Colca Canyon - The hike that made the Inka Trail a walk in the park

Our recent adventure began from the Arequipa bus terminal. Upon arriving our plans were to catch a bus to Cabanaconde where we would hike into the deep Colca Canyon. Without much planning, we arrived at the bus terminal at 11:30 am thinking buses would regularly leave for our destination. After hustling the aisles of bus companies with clerks screaming out destinations, we finally found one that left at 11:45, in approximately 4 minutes!! After huffing into our seats, we were subjected to corny Peruvian pop songs blaring from the speakers. 5 hours later…we arrived in Chivay and upon returning to the bus after a quick bathroom break we found 50+ locals of all shapes and sizes shoving into the bus door, and several llamas and baby lambs being shoved into the under-storage of the bus. Luckily, a nice gentlemen we conversed with earlier saved us two seats!! For the next two hours, we smelled all the local flavors as well as constant clouds of white chalky road dust. It was an authentic experience as well as a 1/3 the price of the tourist buses. The other gringos totally missed out, suckers!

Although the bus ride was somewhat hilarious, we were driving along the upper, southern side of the beautiful and picturesque Canyon. Also interesting were the agricultural terraces that followed and shaped the hillsides. The very organically shaped plots were separated by piled rock walls (1 meter high). Some plots had rows of corn, others grazing animals, but most were fallow and waiting for the rainy season. We saw both mechanized plows and steers straining with wooden plows in tow. It was a nice change from the bustling city of Arequipa to the genuine happiness and humility of the people who labored on the harsh landscapes.

Once in Cabanaconde (the end of the road), we settled into our hostel, which has definitely been one of the better backpacker hostels. After a long day of traveling we dined on lomo de alpaca con papas fritas y verduras. YUM!!! By far one of the most delicious meals, and Kristin tried her best not to think of the thousands of wild, grazing brothers, sisters and cousin alpacas we passed on our drive to the Canyon.

After a hardy breakfast, we received interesting directions on how to navigate the canyon on foot. (as an aside, we later discovered that the unionized travel agencies of Arequipa paid off the local mayor to not post signs and markers on the trail but also make the routes as confusing as possible. The travel agencies were hoping to make the Canyon intimidating to the soloing backpackers and therefore make guides a seeming necessity).

Walking down the trails of the Canyon was more difficult than expected. The extremely steep, zig-zagging switch backs were somewhat treacherous, but every turn afforded a stunning view of the vast Canyon. As we approached the Rio Colca at the bottom of the Canyon, Ivan already formed two blisters on his swollen toes and yet again had the privilege of carrying Kristin’s daypack for the last hour of the decent. A true gentleman and hero (AKA Kristin’s burro).

After an energizing and revitalizing snack next to the Rio, Kristin regained the strength to schlep her pack the rest of the way. The Llaguar hot springs and lodge was a welcome sight after 5.5 hours of hiking in the intense dry sun.

Luckily for us we had the entire hot spring and riverside lodge to ourselves. A very romantic and pastoral scene. We groaned down the path to the hot springs, and gratefully submerged into the warm spring water. After 2 hours of thoroughly pruning our achy muscles, we climbed back up the hill in time for a sunset dinner. A dinner of freshly caught pan seared trout, rice, fresh vegetables and hot tea was the perfect treat for growling bellies. Shortly after dinner, we conked out in our dirt-floor, cozy, bamboo hut.

Our Hut!

Our sunset dinner

The next day we woke up at 5:30 am, wolfed down a pancake breakfast and hit the trails to race the encroaching and powerful sun that was steadily moving down the Canyon walls. Along the way a black dog, who we affectionately named Rufus, plodded up the steep northern slope with us. He turned out to be a bit of a pain, especially when we encountered a large steer equipped with impressive horns and tied to a dried out tree. Trying to stop the brazen dog from provoking the steer, we watched in horror as the tree was easily ripped from the ground and the steer made ready to charge the taunting dog. Fortunately a local rancher appeared from seemingly out of nowhere with a young calf, and was able to placate the large animal before it gored or flung us or our retarded Rufus down the mountainside. The rest of the hike was fortunately uneventful, and we reached the Mirador Apacheta with the sun in full force. This was definitely the best view of our entire hike, since we could see down a large length of the canyon. We noticed that the canyon looked much like a zipper with large mountainsides alternating down the canyon from either side. From here, the hike was a fairly gradual walk down to the “oasis” through abandoned terraces and more switchbacks.

Notice all the faint switch backs in the distance...

At the top of Mirador Apacheta lookout

The oasis was interesting in that almost everyone there (including employees) were incredibly hung over. The young boy at the dirty bar/restaurant could barely answer our questions, so we decided to go to the homey “Casa de Eden” next door. Fortunately people were clothed with more than just fig leaves, and the apple tree was replaced by a delicious papaya tree (it was quite fun thwacking a fresh fruit of with a long stick and eating the sun-warmed fruit 15 second later!!). Lunch was a delicious vegetable soup with a side of rice and mashed potatoes. We were supposed to have a tortilla or omelets, but “Adam” hadn’t returned with the laden donkeys…haha

We relaxed by the pool for a couple of hours until the sun mellowed out a bit, and then headed back up the canyon (6 km, or 1.2 km vertical!!). This last 3 hour hike was truly a test of mind over matter, since every step became increasing harder with the altitude and our growing fatigue (4400m high!). Once we reached the top, our sunlight was almost gone and we got lost for 45 minutes in the labyrinth of terraces and creek beds. Needless to say, when we reached town, we had dinner with 2 new friends and Ivan patented a new spaghetti dish at the restaurant and had other patrons jealously eyeing his creation. “Por favor, una espaghetti a la Ivan!”

