World of Wonders - Peru's Wild West

Rich red canyons plunging kilometres below to turbulent rivers and cacti silhouetted against stunning backdrops are often associated with America’s Grand Canyon.

However, we are hiking in the Colca Canyon of Peru. Reputedly twice as deep as the Grand Canyon this unique area – rich both culturally and geophysically provides a range of opportunities for the visitor.

Three day plunges into the deepest part of the canyon or condor spotting are amongst the more popular outings. We have opted to instead cross this rugged terrain for more than simply sightseeing.

As we trek along narrow cliff faces, sometimes only a foot wide – with 200 metre drops below – we begin to wonder about our choice of hike. We are hoping to cross the Colca Canyon and then descend to the romantically named Valley of the Volcanoes.

It made perfect sense at the time, a four day hike opposed to twenty gruelling hours by bus on back roads to visit the two sites. The rationality of our decision became questionable when a local described the route only for the “valiant and adventurous.”

The Colca region remained fiercely independent of the Inca Empire and today the people retain their own unique character. Women wear full length dresses, exquisitely embroidered with elaborate bodices in all shades of pink, and red with little flowers. The outfit is topped off with distinct hats beribboned with sequins and rosettes.

As we are setting off, a lady with a big pink rosette on her hat and voluminous embroidered skirts inquires where we are heading, and on hearing the Valley of the Volcanoes, she lets out a low whistle, “Its so far... and so dangerous!”

To reach the tiny village of Chocco, it’s a thirty kilometre hike along a hot and dry canyon, mostly along death defying cliff faces, so it’s little wonder that the residents have a certain frontier-ness about them. Women in traditional dress herd cattle and sheep down the cobbled streets, while men wear broad hats like cowboys.

We had scarcely arrived when our Peruvian friend is greeted excitedly by locals in the native Quechua tongue. Though he speaks this language of the Incas, they are so surprised by his appearance, and enquire if he is from another country!

Lines etched twice on her face for each of her years, and baby pink rosettes and lace on her hat dispirited and faded, an old lady is so engrossed in conversation with this outsider, she fails to notice us come up behind. When her gaze falls on us she exclaims, “Caramba!” An expression of delight or hell, the dictionary translates it as, “By Jove!” She can hardly believe her eyes – two gringas (foreign women) in her town!

As we leave the frontier village behind us, two days of climbing out of the Colca Canyon lay ahead – narrow cliff faces, blue skies and valleys. It is as wild and remote as you get, and we are not to encounter one person during the trek that involved crossing of a 5,100-metre pass.

Such altitude provides incredible views of snow capped volcanoes including Ampato where in 1992 the frozen body of the mummy Juanita was discovered. Known as the ice princess, Juanita is believed to be the body of a 12 to 14 year old girl sacrificed by the Incas to the mountain gods around 500 years ago.

The Valley of the Volcanoes lives up to its name – from the high peaks of the pass we can see many conical cones – apparently up to eighty from which lava once flowed. It is thought that each cone was formed from a separate eruption.

The final day of our trek takes us through and over the lava flows of the Lomas Ninimama Lava Field. It’s a hot dry landscape, distorted by the extremity of its cause. It has a young and raw, feeling as if this is what it was like when then earth began. It is ugly, yet beautiful at the same time with hundreds of different cacti species, birds and small flowers.

Scientists say that the lack of vegetation – nothing but the hardiest plants – and the lack of the erosion indicates that the volcanic activity occurred no more than a few thousand years ago, and possibly as recently as several hundred years ago.

Andagua, the principal town of the Valley of the Volcanoes sits at a breathless 3500 metres – and has an air of isolation. With men in high heeled cowboy boots and women in broad hats, you would be forgiven for thinking you were in the Wild West, with the clatter of horse hooves on the streets. Yet these women carry their babies on their backs in brightly coloured mantas (woven blankets) like their Peruvian compatriots, and it makes a fascinating mix.

To leave Andagua our bus climbs a tortuous route that winds over the surreal moonscape close to the summit of the Coropuna volcano, covered with snow. Vicuna, a now rare camelid that is the Peruvian national symbol, run freely. Deep chasms beside the road are obscured by the snow that swirls around the bus.

In this inhospitable climate, several campesinos (peasants) tend their herds of alpacas and llamas. They are hard and resourceful, like the people of the Wild West. Yet this cold and barren place was very different than the hot dry canyons that we had walked through.

Hardy, resourceful, individualistic yet community minded – certain characteristics jump to mind when you see the broad white hat of the cowboy. This is the land of the Peruvian cowboy – a tortuous, wild and remote landscape, unpredictable and seemingly untameable.

Home

Top of Page

Privacy