Let me start this post with a traveller fact: no matter what happens or how messed up a situation seems, in the end everything ALWAYS works out – promise. So, even though I didn’t get picked up at 3:30am yesterday morning, like I was told at the tour agency (they also didn’t come at 3:45 or 4am), I didn’t stress out about it. With a certain composure for situations like these that I adopted last year in Asia, I asked my friend at the reception to call the agency and ask if they might’ve forgotten me. They assured that they didn’t forget me and that someone was on their way to pick me up in around 10 minutes – of course I knew that they had forgotten me, but as long as someone picks me up, I really don’t care all that much anymore. The driver seemed to be in a big hurry (as expected) and drove me about 10 minutes out of town where “cambiamos carro aqua por favor” indicated that I would get on the actual van now. 3 more hours to reach the village, which would be the starting point of our hike, and I finally seem to meet the first Peruvian with some sense for the cold: the van is nice & warm, the heating turned on all the way. I managed to fall asleep a couple of times but what I saw every time I woke up was even better than catching up on some sleep – and so unexpected: Steep cliffs, enchanted forest like trees, seemingly endless valleys and a river running through all this beautiful nature. The street was so narrow that only one car could pass it at a time and the missing barriers at the side of the road made for a little adrenalin rush in every curve (good thing my eyes were closed for parts of the ride). After passing a couple of tiny settlements, where one would really ask himself how people can live here in the middle of nowhere, we finally reached our base at 7:30am. Quickly buying some gloves and a hat (who would’ve thought there are even colder places than Cusco at night), having a pretty plain breakfast in the icy cold morning air, some last instructions from our guide Juan Carlos and off we go: three hours of hiking, bringing us from 4200m to the at 5100m located Rainbow Mountain or “Montaña de siete colores”.

Last instructions from Juan Carlos, the guide for our group with code name “Heidi” – he told us that he had an oxygen bottle, in case someone would pass out or feel very dizzy, what an outlook for the tour!

Simple breakfast before the hike: typical Peruvian bread, margarine, tea and instant coffee

After 20 minutes of walking, everybody already out of breath, we got asked if someone wanted a horse for the path, for only 70 soles (19€). Actually a pretty good deal, if I think about it now but yesterday my ambitions to earn that view over Rainbow Mountain won over my laziness and so I started walking without a horse, like about 3/4 of my 40-people-group. Let’s see if we should regret this decision a couple of hours later.

The hike started out more or less flat but because of the high altitude we were already struggling, even during this “easier” first part of the track. People made their way towards the mountain, alone or with a partner, with a group of friends or with their family. Since I went on the tour by myself, the first thing I did when we arrived, was to find myself a hiking buddy. Unfortunately, Veronika from Austria didn’t only turn out to talk just a tiny bit too much for my hiking taste but she was also faster than me, and so we went our separate ways soon after the start. To be honest, I did enjoy the time by myself though. First of all, because you’re always surrounded by people when you work at a hostel, and secondly, because I really needed to take my time and some breaks along the way (I haven’t been feeling well the past couple of days but this was my last chance to go to Rainbow Mountain, since I’m leaving Cusco on Thursday, therefore, I didn’t want to cancel the trip last minute). After 2 1/2 hours of hiking, a couple of times where I wanted to quit or just told myself it would be okay to at least die on a marvellous hike, after many great acquaintances along the way (two guys from Canada, offering me one of their hiking sticks & many other people who offered me water or just checked on me) – the love and the care on this tour was amazing! – I finally got at least somehow close to Rainbow Mountain. I also got to the point though, where I was close to collapsing and my body just couldn’t do it anymore. Just when I wanted to give up on the whole Rainbow Mountain mission, my saviour appeared in front of me: Andres from Peru with his horse! I paid him all the 20 soles I had left and he took me up hill for 15 minutes in return. I have to admit, I expected a bit more for my money but after a while he told me that the track was getting too steep for the horse and so I had to take on the last 20 minutes of hiking by myself again. Words cannot describe the feeling I had, when I finally made it to the very top. Exhausted, tired, hungry, but all of a sudden apparently cured of all my symptoms and happier than ever! Once again, it was all worth it in the end. Rainbow Mountain has been an amazing experience and I would recommend anybody to take on the challenge and overcome the “never ending path of death” – don’t expect me to do it again without a horse though!

Andres, my hero!

the colours on the mountains come from minerals evolving from the rock

Lunch after returning to the village. Nothing special, but after hiking & not eating the entire day, an excellent meal.

Although I wasn’t feeling my best before starting the tour, although I wanted to quit a couple of times along the way and although my sore legs are killing me right now, I am once again happy I did it and I feel so blessed to be given these amazing opportunities to explore such beautiful parts of the world!