Sangalle is an oasis at the bottom of the canyon that is accessible by a 2 hour hike down from Cabanaconde. I took a tour to Colca Canyon but it was not strictly a hiking trip and I wanted something a bit more challenging, so I arranged for the tour to leave me in Cabanaconde.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Now, the night before the tour group stayed in quite a nice hotel, and Cabanaconde is, well, fairly remote and run down. Some of the people on the tour had a look of fear on their faces when they realized I was going to be left there. All in all, it’s not a bad little town, but it’s probably not somewhere you need to stay very long.<\/span><\/div>\n
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I bought some snacks and water from a small store and continued to the trail head. It actually starts in a farmers fields, but there are signs every now and then. Once you get past the field the trail descends fairly steeply. In fact, you descend 1000 meters in 8k. Cabanaconde is at 3350 meters and the air is thin, but Sangalle is at 2350 meters and is a little oasis in what is otherwise a hot and barren canyon.<\/span><\/div>\n
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You should be warned that if hiking down in the daytime there is very little shade. You need lots of water, sunscreen, and a hat.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Once you get to the bottom, you can have a swim and a beer. The accommodation at the bottom is very rustic. I would say if it rained (which is unlikely) then it would rain into your room! The hotel provided dinner at a small fee. There is nowhere else to eat or buy anything – bring what you think you need – including snacks. All the hotels accept cash (and only cash)<\/div>\n
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The view at sunset was pretty good. After dark they run very limited LED bulbs. You should bring a torch or a headlamp.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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To avoid the sun, most people ascend around day break, which is what I did. 5am this morning after having a small breakfast (which I brought down with me) I began the hike up. The climb is pretty unrelenting and you continue to go up for 8km. It gets colder as you go, and around 3000m most people find it much more difficult to get oxygen. <\/div>\n
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I was told 3 to 4 hours to get back to the top. I guess I kept a fairly good pace as it took 2h15m. I carried 4.5L of water, but only needs around 2.5L as it was fairly cool.<\/div>\n
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Restaurants at the top are few, but I managed to find breakfast before catching a bus back to Arequipa.<\/div>\n
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I just got back into Arequipa from my trip to Colca Canyon. There is so much to see in and around the canyon, but this post will focus on Sangalle. Sangalle is an oasis at the bottom of the canyon … Continue reading