Julie & Harold Head to Peru: Intro to Colca Canyon

We have heard much about Colca Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in the world, if not the deepest, and the huge condors that glide on the drafts provided by the canyon. We decided we should do a brief excursion to see whether our future plans should include the canyon. We signed up for a one-day trip to the canyon and back (we were surprised to find out that “one-day trips” occur daily). We were told that the bus would pick us up at 3:15 AM (yes!), but the bus did not arrive until a half hour after that. Things did not start well, but after that the trip went well, and we were back in Arequipa at 05:00 PM. We were tired, but satisfied. Since we will be visiting the canyon again with our friends, Pat and Bill, this posting will not be continued at a later time. So here goes.

The gateway into the canyon from Arequipa is the town of Chivay, which is about a hundred miles from Arequipa, but travel time is about three hours.

Leaving Arequipa is somewhat of a shock – the desert is absolute and a cement factory that the road passes through does not help. However, the road enters the “La Reserva Nacional de Salinas y Aguada Blanca” (National Reserve of Salinas and Aguada Blanca) which consists of over 1400 square miles and is named after two water bodies that are important to plant and animal life. Aguada Blanca reservoir (formed by a dam) is located behind Misti Volcano on Rio Blanco which changes into Rio Chilli which flows through Arequipa. Behind the mountain Pichu Pichu is the Salinas Laguna, a salt water lake, known for its bird populations, especially the flamingos. The intent of the reserve is to protect animals and plants that live at altitudes of around 4000 meters or over 13,000 feet. After we travel briefly in the Reserve, our road serves as the western boundary of the reserve.

A Google map shows the road in blue that starts from Arequipa at the bottom of the image. The reserve is in green and the two important water bodies are highlighted. The reserve is intended to protect plant and animal life that live at over 13,000 feet of elevation.

Here are llamas that we saw along with large herds of the animals along with their shepherds (or would that be "llamherds).

Here are vicuñas. The vicuña grows wool that is considered to be the finest and in the day of the Inca, only royalty could wear clothing from that wool.

Ascending the mountains, we arrive at the pass known as Patapampa and a stop there gives great views of the Andes and environs.

The upper left sign announces that we have a view of the Andes. Upper right states our present altitude is 4910 meters (16108 feet). Lower left states the Volcan Ampato that we can see off in the distance has an altitude of 6288 meters (20629 feet). Lower right states that Volcan Sabancaya has an altitude of 5976 meters (19606 feet).

A view at the pass: starting from the left is Amapato (where the mummy Juanita was found), then very close to it is the new volcano Sabancaya (the ash from Sabancaya caused the ice to melt on Ampato which exposed Juanita) and to the right is the extinct volcano Hualca Hualca.

Volcan Sabancaya is a "dangerous" volcano as it began explosive eruptions in early 1990, and continued to erupt for over eight years. At the peak of the activity in 1994, eruptions produced large ash clouds every two hours.

Here with a Google satellite view, one can see the lines of sight from the viewpoint.

Julie at the stone market for Amapato which gives the height at 6288 meters or 20629 feet.

Harold at the marker which states the obvious:

"A view of the central Andes volcanic mountain range"

The builders and the reason for these stone cairns are not exactly known, but it is thought they were built by pre-colonial people and were meant to aid in some prayer or wish as people traveled over the pass.

We arrived at Chivay where each of us paid 70 soles (about $26 which is double the amount stated in the web sites we perused) to enter the area as tourists (Peruvians pay half that amount and students less). We had our breakfast and subsequently our lunch at hostels in Chivay. Chivay is the eastern entrance point to tour the canyon and is replete with hostels. Upriver from Chivay the river floor is known as the Colca Valley and downriver is known as the Colca Canyon.

A view of Chivay as we descended from the pass.

Arched gates that mark entrances to many things are common. The bus had stopped so the fees for tourists could be collected.

Our bus proceeded on the south side of the canyon with a number of stops so we could view the canyon. The views of the terracing are amazing. We were told that the native people (the Collaguas), who farmed there before the Inca dominion, built these centuries-old terraces. Many of the terraces are still being used – but others are not. There does not seem to be an end to the terraces. The name “Colca” comes from the name of the granaries (collcas) that the Collaguas built on the canyon walls.

Only one view of the terracing where the valley of the Colca River is only beginning to grow.

A pre-Inca terrace being actively worked now.

Julie meets a young girl with her hawk and young llama at one of our stops.

Our endpoint of our westward journey as we followed the east to west flow of the Colca river was “cruz del condor” (The Condor Crossing), and we stopped and saw the huge vultures glide effortlessly over the canyon. Even though condors glided right over us, we did not get good pictures. Next time.

The canyon gains depth downriver, but the floor of the canyon at this point is said to be 3960 feet (about 1200 meters) below the rim of the canyon.

Oh, that is deep! However, downriver the canyon grows deeper.

On this rock, it is written: The intent of the condor sanctuary is to protect the condor bird of 2.80 (meters or over nine feet) wingspan and heaviest of all flying birds. The condors are birds of legend and mythology and yet we know a little about them. If our viewing does not drive them away, it is possible that the family of condors which belongs to this territory will remain and procreate forever.

A condor waiting to catch a rising draft.

A pair of condors soar high above us.

Wikipedia states the canyon “is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the United States at 13,650' (4,160 m.) depth.” That is very deep, and we basically saw the beginning of the canyon. It appears the canyon is more the result of a fault in the earth’s crust and not due to erosion (see pic below). Eventually the Colca river with a name change to Camana enters the Pacific.

On this rock, it is written: Colca canyon is a fault in the earth’s crust between the great giant volcanos of Coropuna at 6425 meters (21,079 feet) (wiki say 6377 meters or 20,922 feet) and Ampato at 6310 meters (20,702 feet) (wiki says 6,288 meters or 20,630ft) and its greatest depth is 3400 meters (11,154 feet) (Wiki says 13,650' or 4,160 m) in the length of the canyon of 100 km (62 miles.)