The world´s deepest canyon VS my ankle

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After the blistering hot desert we decided to head up the Andes to Arequipa, where it is much colder (and therefore somehow more apt for the holiday season) as a base to do some trekking.

Colca Canyon, about six hours from Arequipa, claims to be the deepest canyon on earth and, at 3501m, is twice as deep as America´s Grand Canyon. It´s famous around here for sporting endangered massive Condors floating on the warm updrafts. The scenery around the canyon was truly spectacular and very snowy as we hurtled round dangerous mountain paths in a rickety old bus that kept stopping to pick people up, one of whom got on carrying a baby llama. We saw a few vicuñas, endangered wild cousin of the llama and eventually arrived at Cruz Del Condor, the condor look-out point, near nests where you can allegedly see many condors (although we were disappointed by the lack of them, and doctored a few photos with finger puppets...)

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As we´d left our big backpacks in Arequipa and only come trekking with little ones we decided to walk from the look-out point to the village of Cabanaconde, about three hours away, and then after lunch trekked for a further three hours down the canyon.

The lush green oasis at the bottom of the canyon was beautiful, and a completely different climate to the snow at the top, unsurprisingly as we walked down 3500m! We stayed a night in a hut at the bottom, but the walk down had really taken its toll on my already mashed ankle, and I could hardly walk in the morning. Fortunately we found a man with a mule to carry me back to the top (the mule, not the man).

We got bored of looking for real condors, this one seemed to serve just as well...
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Most impressive was Phil{s monumental climb to the top, the guide book recommended 5 hours, and he managed it in 2hours 20 mins, and with half an hour head start he beat me-on-mule to the top. I´m trying not to mention it too much...he´s getting a big head...hehe.

We were both shattered and freezing after the trekking (well...mule riding) so it´s back to Arequipa to lick our wounds and then on the 12 hour bus to Cuzco for Christmas!