The Marañon valley

We get going early, to a pure blue sky, with the perspective of a long and beautiful descent of 2200m in altitude from our bivouac at 3100m. We are on the west facing side of the great valley and the temperature is pleasantly cool.

And what views! The daylight reveals many details and colors of the vegetation and landscape, from the high grass, cactuses, yucca and blooming trees to the remote summits, or, if we dare looking, the vertiginous slopes under the road.

As we reach an altitude of 1700m we see down at the bottom the meandres of the big river, it's greenish and opaque color. The Marañon is the most powerful tributary of the Amazon. For a long time it was considered to be its main source.

Before we reach the bottom of the valley, we enter an area of cultures dominated by groves of orange and mango trees, which keep the road sheltered from the heat. That did not last, alas. We found ourselves bathed in sweltering heat when we arrive by midday in the arid environment surrounding the Marañon.Læs mere