Rainbow Mountain

One of our biggest challenges so far has been hiking up Rainbow Mountain. It seems like the most exciting adventures all begin very early in the morning. This adventure was no different as we were picked up at 4:00 in the morning. It was a 3 hour drive to Rainbow Mountain from Cusco and most of the ride was up up up. Cusco sits at 3399 metres (11,150 feet) above sea level, which is high, and many people feel the affects of the thinner air at that elevation, and now we were going to be going even higher. We were going to be hiking up to approximately 5100 metres (16,732 feet) above sea level. So how the kids were going to handle the hike was definitely on the back of our minds.

The drive to Rainbow Mountain was another nail biter! The narrow dirt roads were barely wide enough for our minibus, never mind the locals and their donkeys that needed to pass! And one time, there was construction and a deep hole in the middle of the road. I am not sure how we got around them as I just closed my eyes and let the driver do his magic! There was one time that it seemed uncertain as to whether we would get to our trail head because the minibus was giving out on the uphill. It took about four tries of rolling back and gunning it up the hill. Luckily we made it!

At the trail head there was a corral with many horses for rent. Since it was a challenge for Adeline to get from the minibus to the trail head, we decided to splurge and rent her a horse for the hike. She was a champ as she hopped onto “Ponchito Blanco”, and her horse was led by a guide who made the ascent seem like a breeze as he walked, sometimes jogged up the path. Since Adeline was on a horse, she was going at a good pace and she would definitely beat our tour group. We didn’t want her to have to wait by herself, so we felt the urge to try and keep up with Adeline and her horse. David and Charlie did a great job until there was a real uphill, but to our surprise, the horse ride was mostly for the flat parts anyways. Adeline was going to have to climb the steepest part of the hike.

So there we were, taking five or six steps, stopping, gasping for breath, taking a few more steps. At least we were in a better situation than others. Some needed to sit and breathe in some oxygen that the guides brought along in their packs. Others got to the point of losing their breakfasts. Others needed to use a special herbal concoction that they would pour onto their hands and sniff to help them with their altitude sickness. I think what helped Adeline get to the top the most, was the sight of animals at the top! Wherever we go, there are vendors and ladies in traditional dress with their llamas, asking for you to take pictures with them. We also found some dogs that were happy to let Adeline and Charlie cuddle in the sun with them.

We were told to bring layers and warm clothes on our hike, and up until we arrived at the top, we didn’t really need any warm clothes as we were working up quite the sweat getting to the top, but once we were there, we understood the warning. The wind was quite strong and it was very very cold. I am glad we had our tuques, mittens and raincoats.

The hike was well worth the effort. The colours of Rainbow Mountain were beautiful, but the whole landscape surrounding the mountain was absolutely gorgeous too. Rainbow Mountain on one side, mountains with glaciers on the other side, and a valley of picturesque ponds and farming fields and llamas in the middle.

If you haven’t seen our pictures of the hike yet, you can take a look on our Instagram Accounts:
@greatbigfamilyadventure and @vida_sabatica