Kristin is pointing to the Mirador Apachet, where we were earlier that morning on the opposite side of the canyon! Wowzers!

sooo strong from all the hiking...

We repeated out bus ride in reverse, except this time we picked up a very enthusiastic 18 year old born again evangelist who ‘preached’ for the last 2.5 hours of the bus ride. After many typical remarks about everyone being equal in the eyes of God (except the maricones and moros, of course) we decided that some of his profane remarks didn’t didn’t deserve any of our money. His rationale for our opt-out was that we were both “juice.” Oh, you mean “Jews?” Wow. Our first encounter with fire and brimstone in Peru, and definitely an eye opener!

Out of Arequipa and on our way for an adventure in Puno and Lake Titicaca..!

Machu Picchu - "Old Mountain"

Day 1:

After a 3 hour bus ride through the sacred valley, we arrived just past . Putting the full weight of our packs on our backs for the first time we headed to the entrance of the Inka Trail. Note: how clean we look in the group shot. As we began hiking, we couldn’t help but notice that the sage scrub and climate felt much like central California. At this part of the trail, we found the cochineal bug, which when squished, oozes bright a red dye. Though the first half of our first day was not very difficult, we were definitely struggling with the elevation and the heat. Not to mention, we were the only ones in the group who were perhaps strong or stupid enough to carry ALL our own weight. Hint: the large backpacks!

After hiking through several small Andean villages and passing men tipsy and bloated from their corn-brew chicha, we started up some very steep inclines. As an additional challenge to the sweat-besoaked and heaving Ivan, Kristin handed over half of her weight and clipped it onto the back of his pack were it swung around upon its own volition to sway Ivan back and forth over the rugged trail. Since this wasn’t enough to prove his valiant attempt at wearing the pants in this hiking duo, Kristin handed him her entire pack so Ivan’s last 1.5 km were spent with a rear pack that extended to 3 feet behind him that swung back and forth, but also a women size blue pack on his chest hid the rocks, branches, and obstacles beneath. A crew of clapping and welcoming SAS crew members was a welcome site when we arrived into camp at 6:45 and under the bright stars. Today we hiked approx 12 km.

Day 1 Accomplished!

Day 2:

We were politely awakened at the early hours of 5 am with a hot cup of tea brought to our tent. Stumbling out of our tent, we collapsed into camp chairs to a table spread of pancakes, tea, coffee, toast and our new absolute favorite Quinoa con Leche with apples and cinnamon. This day was definitely the hardest of the four, since the first 5 hours were roughly spent climbing up to Dead Woman’s Pass at 4201 meters. Fortunately, Kristin decided to make the smart decision and hired a porter to carry 9 kg (which she proudly declares was not all her weight still much more than the average trekker). Amazingly, this weight was simply tied on top of a porter’s already bulging pack. (the porters roughly carried no more than 25 kg, but were maxed out). After reaching the exhausting heights of Dead Woman’s Pass we bundled up from the sudden cold and immediately started trekking down an equally steep incline. Our spirits were high but our knees and calves were crying.

Trying to get a kiss from the llama with a major under-bite!

The valley below dead woman's pass

A typical porter

On top of D.W.P

see the valley below...that's were we just came from

After a delicious lunch, where most trekker’s (15 out of 18 groups) stopped for the day, we were urged on to continue an additional 5 km of hiking before we could call it quits. As we crossed yet another mountain, clouds and distant thunder were settling in. The winding mountain trail ahead seemed to materialize out of the thick fog (luckily we missed the rain and thunder) as we made our way along the narrow trail.

Kristin "skiing" down the foggy slopes

As a celebration for our big day of trekking, our guide surprised us with a bottle of Ron Rum to warm us up as the rain pitter pattered on the kitchen tent. Hiked 16 km total

Day 3:

Since we endured a longer and more strenuous day 2 to get ahead of the other groups, we were lucky enough to sleep in till 6am!! One of the enriching parts of the trips was a circle, which included our whole group: trekkers, porters, and guides. During this time, we each individually introduced ourselves and shared a few facts about each other i.e hobbies, # of kids, # of girlfriends (porters), where we are from… The cultural exchange was really interesting.

Today’s hike was fairly leisurely and unlike the first 2 days in the “California Terrain” today we entered the semi-tropical “eye-brow” of the rainforest. The trail wound along steep mountain sides which were no wider than 1-1.5 meters and dropped off up to 100’s of feet.

