Post 84: Colca Canyon pt. 1

Fellow hikers,

Apologies for the lack of updates.  When you're trekking through a canyon for 3 days, internet is impossible to come by, let alone electricity or hot water.

Gavin and I decided to hike the Colca Canyon independently as opposed to going with a group tour.  We arranged however, for a ride into the small community of Cabanaconde along with other travelers whom were hiking via a tour.  After a 3:30am pickup from our hostel and a failed attempt at sleeping in the crowded van, we arrived at the Mirador del Condor at around 8 am.  There, we had ariel views of the canyons as the bright sun shined upon them. Our eyes were wandering in search of the national bird, the Condor, but unfortunately they're seen less often this time of year.

The group departed for their hike into the canyon, as Gavin and I made our way into town.  We met with Luis, our inn keeper.  He pointed out trails on our map as well as details on how much time we’d need and places to stay while on the trek. With the information provided, we determined that we would rest for the day while we better acclimated to the altitude. After a cheap, traditional Peruvian lunch Gavin and I retired to our rooms for some much needed Siesta time.

When we awoke, the sky had clouded over, so we spent the remainder of the day exploring some nearby viewpoints guided by a local dog who lived in our hostel. In the evening we enjoyed some alpaca pizza, cooked in a wood fired oven. We also became acquainted with two Spaniards, Carlos and Diego. We invited them to hike along with us the following morning and retired early as we had to be up by 6:30.

12/15/11

At breakfast, Diego and Carlos decided to join us on our journey through a part of the worlds deepest canyon. Our supply consisted of a nominal amount of clothing, some snacks, rain gear, a first aid kit, and plenty of water. We left the remainder of our luggage with the hostel, and set off, leaving the town behind us. We arrived at the beginning of the trail and overlooked our route for a while before venturing down through winding, mule poop and stone filled trails. Gavin joked he about taking a fall and soon after did just that. He managed to cut open his hand and bruise himself up pretty good on one side. It was a relief to finally make it to the bottom after three hours of winding back and forth for what seemed like forever.

We reached the town of San Juan after some confusing directions given to us by a local inn keeper looking to have us stay at her posada. The trails around the town were lined with fig and avocado trees. It was quite green unlike the surrounding dry, barren canyon. Our decision was made for us when we eventually stumbled upon a very nice place in a beautiful location overlooking the canyon. We ate lunch and were offered private rooms with private baths for around 3 bucks a piece. The owner said it was the low season and she would cut us a deal. We opted to search no further. It lacked electricity due to being a bit outside of the main part of San Juan, but this added to its charm.

Our original plan had been to hike and additional two hours further to the town of Tapay and stay the night there. After our decision to stay in San Juan, we still wanted to see Tapay, so we continued up the mountainside towards the town, hoping to make it back by sundown. The trails were a lot more quiet and not so steep, dotted with fruit orchards, fig trees, and people working their land. As we arrived to the entry of Tapay, mother nature came calling. We had no rain gear and only our cameras, so we began to race down the mountain, hoping to find a place of refuge.

When we came upon the first town, we went to a property that was seemingly occupied and asked for some plastic bags to cover our gear. The homeowner had none to offer but allowed us to sit on a bench under an awning on the side of his mud house until the rain passed. As we sat there, we were surrounded by his farm animals and pets, also seeking refuge from the rain. We were highly entertained by all his friendly animals and it was honestly the highlight of our afternoon.

The rain eventually subsided and we made our way back to the posada. Dinner was served in the evening by candlelight. We drank beer and joked with Carlos and Diego until it was time to sleep, which was soon after dinner, as there was nothing to do in the pitch darkness of the night.

June y Gavin

mucho mas after the break, enjoy!