a stolen story and the next attempt

hello all,

i believe what i am about to do is against the blog ethic, but i was told by the author that it was ok. i am very busy and getting ready for a very crazy endeavor. so a girl that went on our guided trip to colca canyon wrote a very well worded story about the colca canyon trip that i just went on. it is entirely more elaborate than i would have given you and i would not have time to write anything worth while right now...so, i will cut and past it. here name is ashleigh vogstad from vancouver british columbia. just so i gave my correct copy right credits.

other than that,...i cant beleive this one,..it might be very painful. but i am going to attempt to climb a 19,222 ft active volcano called el misti tomorrow and will potentially summit on friday at about noon eastern time. it is one day of hiking 4000 ft with a full pack. we start at about 11,000 ft and we climb to base camp at about 15,000 ft. then the next morning at midnight we wake and with head lamps start the last 4,000 ft with a day pack. everyone i know who has done it has vomited on the summit from altitude sickness. that is the worst of it though. for all the moms out there, it is very straight forward. nothing but a walk on loose gravel up a enormous hill. but a really enormous hill. so, i am at peace either way, summit or no. i just could not be in peru and in my hiking days of my life and not attempt it. just so everyone knows, there is nothing in the lower 48 that is over 14,500 ft. so, this is by far uncharted territory. so that is it, i am going to go pack and get a good night sleep.

here is the poached story about colca canyon...much love, marc




Hola mis amigos y mi familia!

Time for another update from your far flung (and hopefully much missed) traveller.

Colca Canyon. Dropping 11,000 feet it is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. We hiked down and back up the bottom 4,500 ft of the canyon from out start and end point. . Desolate yet cultivated, impervious yet permeable. One of the worlds deepest canyons cuts through the Arequipian desert on the Western most side of the Andes where it is home to a lively, colorful, and hardy Quecha culture.

Peering from our lookout into the depths of this laceration, the stratified browns and beiges turn lush with green where the life-giving Colca river is able to support myriad growth. Green bananas, hibiscus and prickly pears (the national flower of Peru) abound and aloe vera grows wild. A plethora of cacti flourish including the spiritually important San Pedro which local Shamans use to induce a healing, hallucinogenic state.

The local people continue the ancestral tradition of maintaining the pre-Inca step terraces along the less percipitous canyon walls making for a landscape that is at once unkempt and yet profoundly ordered. Local women return home in their hand-woven traditional dresses and matching bowler hats, sturdy sandals made from car tires strapped to their feet, a harness of coca leaves slung over their backs. After an early 4am start much work is still to be done from hand grinding semolina into flour to preparing traditional cuy dishes.

The villages that dot the Canyon walls are inaccessible accept by foot or donkey along a percipitous cliff-hugging trail. Formally horses were the dominant mode of transportation but their less robust stature caused them to jump into the canyon from fatigue on occasion. (Watch out!) As we pass through each village a Chrisitian cross stands grim against the stark landscape, reminant of the Spanish conquesition, protecting inhabitants from evil spirits passing by. Many crosses are adorned with red roses, each flower representing a married woman from the village, with occasional white ones encouraging suitors to come find their future wives.

It is a five hour walk to collect salt, six hours for some children to attend highschool and about four days to pack in something the size and weight of a refrigerator. Solar energy is predominant though electricity was brought through the mountains 9 months ago.

Over the course of three days a group of 11 of us treked this canyon and witnessed its beauty and vitality. The Andean condor, largest bird of flight in the world, soared overhead its black coat a shadow of warning to weary travellers against clear blue skies. Part of the vulture family the Andean condor is a formidable carrion eater, friend of the fox, enemy of the eagle.

Another member of the bird family (but at the other end of the size spectrum) was the "burro qentis" or Giant Hummingbirds which are only found 2000-3000 meters above sea level in the Andes and measure about 8 1/2 inches in length. We were lucky enough to spot several.

Alright loved ones, hope thats enough adventure for a little while. I am back to volunteering all this week and nursing a slight cold. Miss you all lots and Ill continue to do my best to keep you updated.