Colca Canyon

Colca Canyon was our second tour from Arequipa. We decided to do the tour without a guide since we had so much information from other tourists and the folks at Pablo Tours. Once you know the system, the three day two night excursion is easy to do. Jane and I got our first glimps of the canyon in Chivay. The views from Chivay to Cabanaconde were spectacular. The canyon drops down to a river and all along the sides are terraced sections of land used for farming. This area is very rural and the bus had to constantly wait for cows and donkeys on the road.

The trek starts from Cabanaconde where our accommodation were meager at best, but what do you expect for 3 dollars per night? We left the town armed with a rough map, notes from some Irish tourists we met in La Paz, and my mountain instincts. Within the first ten minutes, we missed a turn and the 20 minute walk to mirador San Miguel turned in to 45 minutes. Okay... We got to the mirador at least! At the mirador, we met some folks from Bellingham and discussed the route down tot he oasis. Then off we went down the 1000+ meter descent into the canyon. The scenery was nice and we even got a fly by from an Andean condor. This onc came REAL close to us and those birds are friggin HUGE! The hike down took a couple hours and we took a break to rest Jane's knees. Along the way, we met a Canadian girl who had started two hours before us. She was nice, but had not sense of direction. We had lunch with her at one of the small towns, then dragged her along with us so she could get to the oasis without anymore delays. After about seven hours we reached the oasis. This place is cushy and had a swimming pool waiting for us. Unfortunately, since the bottom on the canyon was so deep, the sun was blocked by the surrounding mountains right after we arrived. No swimming, but my feet got a well deserved bath.

The best laid plans in South America always run into problems and delays. Some are your own fault and some you have no control over. The three of us started the climb out of the canyon at 3 AM. We wanted to stop at the condor cross early to see those huge birds on the way back to Chivay. About an hour into the climb, Jane's flash light decided to die on us (our fault). That left the three of us on a side of a canyon in the dark midway between the oasis and the top. Lucky for us, another group on mules were walking up at the same time and we just attached ourselved to the back of the train and off we went. Note that mules hate carrying large loads up steep hills (especially if you are 100 KG French dude with a full back pack). We passed the mule congo line once we had enough light to see the path clearly. Within a coulpe hours, we made it to the top of the canyon and got some breakfast. Mmmmm bread and jam and tea!!! Unfortunately, the early 8 AM bus which was supposed to take us to the condor cross was late (not our fault) and we ended up taking our normal 9 o'clock bus back to Chivay. We did see some condors riding the thermals from a far, but it would have been nice to get some good pictures up close. Maybe we will have another chance in Huaraz. The Colca Canyon has been the highlight of Peru so far. It is something you should not miss when travelling through this country. One can do it for cheap, but be prepared.