Everyday we would walk through ruin sites, however today we impressed by the ruins of Intipata, which were recently discovered in the 1990’s. The agriculture terracing never stops to amaze us as the Inka’s used them as “test” plots and served as very fertile and stable terraces. Water was able to be very closely controlled, which allowed for micro-climates to be created along the terraces. Also note: Ivan’s 90 degree hiking pole compared to the Inka’s 14 degree terrace walls. Their technique is why the walls still endure so beautifully today. Kristin was taking notes on how to keep walls from crumbling and causing erosion during wet seasons. Ivan was adamant and wanted to make sure the Inka’s were actually precise in their 14 degree measurements (note: pole measuring device).

Winay Wayna was the largest camp of the trek and served as camp for all 18 groups. It was more of a small resort than camp, with optional hot showers, indoor eating, a full stocked bar, snack shack, souvenirs’, etc…. Though as the true outdoor trekkers Kristin and Ivan are, we opted for the unconventional shower technique of a cold sponge bath to save a few bucks. After shivering and hearing about all the other camper’s relaxing hot showers we bundled up and went exploring to a nearby ruin site. Winay Wayna, or “the small Machu Picchu,” is not only intact but also has flawless stonework that has weathered the past 4 centuries without difficulty. We arrived just as the sun was setting and walked through the temple and agricultural sector. We both were completely amazed by the irrigation system, which first flowed through the religious temple and went through a series of stone channels. Each terrace had square and identical collection pool where water could easily be accessed to water the 2.5 meter wide terraces.

Dinner was of course amazing, but was also special because it was one of our group members’ 40^th birthday. The chef somehow prepared a moist yellow cake on a grill outside. He spent several hours turning the batter on the open flame so that cooked evenly and rose perfectly. The frosting was an egg white “meringue” with caramel designs and saludos. It was honestly one of the best cakes we have ever had (even Kristin the cakery snob thought so). We said goodbye to our 21 porters this evening. We walked passed them as if it were after a soccer game. Ivan shook hands, but Kristin received sheepish kisses on the cheek and generous embraces. The smiles and giggles pointed out that this wasn’t a normal goodbye for them, but more obviously by the fact that Kristin was the only member to receive such a gracious good-bye….

A typical entree for dinner. This plate x 3-4 more = dinner! YUM!!!

Today we hiked 11 km

Day 4:

We woke up at 3:45 am and hastily packed the heavy goodies in our tent. Ivan almost tobogganed to breakfast on the wet slippery ground from the nights rain. Headlamps at breakfast, and ponchos at the ready, we lined up at the control gate to walk the last 8km to the Sun Gate, or the first available sighting of Machu Picchu. The cliffs were especially steep on this part of the trail, where Ivan had to focus on the adjacent wall, rather than the precipice next to him. The Sun Gate was unfortunately still sacked in with fog, so we barely caught a glimpse of the elusive Machu Picchu. The hike down from the Sun Gate put a bounce in our steps as we neared closer to the llamas grazing the upper parts of the ruins. Rounding a corner, we suddenly beheld Machu Picchu in all of its postcard glory. It truly took our breath away.

Pumped up at 4 am for our first sighting of Machu Picchu!

Kristin's new found love: LLAMA'S

WE MADE IT!

Kristin is pointing to the Sun Gate!

A must in Machu Picchu: Yoga!

Looking back at the final part of our trek, we’re both amazed out how much of a blur it was. Running from one part of the ruin to another, we tried to find the lowest tourist densities. (All the members of the group later confessed how they resented the lazy tourists who took the train and bus up the hill, while we had trekked so far to walk in the famed ruins). The breadth, sophistication, and engineering genius of the ruins can only be understood firsthand. Not only did the massive stones fit seamlessly together, but every wall had astronomical significance as well. Different types of stonework were found throughout the ruins. Large granite stones formed the base of every building, and only some of the buildings had the smaller, more loosely fitted stonework on the upper half. Of course the religious areas, such as the Sun Temple and the Temple of the Condor were all several ton stones that jig-sawed together. On the outside of the Temple of the Condor, Kristin demonstrates the cruel stonework that was used to discipline young, virginal, and disobedient women who refused to marry Inka aristocrats that they had never met. Their punishment was to be exposed to the elements and propped in a very uncomfortable position. Unfortunately, so much of the rich history of the site has yet to be discovered, which left so much to speculation, that our desire for closure and understanding was peaked. Maybe 25 years from now on a later trek, more of the historical riddles will be solved. Hiked 8 km in the early morning.

Reflecting on our trek, we received many new leg muscles and shoulder aches than before (Kristin’s calves almost doubled in size and her ankles grew some new lean meat!!). However, our love for the Inka and Quechua culture has continued to grow as we walked the trails of the royal kings, slaves, and woman of the Inkan time. It is remarkable how quickly the 4 day trek went by, however our memories of meeting 11 other trekkers, 2 guides and 21 porter’s will not be replaced. We have formed many new friendships (in fact we are in Arequipa with another couple from the UK). We are very fortunate to have this beautiful experience of trekking the Inka Trail and believe it is one of the top 10 hikes one must complete. We have continued on our SA adventure post Machu Picchu and will keep you updated as we travel Arequipa and Colca Canyon…

Machu Picchu Trek

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