The Colca Canyon and Cruz del Condor

Colca Canyon is a canyon of the Colca River in southern Peru, about 100 miles northwest of Arequipa. It´s more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, but the canyon's walls aren´t that vertical, so its not quite as dramatic, I imagine...

The Colca Valley is a really colourful Andean valley. The local people maintain their ancient traditions and continue to cultivate the pre-Inca stepped terraces. The women wear amazing embroidered hats and clothes.

It is so remote in there that the people who live in the villages have to carry any provisions they cannot grow by mule into the valley and back up the hideous climbs each side. We saw a whole family doing things you can see above.

We did a 2 day trek to the bottom and back up. It was safely the toughest thing we've done since we've been away, far harder than the Inca trail. Nic has vowed to hang up her hiking boots.

On the first day we got a bus to Cabanaconde in the morning and then after a typical menu del dia of veg soup and then some alpaca with rice and potato, and a cup of coca tea we set off in the blazing sun down to the bottom of the valley. The scenary and rock formations were incredible.

It took 4 hrs on a treacherous rock and gravel path to get down to San Juan where we stayed at the lovely Pousada Roy in a little mud hut with a thatched roof. The land lady was really sweet

The next day we had a nice little 2 hr walk alongside the Rio Colca through a few remote villages to Sangalle. In San Calle there are a few places with fresh water swimming pools. We did our best to cool off in the heat of the midday sun, had some horrific pasta and then set off on the gruelling 4 hr trek back up the canyon to Cabanaconde. The heat, altitude, and sheer relentless up hill walking on rocky gravel path all combine to drain all energy from you. We were so happy when we made it to the top 3.5hr later.

We spent the night in a little hostel called Pachamama, run by a guy called Ludwig (a typical Peruvian name?) who was really good on the guitar. The pizza chef was called Percy and they had a little 14yr old helper, that looked like a Peruvian Arnold from Different Strokes, called Elvis.

We also met some baby llamas. They make a strange mewing noise, and look at you quite thoughtfully.

The canyon is home to the endangered Andean Condor. The condors can be seen at fairly close range at the 'Cruz del Condor'. The condors are best seen in the early morning and late afternoon when they are hunting. They are huge! - 10ft wingspans. The condors gracefully soar by on the wind and rising thermals. They are remarkably graceful, wheeling around in majestic circles. Primarily they are scavengers, feeding mainly on carcasses of dead animals and often traveling more than 100 miles a day in search of food.

A hawk landed just by us. You can see he´s a bit miffed by the humming birds around him.


Check out the size of these creatures next to the peole watchng them and you will realise what we mean.