3 DAYS COLCA TOUR AND TREK TO SUMMIT OF NEVADO CHACHANI

Between 3AM and 3:45AM you will be picking up from your hotel by tour guide and driver - This tour begins with directly travel to the first and most important town in the Colca valley, the travel takes 3H30M following an asphalt road over the Altiplano landscapes towards Chivay (3600M) - We recommend to bring good warn clothes because on the way up the bus tour reach 4900M as known as Patapampa or " Mirador de los Andes" - Around 6:45AM you will be in Chivay, this is an inter-Andean town located on the left bank of the canyon surrounded by agriculture fields and huge snow-peaks.

Continue traveling with some stops for picture according the tour guide recommendations, you will see thousands of agriculture terraced date from Inca and pre Inca times, build over cliff. Along the way you will get off the transport for more contact with local people and feeling the pure nature of the Colca Canyon.

At 8:30AM arrive to the most important point of the Colca Canyon, this is the condor cross lookout. Plenty time to wait and see the mighty Andean Condor (Vulture Gryphus). Those birds normally fly around the Cruz Del Condor and you can get the best pictures of impressive walls and deep remote towns located inside the canyon.

2hrs of hike along the canyon will be available only for PRIVATE SERVICE bookings. The hiking will be on nice trail over the cliff of the canyon through the cactus forest and off course you will have more chances to observe more Condors flying around.

Around 11:30AM will be the drive back to Chivay, along the way we stop at viewpoint to see the carved rock, it was model where the ancient architectures testing which part of the terrain was appropriate to build the terraces in the other site of the canyon. Continue going will stop next of huge cliff where is possible to see hanging tombs on the volcanic hillsides. You will arrive to Maca where is possible to observe nice colonial church from XVI century, next of this town is possible to see people from these regions dedicated life solely to work the terraces, therefore you will see many fields full of crops as corn, amaranth, kiwicha, potatoes, corn and more native product of Peru.

Driving along the canyon you will see the great Colca River and small communities located on both bank of the canyon.

At 12:30PM we will arrive to the hot spring of La Calera, located on the head of Chivay town, you can enjoy the thermo medicinal and outdoor pools with are 45º Celsius, we will stay 1 hour in this place.

After relaxing swim in the thermal pools we will drive to the town of Chivay (3600M) to have lunch (excluded), we recommend to taste the local cuisine made with Andes recipes - After lunch you will transferred to select hotel in Chivay and free afternoon for personal activities (B).

At 8AM will be breakfast served on the hotel and then transfer by private van or public bus (according your request) to Patawasi (4200M), this travel takes 3 hours to the point where we will meet the second team - We will stop at backside of Chachani on plateau as known as Pampas Cañahuas and recognize as part of the national reserve of Aguada Blanca and Salinas, where it is possible to observe wonderful animals called Vicuñas, Guanacos, Eagles, Viscachas, Deer, Andean foxes and sometimes Condors if you are lucky – All those fauna live at 4000M above sea level, they are protected species by the government of Peru and all communities surrounding the reserve and Chachani Mountain - The most common flora along the way will be AZORELLA COMPACTA as known as Llareta by locals.

TRIP EXTENSION (Puruña Rock Forest) - This will be to visit a forest of rock formation as known as Puruña - This is located inside the National reserve of Aguada Blanca y Salinas but very rarely visited by hikers or climbers - The rock formation valley is thanks to the white ash from the eruptions of Chachani - PERU ADVENTURE TOURS really recommend to enjoy the view of this landscape and practice a short hike (30 min) to get better acclimatize to altitude before you go up to 5200M (Chachani base camp).

Then continue a challenge 4x4 off-raoding on the slopes of Chachani until a place named “El Collado” at 5100M of altitude (12:00HRS), this last section of the road is in bad condition for about 40 minutes (if you have a car sick be aware of that) - There we check and pack all our equipment to be used for climb Chachani Mountain – The guide prohibit you to forget any recommend/suggested equipment because is not way to replace it up there – The first part of the hike is very gradual and almost flat following ancient paths in good maintenance and market thanks to mountain guides - The second hour of the hike to includes some gradual uphill passing small and undiscovered Inca ruins on the lower zone of the path – After two hours of hiking carrying all your gear for camping and climbing finally arrive to the base of Chachani (5200M) - Set up the tents and have mountain lunch with spectacular view of the Andes – The base camp includes nice plateau on the north face of the mountain for almost 25 twin tents – After the sunset over the Andes you will be awarded with small but very rich in calories to recover energy for the next day – Lot Coca tea is available all time and rest in four season tents under starry sky or cloudy night according season of the year (B - L – D).

Today between 2AM and 4AM wake-up time and depending how the weather will be and how you feeling with altitude sickness – The tour guide or the cook will offer you a hot and energetic breakfast and then you have to verify all your climbing gear as gloves, boots, headlamp, walking poles, camera, bottle of water, wind proof gear to protect you from cold wind (-12°C or lower).

Today will be the hardest part all the way up (900 meters approx.) to conquest the summit of Chachani (6070M) – All the way up takes between 4 and 6 hours for climbers and this vary according physical conditions and level of acclimatize to altitude of each participants – 80% of climbers get summit of Chachani even if they have headache but being awarded amazing view from the top – The climbers spend around 30 minutes on the top getting spectacular views of the landscapes of Coropuna, Ampato, Hualca Hualca, Sabancaya, Misti, Ubinas, the city of Arequipa and other landscapes – This climb doesn't demand a technical rock or ice wall climbing because Chachani Mount demands just trekking in high altitude.

At mentioned time downhill hike to base camp for about 2 hours and one hour of resting and packing all the gear to get some food and then continue hiking down to find the 4WD vehicle and drive back to Arequipa (3PM) – This final journey takes around 3 hours to your hotel and end of unforgettable experience (B - L).