Day 1: Trekking in Canyon del Colca

There are plenty of travel agencies on Calle Jerusalen, all ready to help you arrange tours. The selection of trips is vast, and the competition is fierce, so it's a good idea to browse around a bit before making your final decision. Make sure to get a clear explanation of how the transport will work (local bus or private bus), what kind of food will be served, where you’ll be sleeping, and whether the guide speaks English, etc. We wanted to see Canyon del Colca (3191 m), which is the second largest canyon in the world. The largest canyon is also in Peru, called Canyon del Cotahuasi (3345 m). Just for comparison, the Grand Canyon in the USA is only 1500 m deep. However, the Grand Canyon feels more dramatic because its terrain is flatter. Suddenly, you see the Grand Canyon cutting through the landscape. It looks stunning and dramatic. Canyon del Colca has mountains on both sides, so it rises more prominently in the landscape. It’s dramatic in a completely different way. The price is pretty much the same everywhere, around 130-150 S for 3 days. A 2-day trip costs about 115 S. But the routes vary. We chose the one with the most beautiful views, but it’s also the toughest. If you want the best views, make sure the route goes past Lluhaur, where the first overnight stay is. Our tour cost 140 S per person, which included food, a trekking pole, transport, and an English-speaking guide. Drinks, entrance to Canyon del Colca, and entrance to the hot springs on the last day were not included. We booked our tour with Tanos Tour, Jerusalen 402. At 3 AM, we were picked up at our hostel. Way too early to be up, but if you want to see the world’s largest bird, the condor, flying in Canyon del Colca, you need to be there before 9 AM. It can be tough to catch some sleep on the bus since the guides like to play loud music. That, combined with our early wake-up call, left Honny feeling pretty groggy. Later in the day, he had to muster all his strength to tackle the tough trek ahead. We stopped along the way for breakfast, and then our next destination was Cruz del Condor. There were already large groups of tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of the magnificent bird. Unfortunately, in November, the chances aren’t great since they’re nesting. Suddenly, a large bird soared into view. It was only a juvenile, about 7 years old, still sporting brown feathers. Adult condors have white and black feathers. Happy and satisfied after seeing the condor, we headed toward a small village where we would start our trek. But first, we had to grab some lunch, which consisted of soup and rice with pumpkin/potato. With a small backpack on my back and a trekking pole in hand, we were ready to climb down into the canyon to Lluhaur, where we would spend the night. Today’s trek was incredibly tough, even though it was downhill. There were large stones to jump down from, and loose rocks made the steep ascent even trickier. After 4 hours and 15 minutes, covering 11 km, we finally arrived. We were happy and proud of our time since most tourists take about 5 hours. Some even take up to 6 hours due to the challenging terrain. We were in a group with two French girls who really knew how to move. They were used to hiking in the Alps, so they sped ahead. Our hut was very primitive, but luckily there was a built-in bed with a mattress. The walls were made of bamboo tied together, with big gaps between some of the poles, so you could easily peek in at each other. The floor was just bare earth. The best part was that there was a real toilet. Before dinner, we managed to take a dip in the hot springs. The view was fantastic. Just imagine sitting in hot springs at 2200 m and enjoying the view of Canyon del Colca. It was also a much-needed treat for our sore legs and feet. Dinner consisted of soup. They eat a lot of soup in these cold areas, as it warms the body nicely. The main course was freshly caught fish from the Colca River. Super delicious. A couple of bites of tea for dessert, and then we were off to bed.