Climbing a Canyon!

I like to be thorough, so before I launch into how much fun I’m having on a day to day basis, I feel the need to do a quick catch up on what I’ve been up to so far!  I thought I’d be able to be brief, but I hadn’t realised how much I’d actually done and how much I had to write about… feel free to skip to the pics and get jealous!

My trip started at the end of October when I arrived in Lima, Peru.  I had a week before I was due to arrive in Pisco to start volunteering with Pisco Sin Fronteras.  In that week I needed to get over jet lag and the previous 12 weeks of working a notice period, of packing up my life, saying my farewells and packing everything I might need for the trip into a rucksack .  So what better way than to get stuck into some outdoor activities?!

Lima, is a nice city, but it didn’t really feel like the pictures I had in my mind of South America.  It has some lovely areas like Miraflores and Baranco but it is a bit like a lot of other cities and I have come to South America for exploration and adventure!  And Arequipa fitted the bill!

As soon as I stepped off the plane  I felt like my trip had begun.  The scenery was breath taking.  Huge mountains sitting against the sunset … no kidding, it was that picturesque.  As we took a taxi to our hostel I couldn’t believe that I had finally arrived in South America and my trip was beginning.


We had chosen Arequipa because of it’s proximity to Colca Canyon and we had read and heard some amazing stories about the trek.  It had everything;  spectacular scenery, wildlife, an oasis and a few bits of challenging walking to blow away the cobwebs!  What surprised me though was how nice Arequipa was and how much I liked it.  It is a small colonial town mostly built from white stone, add to that the setting of the amazing mountains in the distance and it really is impressive.  It is also the perfect size with not too much to do which was perfect as it meant that I could settle into the travelling game slowly.  There were a few lazy days where all I did was drink coffee and read a book.

Heads in bread ... don't know what to say about that!

We decided to tackle Colca Canyon over 3 days.  The first day started at 3am (what fun?!) with a 3 hour drive to the canyon.  We stopped for breakfast in a small village which tasted great after the early morning.  Amongst other things they served a warm apple and quinoa drink which tasted so good, I had no idea you could do anything with quinoa other than put it in salad.  And baked corn kernels, I’ve since learned this is very common in Peru and I’m very glad … they taste great with everything, especially a cold beer!

We then headed to see the condors.  I have never seen anything like it (Just to mention, I did spend my first week in awe of everything that I saw … and actually I continue to be!) There were so many of them and their size and grace was so impressive.  You can’t keep your eyes off them.

And then the walking began.  4 hours down to the bottom of the canyon in pretty hot weather.  As we descended we watched the bottom of the canyon get closer and closer until finally we were at the bottom next to the river where some well  deserved cooling down took place.  Afterwards we arrived at our accommodation for the night.  We ate lunch and dinner before having a very early night to recuperate.

View from the top

All the way at the bottom.

Home for the night

 Waking up the following day to the sound of a river rushing through a canyon was brilliant.  It was a spectacular place to watch the day begin.  After breakfast of pancakes and dulce de leche (so wrong and yet so good!) we set off for the oasis.  

We passed through some small communities which still exist in the canyon, which were amazing considering how remote it is.  It was a hot day and there was some uphill walking but a swimming pool at the end of it is pretty motivating!  And it didn’t disappoint!  A freezing pool and some shady spots for recovering were just what we needed to revive ourselves.



 The thought about how we were going to get out of this canyon started to play on my mind… there are no roads in the Colca Canyon and everything is brought in and out by mules.  It’s amazing how you don’t want to believe the obvious.  The obvious being that we were going to have to walk out of the canyon the next day.  The plan was to leave at 5am before the sun rose and the heat set in and climb 1200m before breakfast… gulp.

It was hard going, especially as I wasn’t acclimatised to the altitude.  I had to walk incredibly slowly in order to keep some control of my breathing … passing out on the side of a canyon with no medical services was not an option! 

But despite the sheer exhaustion, the views were spectacular as the sun rose and the shadows receded across the ravines and the site of an eagle passing by a ledge I was resting on were just the things to uplift me and get me walking out of that canyon.  And the thought of breakfast-  no surprises there!  Reaching the summit provided the high of completing any challenge, it made the previous 2 and a half hours worth while.  And a basic breakfast of bread, eggs, jam and coffee tasted out of this world! 

That trek was the perfect way to start my South American journey, it energised and excited me about all the adventures that lie ahead.