The third and final day of the trek started painfully early again. I got up at 5am, and we left with the first light half an hour later. The plan: ascending out of the canyon, climbing about 1100 meters to the village Cabanaconde. Some of our group didn't feel up to the task and rented mules to carry them up. I went on foot, of course. How else could I look at myself in the mirror again? ;-)
The early start had the advantage that we got to experience the magical early morning atmosphere in the canyon:
The cloud -covered bottom of the canyon and the increasingly sunlit mountains in the background provided for wonderful views during most of the ascent.
Then, the sun slowly dissolved the clouds, allowing once again to see the river down in the canyon:
After two and a half hours, I finally made it to the top. I was greeted by flowery meadows, trees, and snow-capped mountains in the distance. So beautiful!
After breakfast, we started on our way back, making several stops along the way. At the first viewpoint, we had a fantastic view on the agricultural terraces in the canyon:
The terraces date back to pre-inca times. Each of the levels has its own micro-climate, so that many of Peru's 4000 types of potato only grow on a single specific level.
In the next village, Chivay, we visited the thermal baths. The 39° water, in alternation with ice-cold showers, was the perfect remedy for tired hiking muscles. Plus, the view from the pool was amazing:
Finally, the last stop was - again - a llama photo opportunity. I can't seem to get enough of them, they're just so cute!
The early start had the advantage that we got to experience the magical early morning atmosphere in the canyon:
The cloud -covered bottom of the canyon and the increasingly sunlit mountains in the background provided for wonderful views during most of the ascent.
Then, the sun slowly dissolved the clouds, allowing once again to see the river down in the canyon:
After two and a half hours, I finally made it to the top. I was greeted by flowery meadows, trees, and snow-capped mountains in the distance. So beautiful!
After breakfast, we started on our way back, making several stops along the way. At the first viewpoint, we had a fantastic view on the agricultural terraces in the canyon:
The terraces date back to pre-inca times. Each of the levels has its own micro-climate, so that many of Peru's 4000 types of potato only grow on a single specific level.
In the next village, Chivay, we visited the thermal baths. The 39° water, in alternation with ice-cold showers, was the perfect remedy for tired hiking muscles. Plus, the view from the pool was amazing:
Finally, the last stop was - again - a llama photo opportunity. I can't seem to get enough of them, they're just so cute!
