Do I need accident insurance?
Yes. If you are a non-Peruvian, be prepared to pay for your own medical care immediately. Insurance will likely need to repay you. Closely check the terms of your insurance policy to ensure that hiking is covered.
Who administers First Aid?
In case of injury, someone will need to take responsibility for First Aid.
In every group, someone should be assigned the role of First Aider. This person must be confident, competent & certified in First Aid, preferably in the speciality of Wilderness First Aid. It's worth having someone in your group take a course before your hike.
Who rescues me in case of emergency?
You are on your own. There is no rescue team in the canyon.
If this worries you, perhaps the Inca Trail is the better option. Rescue & evacuation are organized by your tour company on that hike.
On Colca, the injured hiker should first try to reach a Trailhead on their own feet. Best exit points are:
- road at Cabanaconde
- road at Andagua
If the injured hiker cannot move, they should remain in a safe place. Don't leave them alone. Send other hikers to find help. Go to the nearest village. You might be able to hire someone to ride out an injured hiker on a horse, mule or even a burro.
It is better not to hike in one of the world’s deepest canyons alone. If you do — carry an emergency whistle in case you fall out of sight and need to alert people. The international emergency signal is 6 blasts on the whistle, a pause, & then 6 more blasts. Use your flashlight, at night, to signal emergency. Again it is 6 flashes, a pause, then 6 more flashes.
