Rainbow Mountain

Taxi pick up at 4.30am (we were waiting outside at 4am as agreed, working on “Inka time”).

3 hour minibus ride to the start of the hike. Slept before breakfast stop (lovely buffet at a nicely decorated services), then took in the breathtaking views as we weaved along the dirt clad roads through the mountains. It was a nice ride seeing small communities, grazing alpacas, over bridges - the narrow cliff roads are not for the faint hearted though.
As we climbed higher the sun got brighter. The peak of rainbow mountain sits at 5,000 meters (Emma made sure to have extra cocoa tea at breakfast despite no scientific evidence for helping with altitude).
We started the hike at 4,600m - it was a tough 400m climb which took a couple of hours.
Interesting to hear from our guide Edwardo, that the children in these mountain villages often hike 5/7k to get to school - this exercise combined with a good diet seem like a recipe for ageing well and good cardiovascular health!

Although it was cool up the mountain, the walking meant we could layer off a little. At the top we were rewarded with amazing views of the many colours of the mountain, the distant red peaks of the valley, and snow capped peaks of other nearby mountains. Loved having our photos taken with a lovely pair of llamas near the top; though it didn’t feel right considering the smell of stir fry llama being offered to hikers…We opted for a snickers and Inca cola, then a steady descent down.
Emma slept like a log until we returned for our yummy buffet lunch, while Rach re discovered “Like an Inka” song by Neil Young.

Pretty exhausted returning to the hotel around 3.30 - so relaxation and an early night on the cards!En savoir plus