• Carry coca tea with you, you can put it in a bottle.
• Sangalle’s water is good to drink, at least for us.
• To save money buy: bread, cheese and honey.
• Buy bananas in the towns.
• On third day from Sangalle to Cabanaconde start walking at sunrise.
• Leave your luggage in Arequipa.
• Carry sunscreen, hat, sunglasses and comfortable shoes.
• If your physical condition is not good, take a mule.
• Breath Pimiento.
• Carry caramels.
• On the way up, there some trees at the top of the canyon, they are a good reference on how far you are.

The night at Las Palmeras was eventful, after the return of the water service, there was a small storm of wind and rain.

This day we has a really nice lunch (thanks to Carlitos) soup, chicken with rice and french fries, juice, fruits and cookies. Our dinner was fruits, cheese, cookies and honey (from Cosñirhua).

From the cabin, made of totora and cane, at night you could see the stars.

We woke up early, ate cheese sandwiches. And started walking. We thought that it would take us 5 hours to Cabanaconde cos we were still sick.

We got tired easily cos we couldn´t really breathe, all the tour groups were passing us. During our brakes we drank coca water and ate honey and caramels. The legs of one of us were cramped so we had to stop at the middle of the way up to do some massage.

Everything looked soooo far, and the shadow was ending, the zig zags with stone steps were demolishing.

Mules that went up with people, were slowly coming down.

we were starting to fade so we promised ourselves that as soon as we were in Arequipa we would eat pizza, something sweet and take a hot shower.

After 3 and a half hours, we finally saw Cabanaconde.

At the square we saw some of the groups, talked with them, and we realized, that sick and all, we did it in only 30 minutes more than they. At 11AM we were in a bus to Arequipa, after resting in Cabanaconde for a while.

Wake up early before sunrise, so can start walking as soon as the sun comes out, trust us! you don’t want to be walking at midday!!

Take with you water with coca tea and some caramels for instant energy. Remember that you are going from 2,100 meters (a.s.l) to 3,300 meters (a.s.l)

In this part of the trekking you just have to walk upwards until you can see Cabanaconde. (3 hours)

From San Juan de Chuccho (House of Rivelino) take the wide pathway and if the path is bifurcating take always your right. There is a point where you start to go upwards following a small river (on your right) continue this way until you see a bridge, cross it and then you will start to go upwards.

Cosñirhua, the next town after San Juan is right after you finish this road (1hour).
Malata is 20 minutes after Cosñirhua. After Malata the road star to go down until you reach Sangalle Oasis. This path is more narrow than the ones you walked before. Be careful cause it’s slippery (1 hour)

We left Cabanaconde at 9AM, we woke up early after a really bad night. One of us had fever and a sore throat, the other one was ill too but without fever. Altitude and pressure changes were having an effect on us.

Early in the morning the speakers in town were announcing El Gran Día de la Limpieza de Calles (The big day of street cleaning challenge), while we were looking for a place to leave our backpacks for the trekking we saw all the neighbours cleaning the streets. We left out backpacks in a store were Milagros Buses tickets were sold. It was a very hard decision.

We started walking, but when we arrived at the San Miguel lookout signpost we didn’t know which path to follow. We saw a local woman coming our way and we asked her, she told us to follow a local man who was going in the direction of the canyon.

We had breakfast at the cliff of the canyon, we ate bananas, Arequipa’s bread and cheese from Cabanaconde, not very tasty but energetic.

The path going down the canyon is sometimes  very steep and slippery, with rain it must be horrible. All the towns are clearly seen all the way down, except for San Juan de Chuccho, that once you are there, you realize it’s not a town but few houses and farming fields.

Almost all the tour groups go very fast and don’t stop to take the time to see the surrounding area which is very beautiful.

In San Juan de Chuccho we stayed at House of Rivelino, that is in the way to Cosñirhua. We rested there all afternoon, after taking a hot shower =D.

You can arrive to Cabanaconde by taking a public bus during the night:

1AM Reyna Buses
1,30 AM Andalucia Buses
They both charge $15 soles for the trip.

If you take the 1AM bus you arrive to Cabanaconde at 6AM you can eat breakfast in town and then start walking to San Miguel lookout to start the trekking.

To arrive to San Miguel lookout, walk back through the highway until you see a signpost “Mirador de San Miguel” (20 min).

Another option is to tell the bus driver to drop you there.

Once you are in front of the sign post walk to the canyon, you’ll find a wide pathway with of shoes prints and horse/donkey/mule/ shit. Follow the path to your right, if you walk past a cross you are in the right way. In this part of the trekking you don’t have to go up any hills.

Once you arrive to border of the canyon you will see a path going slowly downwards, this is the beginning of the trekking, just go down till you get to San Juan de Chuccho’s  bridge. After you cross the bridge go uphill and turn left. In the rocks you can see marks with arrows pointing to different rustic lodges. (4 hours)

=)

Cabanaconde lives after sunset, when everybody comes down after working in the fields. Restaurants and cocinerias (small local restaurants) are full of customers. The main square also gets it’s share of women selling bread and warm beverages.

In all this area people listen to music similar to Wendy Sulca’s ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=693m7iCh-TE ) You can see a lot of children happily dancing to it. You have 2 choices: get used to it or use earplugs.

Pachamama If you want to eat pizza in Cabanaconde, Pachamama is a warm and fairly priced place, it’s located in San Pedro St. Sumaj Sara Good food for a cheap price, for $4.5 soles you get soup, main dish and camomile tea or black tea.