Admiring majestic condor flights in Colca Canyon in Peru

Photo. Condors flying. Like a Steel plane, the legendary condors rose up from the world's second deepest valley, and dived down again in a tremendous speed.

Early in the morning we drove further on a bumpy and narrow road. We passed some few small Indian villages with beautiful decorated old churches, and there was no doubt that we were in a very remote area.

The people who live here are decedents of the Incas. As their ancestors they still use terraces for farming.

The Colca Canyon, is considered to be the world's second deepest canyon. It`s located only a half-day drive from Arequipa through the Augada Blanca National Reserve (ca. 170 Kilometres away from the city). This canyon cuts through a region occupied by people whose lives have changed little since Inca times.

Photo. Beatiful nature on the rocky and narrow road to Colca Canyon.

In the area it`s possible to see stone carvings, cave paintings and thermal baths.

Soon I would be able to see condors flying around searching for food along the sides of the canyon.

Finally we reached the best site for spotting condors; Cruz del Condor on the top of the Colca Canyon, which is located about 60 kilometres beyond Chivay.

This canyon has been known as the deepest in the world. The deepest sections are 3400 metres deep. It's assumed to be twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the US, but in recent time it has been more commonly accepted that Canyon del Cotahuasi nearby as deeper. The Colca Canyon has been known under different names: The Lost Valley of the Incas, The Valley of Wonders, and The Valley of Fire and The Territory of the Condor.

Photo. Colca Canyon - the second deepest in the world.

It`s so deep that it almost impossible to see the bottom.

Unlike most of the Grand Canyon, some parts of the Colca Canyon are habitable, which is hard for me to understand, but the pre-Colombian terraced fields are still used today for agriculture.

Even though I am grown up in a place where people live very isolated and on an extremely steep ground, I still wonder how people manage to like this. About 20 kilometres beyond Chivay, there is a small carved boulder that is believed to represent a pre-Colombian map of the terracing.

Photo. Toro Muerto of the Wari Indians.

Many interesting ancient sites in the area.

This was the final resting place of these Indians, buried in a fetal position. It`s built in a almost 90 degrees steep cliff wall. Why and how the Wari Indians buried their relatives like this is still a mystery.

Photo. The beautiful Inca terraces, which is a great wonder of the world.

The canyon was cultivated by indians. They built terraces along the hillsides.

These terraces stretch many kilometres and it's probably the most extensive in Peru and extremely productive for agriculture. It's perfectly made to fit in the grandeur landscape, and it was an impressive view.

Early in the morning or late afternoon is the best time for viewing condors. The sun has just risen over the frosty brim of the Colca Canyon, high in the Andes of southern Peru. It's was totally silent. We just waited for the first condor to appear.

From the wonderful viewpoint, the roaring river of the Canon del Colca floats 1200 metres below. Mismi, on the other side of the river, the canyon drops circa 3400 metres down to the river. I could see a small house there, and I wondered how people could live there. Even though I was very excited and eager to get a close look of the large birds, I tried to keep my feet on safe ground without too much balancing on the edge of the cliffs.

An Andean condor is ascending on the first of the thermal air currents set in motion by the morning warmth. Within minutes I find myself staring into an eye of the world's biggest flying bird. Their wingspan is incredible. The condors passed 20 - 30 metres above me, with over 10 kilo of body, supported by expansive wings reaching over 3 metres from tip to tip.

He banks and returns, white patches flashing on broad black wings, white ruff pulled snugly over his featherless neck. His splayed wingtip feathers make a whistling noise (swishhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ), not unlike wind in a sailing ship's rigging, as they broke through the air. First we could see the shadow or dot in the sky. First one, so two and then many ascended quickly up from the deep canyon. Some find their best resting place in the sun, so there was not so much action in the beginning. The condors soar of the rising thermals occurring as the air warms. Feathers and grow the black-and-white plumage of adults.

As the morning sun warmed up the canyon`s cliff edges, more condors appear from the depths of the Colca Canyon. I got imaginations about an airport in miniature, and just waited to hear the voice: "Your Captain is speaking. Fasten your set belts, be ready for take off!"

Like a Steel plane, the legendary condors rose up from the world's second deepest valley, and dived down again in a tremendous speed. I was so excited about staring into an eye of the world's biggest flying bird. After a while some condors started circled over my head, and one came so near that I almost thought it would hit me. The condors flied so elegant. They are balanced, controlled and incredible majestic in their moves. Condors are not the fastest flying birds in the world. It`s the peregrine falcons, also called the fastest animal in the world, who dive in a speed up to near 300 kilometres per hour.

This day (8 July 2002) we counted 12 condors rise and fall in circles, never flapping a wing but simply adjusting their feathers to float with the air currents. I wish I could fly like this - just like the Superman. It would be so great.

Photo. I wish I could fly like the condors. They are balanced, controlled and incredible majestic in their moves.

My excellent guide, Marianno, told me about that condors live monogamy in partnership whole their life. The birds are known to live 40 - 50 years or more, and it is likely that they are among the longest lived of all terrestrial birds. When one partner dies, the other takes suicide by crashing directly against wall of the mountain.

Since the Condors are so big and strong they can catch big preys on the ground. The condors hunt in the morning or late afternoon. I have heard about condors that they descend right down to kill and carry away baby alpacas and sheep and even push full grown cows to their death over the cliff edges. I didn't hear about stories where condors had attacked people, so that made me more relaxed to bear in mind when some of the condors started to circle above me head.

A condor flight that reminds me about a plain. The condors glided majestically from one edge of the cliff to another on the rising thermals occurring as the air warms. They looked for a perfect best place for sunbathing.

Photo. An rock figure in the shape of a condor head and neck in Machu Picchu, the Inca's Lost City in Peru (near the old Inca capital Cusco).

Some people believed that the whole city could have been shaped as a condor. For many centuries the condor has been revered by Andean civilizations, appearing prominently in pottery, stone sculptures and even a gigantic figure etched into the desert surface of Peru's Nazca Plains. Yet much remains unknown about these birds.

It is clear that Condors are formidable scavengers, the undertakers of the natural world. They quickly clean up the remains wherever death strikes, helping to prevent the spread of disease among large mammals in the process. At the time of the Spanish conquest, the Andean condor's silhouette was a common sight along the entire Andes cordillera.

Stein Morten Lund, 11 October 2002

Additional information
Read more about Peru on this website: the people, the Amazon jungle, cultural and archaeological treasures and more.

Some facts about the country:
·        Formal country name: Republic of Peru.
·        Area: 1.28 million sq km.
·        Population: 28 million.
·        People: 54% Indian, 32% Mestizo (mixed European and Indian descent), 12% Spanish descent, 2% Black, Asian minority
·        Language: Aymara, Quechua, Spanish; Castilian.
·        Religion: Over 90% Roman Catholic, small Protestant population.
·        Government: constitutional republic.

Admiring majestic condor flights in Colca Canyon in Peru - Part 2 of 2