The highs and the highs of the Colca Canyon, Peru

At the Colca Canyon in Peru, with an altitude hitting 4800m (or 15,800ft), you will feel three things: cold, breathless, and speechless.

For the cold, it’s easily said and done to rug up – seriously, don’t ignore this advice.

For the breathlessness that comes with the altitude, the Peruvians recommend chewing on coca leaves (see my Arequipa blog). You’re going to have a hard time though.

My body chose this time to come down with a cold, so it made breathing especially difficult. But I got through it, and overall, it wasn’t that bad, as long as I took it easy, walked slowly, and rested often (No late night partying for me!)

As for the speechlessness, so that’s not a symptom of the altitude.

It’s a symptom of the breathtaking beauty of the canyon.

What should you do about that?

Embrace it, take it in – and take lots of photos.

Enjoy!