We left with the agency from our hostel for 2 days of trek in Colca Canyon. Departure at 3 am… A minibus comes to look for us, with our guide. Inside there are 2 different groups. It is really to cold and it is rather small and not very comfortable … In brief, after 3 hours of road, we arrive at Chivay, small village in 3630m above the sea level, where we have breakfast. We leave later for Cruz del Condor, a place allowing to see Condors. We see some. Then our bus puts us a little farther, in 3300 m of height approximately, loan for a descent in the Canyon, until 2100m. Our group gets ready. We are 6 with a guide: a couple of Belgian (Flemish region), 2 Canadian guys, and us! Honestly the descent is not hard of the whole, we are use to do some descents in mountain ^^ On the other hand we have that baskets in feet (well, yes, for one year we did not leave with walking shoes!) and it is super slippery. We crashed down several times! (And Nadège had a little cut in the knee). In brief, ever 1200m of descent in 2 hours in baskets! (We are a good group, we walk fast!) Small break at the bottom of the canyon (bridge above a river), before making a small ascent: only 10 minutes, but as it is hard! Everybody has a hard time. Anaïs has a cold and in the evil to be inhaled. That does not help in the problem of height. We arrive at the top of the rise completely made breathless, by wondering how we shall survive the next day during the ascent …

Noon in a small village. It is the first time that we eat alpacas (sort of Lama) Not bad! Small break of digestion, but not too long, we restart at about 2 pm! 2:30 hours of walking during the afternoon. It is a little harder than in the morning, seen that we have already the big descent in our legs. Alternation of ascent, descent, flat … A big ascent kills a little everybody (we feel that it is harder in high altitude) But how we are going to make it tomorrow?!? Finally we 2 are every time the first ones at the top (even if Anaïs has a harder time than Nadège!) The end of the afternoon makes long all the same! But when we see the place where we are going to spend the night, nicknamed "el paradisio" (the paradise), that gives wings! Necessarily, swimming pool surrounded with palm trees, that makes dream! And it is necessary to admit that it’s really good to plunge in the swimming pool by arriving! Even if the sun hid rather fast behind mountains…

We have a room with 4 beds just for the 2 of us, nice! We rest there a little after the swimming pool, before going to join our group already playing cards. We are divided a beer at the same time (except Nad ^^), very nice atmosphere. Our group is very nice, that’s cool! Diner is at 7pm: soup, spaghetti bolognese (to take strengths for the next day), mate de coca (tea with the leaves of coca, good for altitude sickness, digestion) At the same time, we discuss the ascent of the next day: it is possible to take a mule (we need to pay naturally!!) The ascent make 1200m high (on 6 km). Honestly seen how we are all tired and seen how the ascents were hard today, that is going to be hard, or impossible! As the ascent with a mule is also a part of experiences to be lived in the Canyon, but as we want all the same to do the ascent on foot, we find a solution between the both: we take a-mule for the 2 of us, and we shall be exchanged places in the middle. Of the blow the Belgians decide to do the same. Our guide, as well as the one who takes charge of the-mules, promises us that we shall cross ourselves in the middle and that we can change. So we decide that Nadège will begin the ascent on foot, Anaïs on the-mule.

The next day, Nadège has to get up at 5 am for begun the ascent. Not easy alarm clock, but the night was good. When everybody who leaves on foot is ready, the group left (Nadège is the only girl in the group, she has the pressure ^^). We leave at 5:30 am, without anything in the flop … (Nadège eats all the same some biscuits to be able to hold). The guys quickly leave in front, while that rises at once rather stiff. And then they already make a break at the end of half an hour approximately. As our parents learn us well, it is not good to stop in full ascent, so Nadège continues to rise and walks past to them. The ascent continues, but it is more and more difficult, especially because of steps in stones, irregular, which break the rhythm. Finally, at the end of one hour, Nadège has a break. A kind Peruvian give her some cereal to eat. Meanwhile, the guys go back in front again, well motivate. But the end is really rough, and Nadège wonders why she does’nt see arriving mules. She would love to finish the rest on her back! Fortunately, the kind Peruvian helps her and gives her the hand to help her to go up some metres. Thank you! Finally, the ascent ends, what a reassurance! The boys are also exhausted, and congratulate Nadège. We made all the same theascent in 2 hours instead of 3 like planned! The guide arrives a little bit later, and we leave with him to the village (20 minutes by feet) without waiting for Anaïs and Evelien. They walk really quickly, Nadège is completely exhausted and has difficulty to follow them,. Finally, a good breakfast waits for us, that we begin without the girls.

For Anaïs, wake up at 6am is enough: her mules can catch up the others in the middle of the ascent. Certain persons of the other groups also take a mule. We are 4: Evelien (the girl of Belgium), 2 Chileans and I. My -mule is in 2nd position, after Evelien. Go up a mule, it is little bit like to ride, but we have no reindeers to guide! And then to be honest, they are a little head of mule ^^ It is funny, safe in every tight bend (and there is a lot), mules absolutely want to take the wide bend, and pass really not far from the edge! Enough scary!! They can easily slide, no? And in that case there the descent is not finished! Lol And sometimes mules want to be coupled, but that front does not leave her … Anaïs is in a hurry to find the group to walk a little. That hurts the hands to be held in the mule (that jumps not bad when there are steps on the road) and sometimes enough scary. Then one hour above, that is enough! But we don’t cross our group … In ¾ of the ascent, we see some groups, but not our … They are so fast as that? Anaïs really wants to work! And moreover Evelien also, her has puddle of it of the mule! So we ask the guide if we can come down and finish on foot, but he does not want? Shit!! Thus we finishe the ascent on the mule. We leave themules at the top, and we finishe on foot. We have no guide, so we are a little bit lost! We put 30 min to join the main square, and there we don’t know how to find the others of the group. Fortunately, Anaïs sends a texto to Nadège who can go to look for them. We have breakfast. Our guide is still not there … We are going to wait for him at the square in the sun. Anaïs and Evelien leaves making a tour in the village, they need to walk! Beautiful photos! Return on the square. The guide arrives later than planned, by announcing a problem on the minibus (leaky tire) It is necessary to wait more. We are going to have a drink in a café. We return on the square at 11 am, as the guide wanted. But it is only more than 11:30 am when we can leave, while we arrived at the top about 8 am!

It is already 1:30 pm when we arrive at Chivay, but we go all the same to the hot waters pool, we shall eat later! And it is sooooo good !! 3 more and more warm swimming pools, the last one at 39°C. Regrettably we can stay there that one hour. Lunch to Chivay, there where we had breakfast the day before. Very good (unlimited buffet). Return by bus, it is long. Stop in the middle in the highest summit of the Canyon (4940m of height) It’s pity we see not so much (grey weather) and it’s cold!

Arrived at Arequipa about 7:30 pm. As we were a good group and understand good each others, we meet ourselves 2 hours later to have a drink together. We find both our perfect dish: Nadège a pancake with Nutella and Anaïs of the hot wine:-D  Very nice evening!