Colca Canyon and the Condors

We were picked up from our hotel in Arequipa at three in the morning by a group of young, energetic guides who would be taking us on a two-day hike. After about 4 hours of sleep, we were groggy and we hauled all of our gear into a 15-seat van. When we left Cuzco the day before, we had to pack light since we would be carrying all of our belongings on our hike. Travis decided to be chivalrous and carry my stuff in his pack, so I just brought a small bag with the essentials (camera, water, toilet paper, etc.)

We rode for several hours in the dark, and most of the ride I spent drifting in and out of consciousness in a straight-backed seat next to Travis. Once dawn broke across the sky, our guides roused us and described our upcoming adventures.

First, we were to stop and see some condors. Then, we were going to drive straight through to where our hike was to begin, since we would need all the light of day to do so. The next day, we would stop at the places we drove past for photo ops.

The condors we saw are most active around 9 am, so that is the time we hoped to glimpse some of the massive birds. We were not the only ones at the condor viewing spot, and I had to wiggle between other people along the railing at the edge of a cliff to see. I took a video of them in flight, but they spent much of our viewing time dive-bombing one another.

Here is the backdrop we watched the condors on. Beautiful, giant mountains.

Our guides told us that condors mate for life, which can be 50 years or longer! When a condor's mate dies, the widower often becomes depressed and will fly into the cliff face, ending their life.

Their wingspan can reach up to 10.5 feet!

Can you spot the condors?

After viewing the birds and driving for another hour or so, our driver pulled over in the middle of nowhere. There were no markers on the road, no buildings to speak of, just open land. We got out.

It was a warm morning, leading into a warmer day, in which we would be hiking for 10 miles, up and down a canyon. Since there were no places to use the restroom, I ended up holding it until we got to our lunch destination, two hours later.

Our guide walked us around a hill, and we got our first glimpse of Colca Canyon.

Excited for our hike!

See those white patches on the lower left side? Those are towns that we would pass through. The only access to them is by the mountain paths we would be taking- no vehicles (except mules) have ever visited there.

Here is our hiking group! We were accompanied by two Mexicans, one Canadian, one New Zealander, on Peruvian, one German, and one guy from Oregon!

 We began our trip along the side of the mountain, winding back and forth as we descended.

There's Travis!

I look cheerful because we haven't had to go "up" yet.

Most of our path was dusty, rocky, windy and steep. After this picture, I stopped taking them in an effort to keep pace with the others until we got to the bottom.

By the time we reached the bottom (about 1 1/2 hours down) I was exhausted, dirty, and had to pee like a racehorse. But once we reached the bottom, the only way to go was up. We crossed the river that passes through the bottom of the canyon, and wound our way up and over on the other side to reach our lunch destination. The only problem was, I hadn't been acclimated to the altitude, and it was still bothering me physically. I felt about 30 years older, unable to breathe and keep pace with the group. On our first real "uphill" I had a breakdown at the back of the group, and our guide became my new best friend. He said that this trip was for fun, and that he would stay with me while his partner led the others. I pulled myself together, and trudged on.

On this side of the mountain, we were shaded by trees which was a blessing from the midday sun. We passed a variety of Andean plants, and our guide made note of a few poisonous ones to watch out for. Eventually, we made it to our lunch stop. It was the home of a family who live on the mountainside, and thankfully they had a (toiletseatless) bathroom. Our lunch was nothing too memorable, probably because I was already dreading the rest of the day. There was, however, a cute friend to cheer me up:

The rest of the day I spent cursing the fact that I was on the hike at all. Our guide, ever the cheerleader, kept me going. The way was "Peruvian flat" which means lots of ups and downs but nothing too drastic (I say this but realize that while I was there, it felt like I was scaling Everest!)

We reached our lodge (The Oasis) before nightfall, at least 30 minutes after the group did. Everyone cheered when we arrived, although I felt like vomiting.

The lodge had no power, and our mud-walled rooms had dirt floors. There was a natural spring-fed pool that everyone was playing in, but I got in for three minutes and immediately got out because it was too cold and I was too exhausted. It was an incredible place, and I wish I had been in better spirits to enjoy it.

I crawled into my pajamas, and tucked myself into bed, suddenly feeling quite ill. I felt a fever coming on, and my body and head ached so badly that I just wanted to sleep. Our guide knew better, and had Travis bring me a bowl of soup in bed to bring back my strength for the next day. I took small bites, and went to bed before everyone. I was miserable and hated that I had to get up at six the next morning to go three miles UP the steep mountain...