Arequipa Colca Canyon Rafting 11 Days

Description

Six days on a raft in the Colca Canyon. This river is the hardest descent in the world, apart from experimental runs performed by professional explorers and teams of guides. Fortunately, the river increases in difficulty, from the teamwork building first day, to the team-testing end. The Colca River has cut a canyon three kilometres deep. This is the deepest in the world, more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, and deeper than the gorge of the Yangtzee. It has an average depth of 3.4 kilometres when measured from mountains of Yajirhua (5212m) and Lucerna (4245m) to its bottom. Condors, ten-foot-broad vultures, live volcanoes, and thousand-foot waterfalls draw the eye up, away from the sculpted white stone riverbed and menacing boulders. 

Itinerary

Day 1 Lima (or Cusco) to Arequipa

We fly from Lima to Arequipa. Mount Misti stands like a benevolent protector over this city. This active volcano is the site of an annual running race to its summit, and recently gave to science the mummy of an Indian child. The most important tourist site in the city is the monastery of Santa Catalina.

Day 2 Arequipa to Huambo

We drive for 5 hours north to the canyon rim and camp at the precipice village of Huambo.

Day 3 Huambo to the Colca Canyon

We hike for 7 hours and 15 km down, with burros shouldering the gear, to the native settlement of Canco.

Days 4-9 Rio Colca

Six days of rafting, culminating in a series of Class IV and V rapids. We stop once to navigate a class VI rapid.

Day 10

We drive back to Arequipa and relax. Maybe day two would have been a good day to climb Misti, and today a good day to see the monastery.

Day 11 Arequipa to Lima (or Cusco)

We fly back to Lima.

Includes

• Professional English speaking guides, paramedics qualified for Class V rafting
• Full Rafting equipment (helmet, safe jacket, raincoat, paddle, wetsuit, Hyside Self Bailer Boats)
• All meals during the trip
• Double Tents
• Dry bags - Special Waterproof bags (for personal belongings)
• Safety Kayak and Cargo Boat
• Private round trip transportation
• Complete First Aid Kit

We Recommend to Bring:

• Bathing suit and light clothes
• Towel
• Sandals or tennis shoes
• Shorts (to use over the wetsuit, because the raft is slippery when wet)
• 8 pairs of socks
• Warm clothes for the night (fleece, long pants)
• Sleeping bag, mattress and flashlight
• Personal water bottle and snack
• Hat, sun block, mosquito repellent, toilet paper
• Take your things in a plastic disposable bag

Reservation