The Cañon de Colca

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The Trial of Colca began at 6am with a gruelling 6-hour bus journey with our guide to the town of Cabanaconde at the edge of the canyon. The journey went across the Altiplano (high plains) and peaked at about 4800m - the landscape is amazing, with hills and mountains and almost no vegetation higher than your knees.

We had lunch and then began the descent of 1300m into the canyon itself. I was feeling a bit ill from something-or-other all the journey there and all the way down the canyon so didn't enjoy it as much as I could have done. At the bottom when I had to exert myself going uphill a bit the dodgyness of the tummy became a bit too much and I was sick a bit. Feeling rough, I went to bed very early and missed a glorious starry night.

Feeling better

Feeling better on Friday I awoke (in our bamboo hut) and took some time to enjoy the small hostal at the bottom of the canyon. They seemed pretty self-sufficient with chickens, goats, sheep, guinnea-pigs, dogs, cats and probably other animals. Being so deep in the canyon you have to be pretty self-sufficient I suppose. I thought if armageddon hit right now these people wouldn't know about it, much less care.
They had all the bamboo, straw and mudbricks they needed for construction and surely enough food and water to last a good while.

We walked to the oasis in the canyon along the canyon's floor that morning and had some sun and a bit of a swim in the pool in the afternoon before going to bed in another bamboo and straw hut.

Early start Saturday

We got up at 2.30am for our climb up the canyon - beginning at 3am. We climbed for 3 hours, overtaking quite a few less fit people - and I was quite pleased seeing that I had all our gear in my pack (isn´t Pete great, blah blah blah Ed.). I must be getting stronger.
The sunrise was spectacular from the top of the canyon (we stopped to take a few piccies) and we proceded to have breakfast at the top and get on a bus to go back to Arequipa via the Cruz del Condor Mirador (where, not surprisingly, you can see condors), and the hot springs at Chivay which were really impressive - the best we've come across so far.

We got back to the hotel completely knackered and passed out.

One note I have to make is that Volvo must own most of South America - every truck is one, and the only way they transport goods is via truck (trains are almost nonexistent). So, yes Europe and Asia do quite well out of South America (all the taxis being Daewoo). The only North American influences you can see would have to be Coca Cola, and many older cars and buses (70s-80s).

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Photos

Start of the Hike
So young, so innocent..

Bridge over the Colca river
1,600 metres down the Canyon

Top of the canyon
5.50 am - feeling much much older and wiser

First glimpse of a condor
Mirador Cruz del Condor

Condor, up close
Ugly bugger and he´s only a baby (no white head yet)

High Plain
during the day. It´s very dry and cold