A slightly misleading title I must admit, given that we had travelled from La Paz to Cusco and then to Pisac in recent weeks. However this was the first time in over a month that just the four of us had travelled and lived together without friends or family accompanying us. I for one was quite interested to see how we would all adapt. We would have a good test of this before too long.
Nobody likes to backtrack in life, less so when driving. Even less so when the drive involves a 7.2 meter/3,500kg campervan, bad roads and high altitude. However we decided to retrace our steps a couple of hundred kilometers and visit some places in the south of Peru that we had not been to. This would then leave us nicely on the coast where we could take the PanAmerican Highway towards the far north of Peru.
We started this next leg of our adventure with a visit to Rainbow Mountain, a mountain famous for the many different colours visible, occurring due to the sediment of different minerals present throughout the area.
To get there, we decided to take a local taxi from the village of Checacupe, a distance of only 50km, but a 1.5 hour one-way drive according to the GPS. Having been given feedback from other overlanders about the road condition, we were happy to leave our own vehicle resting in the town square for the day. Now taxis in this part of the world don’t exactly work the same way as taxis back home. Our driver for the day was more than happy to bring us there, wait the c.4 hours it would take us to visit the mountain, then bring us back to the village that afternoon. After zero haggling on our part, a price of Euro 40 was agreed for the seven hours work and we were on our way.
After about a quarter of an hour, it became clear that our investment would pay off handsomely. The road was unpaved all the way, with extremely sharp turns on steep mountain ascents. This was not terrain for our vehicle. To be fair to the GPS, we arrived on the button 1.5 hours later.
Travelling around South America is a little different to places like South-East Asia or Europe. Tourist attractions generally do not attract that many people, which is great as you get to enjoy them in a more personal way. However, Rainbow Mountain is one that bucks the trend in this regard. Thankfully, we had further advice from some friends that recommended visiting a couple of hours later than the tour groups. So when we arrived, the majority of the hundreds of visitors were all descending the mountain to board buses mostly bound for Cusco.
What we had not been briefed on was the actual ascent of the mountain. Our vehicle dropped us at an impressive 4,800 meters above sea-level. Ascent of the mountain required a climb of a further 250 meters, to an altitude of over 5,000 meters. All this was required in a rather short distance, meaning our lungs would be working double-hard that morning.
We are very lucky insofar as our kids really enjoy hiking and everything that comes with it. Having said this, they sometimes forget that they really do love it. This temporary amnesia usually occurs as we arrive in the car park before a walk, and lasts until about 30 minutes into the walk. After that, their internal RAM kicks in and a flood of positive recollections gives them the motivation, energy and enthusiasm to complete the hike. That morning on Rainbow Mountain was no exception. On reflection, as we coaxed them through those first few hesitant steps, I was very glad that the mountain peak was not visible at the time. It would definitely not be a leisurely stroll.
We encountered some descending tourists on our way up, many delighted to see children so young attempting the ascent. On more than one occasion, we were even given the temptation of mounting one of the many mules used to carry weary “gringos” directly up to the top. Thankfully we were in a position of positivity by that stage to be able to politely decline and continue ourselves.
After nearly 1.5 hours of walking/ resting / walking/ snacking/ walking/ resting/ walking / snacking, we finally made it to the viewpoint at the top. At 5,036 meters, this was the highest altitude most of us had ever been at on foot. The kids put in a huge effort to get there which I must recognize. It was a really challenging climb for many reasons, one being the lack of any additional grandparent or friend to encourage or motivate them. They pushed themselves, but also encouraged each other and their parents. They really enjoyed it however and felt immensely proud of their achievement at the end.
The views from the top were truly spectacular. We marvelled not just at Rainbow Mountain itself, but also at the surrounding landscape. There were snow capped peaks, glaciers and valleys, all visible in the blink of an eye. Predictably, the views did come at the expense of any semblance of comfort. The unprotected peak provided us with winds that could have blown over an unsuspecting hiker. Having lasted as long as we could at the top, we made downhill tracks and set our sights on our very patient driver.
They always say that the trip home seems shorter than the way there. This was certainly true as we bounded down the mountainside. We even enjoyed a little bit of mountain running to really test out our tiring ankles and knees!
Arriving back to Checacupe after another hair-raising drive, we settled in for a quiet evening back in the campervan. We washed, ate and relaxed playing a board game together. Knowing that we still have many more kilometers to cover, many more mountains to climb on our family adventure (physically and metaphorically), and many more emotions to manage, we felt confident that whether its with family, friends, or just the four of us, we would get there and enjoy the journey along the way.
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