Cusco

---

Cusco is the very famous city that leads to a lot of hiking possibilities in the peruvian Andes, the most famous being Macchu Picchu. I have been here over a year ago with my wonderful friend Ellie to see the Inca city so I was not going to go there again. However, while I was volunteering in Trujillo, I was told of a new hike that became available to the public since last february this year called Rainbow mountain for tourists, Vinicunca for the pros 😉 and it looked amazing. It is very high up so I had to stay in Cusco for a few days to acclimatise and took the opportunity to go round all the craft markets to find some small christmas presents for the family. (small I said, cause I dont trust the post).

The rainbow mountain starts at 3am when the van comes to pick you up, except they forgot about me so I had to wait a little longer. Thankfully the hostal receptionist called to say I was waiting hehe. Before he did, I was actually thinking "great, that way I can go back to sleep". We drove 3hours to a little farm where we had breakfast, and we driven to the start of the hike for 7h30 at 4200m of altitude. From the previous experiences I have had, I started walking slowly cause i know I get out of breath quicker than the average person. There were three upgoing slopes to pass. The first two, I managed to pass with no problem by walking slowly but coninuously. It was like the turtle and the rabbit race, I was the turtle and the other people were the rabbits. They still beat me to it but for a while I was catching up during their breaks hehehe. When we got to close to the top at 5200m, I struggled a lot more. The horses available there keep tempting you but actually they became more annoying than a help cause you have to tell them a thuosand times that you don't want help (too stubborn).

All along there were colours of purple and red in the mountain but once you get to the top, you get a beautiful view on Vinicunca and it's colours of purple, red, yellow, green but also on all the other mountains around, there are mountains covered in snow in the horizon (which I was told was a possibility for Vinicunca cause the rainy season should have started, got to thank global warming for that cause I got to see the colours). It was beautiful and the stripes of Nemo melting in the background.

The way down felt much longer than the way up for some reason. We had lunch at the same farm and then got back to Cusco, I had a bus that night for Arequipa so yes, I was very very tired when I got there hehehe. But so proud!

---

Comments

[Dad]

Waouw! Well done Laure!
Proud of you, nice turtle. ;)

[MumBribri]

5200 m ??!! Quand même ! Wahoooooooooooo !
Là je vois que tu nous as indiqué l'altitude et suis plus qu'impressionnée de lire que tu as réussi à monter quand même au-delà de 5000 m ! Je comprends que 6500 m soient un peu too much ! C'est déjà un exploit pour tes bronches, ce que tu as réalisé ! Bravo again and again and again ma fille ! Tu les as au moins bien purifiés tes poumons !!! :-) Ces photos avec les différentes couches de sédiments ou roches de différentes couleurs, c'est tout de même incroyable ! La nature est vraiment pleine de surprises ! Merci encore pour tout ce reportage où l'on voit ton sourire, où l'on sent ton humour et c'est bien sympa ! Merci encore. Big bisous Mum

[Isa]

proud of you!!
Wow thats really at high altitude!! Am so proud you made to the top without help!! You'll have done plenty of practice hikes before the W by the time I come visit you!! :)