Safe Water
Water is a problem on Colca. You must carry it for long sections. And you must treat your agua:
- boiling
- chemical disinfection
- filter
- purifify
We prefer a quality ceramic filter, but weight is a consideration. And they require a lot of maintenance!
If your filter breaks you should have pills or drops as a back-up system.
Be Prepared
Colca Canyon is not the most difficult trek in Peru. But you should not treat it lightly. The 5100m pass (on the 5-day trek) may require the most fit hiker to turn back due to altitude sickness.
You must be prepared mentally & physically. You must haul the right gear <checklist>.
You must be informed. Do your homework. Take notes from — or print — sections of this website. Do not hike Colca without a copy of Lonely Planet Trekking in the Central Andes.
But do not panic, either. Any fit person can do Colca.
But the more prepared you are, the better.
First Aid Kit
Prepare for the worst! You need a far better First Aid kit than usual on Colca as you may find no one else to care for you.
Someone in your group should be qualified to administer First Aid. This is a serious responsibility.
Hiking Technique
- Avoid the strain of big lunge step-ups, and the impact of big drop step-downs, whenever possible.
- Step OVER a rock or obstacle to a foot placement of similar height to your back foot when you can.
- Zigzag on steep sections. Many small steps are better than taking one big step up or down.
- To assist with a big step-ups (when unavoidable) push down on your knee with your hand as you extend that leg
- Take many short rests. Sit with your pack-on whenever you find a convenient rock.
- Take off your pack to stretch whenever possible
- Make frequent adjustments to your pack harness. Keep shifting weight off of pressure points.
