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Published: July 11th 2009
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Like a crack on a worn pavement, the Colca Canyon is a crack on the earth´s surface. It is the second deepest in the world at 3,191 meters (the deepest is just next door).
The road from Arequipa to Chivay crosses a high Andean plateau. It is a bleak place up there, like driving across the moon. After Chivay we took the road to Cabanaconde, a bone-shaking three hours. Between Chivay and Cabanaconde the landscape was different, the terrace farming is really impressive.
Cabanaconde sits on the banks of the Colca Canyon. A cold village with narrow streets of earthly browns. The mud brick houses have been weathered by years of wind and rain. This farming village seemed untouched by time. Only the mobile phones in abundance are a giveaway to modernity.
After a night in an ice box room, we set off at the crack of dawn. We left our main rucksacks in the hostal and took our small ones with snacks, water, sunscreen etc. We planned to spend the next three days in the Canyon and the night before we had worked out which trail´s we wanted to trek. We went in guideless but not clueless!
Our first view of the Canyon and the small village where we planned to sleep far on the other side was daunting. By the time the sun rose over the mountain peaks and split the Canyon in two, we were half way down. Reaching the Colca River on the floor of the Canyon was celebrated with chocolate. The sugar rush gave us the energy to climb an hour further to a tiny village called San Juan de Chuccho, where we had lunch. A complete vegetarian meal, to Jessica´s great delight. Meat is a rare luxury in the Canyon, so the Roy´s restaurant was veggie by default rather than choice. Roy is the husband of the cook/waitress/housekeeper/manager. She told us that Roy was a popular name in the Quechua language.
With an hour to spare before dusk we made it up to the village of Malata. Once we stopped walking, we began to feel the cold and put on our layers. We dinned at seven on a wooden bench outside under the stars. It must have been well below zero. We devoured our food like savages and ran to our hut. The four walls were made of mud, I
was really surprised how warm it felt as soon as we walked in. That explained all the other lifeforms sharing our room. Not to Jessica´s great delight!
Next morning we headed for Mirador Apacheta and the best views of the valley. The two hours across the side of the Canyon were spectacular and the views once we reached the mirador were breathtaking. Eating a banana at Apacheta, we had a brain wave. The top of the mountain peak behind us looked within reach. An hour should do it, we thought. It was a steep climb with no visible track. Shrubs and large cactus plants were our enemies. Fifteen minutes in and disaster strikes. A cactus viciously stabs Jess in the knee without any warning whatsoever! The spike went right to the bone. Ouch. While we were performing emergency surgery on the knee, what I can only describe as the Devil´s pet hovered around us like we were made of honey. It had a huge body with legs dangling as if broken and tiny wings beating to a loud hum. At the end of a large ugly head, the nuclear weapon sat - a two inch long stinger. "Oh my
god! Don´t panic, what ever you do, don´t panic!!!" So we panicked and stumbled down the mountain as fast as Jessica´s knee would let us.
Back at the mirador, we sat down for the next two hours just chatting and taking in the views. The mirador was definitely the highlight of our time in the Canyon. The funny thing is most guided tours leave it out. DIY trekking is always better.
Late afternoon we reached Sangalle, a green oasis on the floor of the Canyon with lodging and natural pools for the weary trekker. It is much warmer at the bottom of the Canyon. After dinner, our host lit a campfire and in the company of a few other travellers we sat chatted into the night. By the time we lay down in our shack we smelt like two pikies!
We rose the next morning at 6am to get a head start on the sun. The climb up the Canyon wall was tough but we took our time and took in the views. We met locals heading down with mules carrying food and supplies. From this side of the Canyon we could look across and trace our
steps from the previous two days. A hawk hovered over head, looking for the kill.
Back in Cabanconde, the hot shower was taken with moans of pleasure. Priceless.
From James
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hemanthi
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about colca canyon DIY
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