sheared.

Officially one of the New 7 Wonders of the World

Kris Cody sent prototypes along with hikers on the 4 day trek of the Inca trail to Machu Picchu (which is now considered one of the new 7 Wonders of the World) and tweaked and modified the hoodie to get all the necessary attributes down for hikers who would endure back to back full days of hiking over steep terrain reaching 13K or higher.

One of their catch phrases is: don’t just wear it, know it.

You can trace your garment to the exact coordinates where the fiber was sourced!

It also empowers the Quechua women with skilled labor and they even have a program to send young women to college.

{Talk about waterworks thinking about the Quechua women again!}

PAKA wanted to mend a disconnect:
Where did your clothing come from?
What is it made of?
Who made it?

Keeping the tradition alive

PAKA works directly with Peruvian weavers and NGOs (Which is a nonprofit organization that operates independently of any government, typically one whose purpose is to address a social or political issue) to create naturally smarter wearables out of alpaca fiber, while giving back to the animals, people and thereby, ecosystem, that make it all possible.
Inspired to open their first store in Cusco, PAKA will open this Fall where many backpackers must acclimate a few days before hiking the Inca trail.

Being drawn back to the region to hike the Inca trail to Machu Picchu for my 40th birthday, with my beloved partner and dear friends, we enjoyed Cusco’s delicacies, the 16th century architecture and the kind people who embody the Incan traditions that make it such a magical place.

We wish we were all there to be PAKA prototype adventurers but we may just have to be happy with our hoodies in our home (not as high of altitude) in the Sierras instead.

But, wait: There’s still Rainbow mountain, Nazca Lines, Salinas de Maras and Ollantaytambo and plenty more to see… plus…

I may just have to track down the coordinates where my hoodie was made… 

. . .

So, if you are anything like me, and you care about the outdoors, sustainability and working with all corners of the world… AND… are also an aspiring entrepreneur or currently have your own business…

AND… you have fun enjoying the glorious feeling your product or service provides and want to share with all corners of the world… It’s not just words, but an investment into your company and selling your dream in an elevated space with the grounding of someone who cares not only about their brand but their personal & global ecosystem as well.

Maybe this is you? Maybe wanting to garner more depth and making a difference with your product? Maybe we could shake up your brand story and get more eyeballs on your product?

So, maybe let’s have a chat then?

On the call, we will look at what’s working and what’s not working. We will discuss the best course of action so you can move forward with ease and comfort (kinda like the equivalent of the soft cashmere feel of alpaca on your skin…)
And then… if there’s a possibility to work together then we will make some time to chat about that as well…

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