Colca Canyon - Days 2 and 3
Llahuar was an interesting place, but the morning rays and the roaring river lured me out of bed early, and so on the second day I set off on my way through Colca Canyon. I needed to leave as soon as possible, before the sun climbed higher above the horizon and scorched the canyon walls to uncomfortably high temperatures. Although I was moving here between 2,000 and 3,000 metres above sea level, it was still very hot. The sky was cloudless and the temperature quickly rose to tropical levels.
In the morning I crossed a large tributary of the Colca River and was essentially heading back towards the place I had set out from the day before, only along the other side of the canyon. I saw new corners, new views, and the little winding path I had walked the previous day. Today about 15 km lay ahead of me, with 800 m of ascent and 600 m of descent, from Llahuar via Turuña, Paclla, Belén, Mirador de Apacheta and Malata all the way to the Sangalle oasis, where I had arranged my next accommodation.
The first part of the journey led steadily uphill. I walked along a dusty road, wider than the day before. As I soon discovered, it was wide enough for a bus to drive along, which is honestly the last thing I had expected here. After about three hours I reached a beautiful viewpoint, and since the surrounding air had once again warmed up sufficiently, the condors too had set off on their daily flight. Within moments three of them flew past.
At the viewpoint a local dog joined me and decided to come along. At first I thought it would walk all the way to Sangalle, but after about half an hour a Peruvian with a donkey appeared coming the other way, and the dog nearly went wild with joy. As it turned out, it had simply been going to meet its owner. In the town of Malata there was one of the few chances to buy something to eat and drink. I came across a small, modestly stocked little shop and bought a few more supplies. Mostly drinks, as I was well aware that in today's heat I would still need them.
The town of Malata was also the last chance to take in the view of the far side of the canyon. As I was photographing and zoomed in with my telephoto lens on the other side, I noticed the path that awaited me early the next morning. That's going to be quite a climb, I thought to myself. From Malata it's all downhill to the oasis. A full 600 vertical metres down to the river. The descent was quite steep, but the surrounding landscape kept my eyes and my camera so busy that I hardly noticed getting down. Once again I was by the roaring river, once again I crossed a footbridge and marvelled at the power the river is capable of exerting. Seeing it from this close up, I easily understood how, over many, many years, it could have carved out such an enormous canyon in the landscape.
I wasn't much looking forward to the Sangalle oasis, because it's the place where all the tourist groups and independent travellers converge. There are plenty of accommodation options where weary legs can rest after a full day's march, but the concentration of tourists is already rather too much for me. Luckily I chose well, in a completely secluded part of the oasis and, as it happened, also near the path that was to lead me back to Cabanaconde the next day.
An afternoon rest, an early dinner and then quickly off to sleep. The next day, after all, held the return back up above the canyon. But to make it more interesting, I had to get up as early as 3:40, because I had to set off at 4:00. My bus to Lake Titicaca left at 9:15 and I needed to catch it. So I packed my things, switched on my headlamp and began the climb, with 1,000 m of elevation gain. For about an hour I walked in the dark, up a steep rocky path. Several other little lights flickered around me, because of course I wasn't the only one who needed to be at the top on time.
Gradually the day dawned and the surrounding landscape emerged, bathed in the first rays of daylight. My climb slowed, not because I was already tired, but because I had to stop every few moments to photograph the beautiful scenery. I reached the top of the canyon at around 7:20 and went on enjoying the surrounding beauty. At the Hotel Pachamama I picked up the rest of my things, took a shower for a small fee and was ready to set off on my next adventure, to Lake Titicaca.
Tip 1: I can definitely recommend going all the way to Cabanaconde and staying at the Homestay Pachamama. It's a great starting point.
Tip 2: If you really want to enjoy the canyon, don't hesitate to plan a full 4 days here so you can explore more of it and go further than Llahuar.
Tip 3: A little way beyond Colca Canyon there is also Cotahuasi Canyon, which is far less visited by tourists.