Rainbow Mountain

If you're going to hike Rainbow Mountain from Cusco, be prepared for your day to start at 3:30am.

The mountain is 5200m high, though the bus drives a good chunk of the way up. The 2 hour-ish climb to the peak is what most tourists are there for. I wasn't, though, at first. Still recovering from altitude sickness and preparing for the imminent Inca Trail hike, I just wanted to ride a horse up and see the thing.

But after popping an altitude sickness pill and many remarks about how not hiking would be cheating, I went ahead and did it.

We were fortunate once more with the weather -- blue skies and not a drop of rain. The landscape was breathtaking, with hills, a snow-capped glacier peak, green fields, and herds of grazing alpaca. The climb itself was manageable as only the last bit was steep, and the views along the way equalled the peak itself.

We were among the clouds once we reached the top, and considering it was rainy season, we had a fairly clear view of the layers of iron, sulphur, copper, and other minerals that make up the colourful mountain. While most of the hike had been warm, the top was freezing, and the tiredness set in.

It was a long day with a 6-hour drive, and for the first time since my first night in Bolivia, I slept deeply through the whole night. The climb had been worth it, and I actually enjoyed doing it as a starter to the Inca Trail, just to reassure myself that I was capable.

Not to mention, there were a dozen alpacas greeting us at the top, so really, what else could you ask for?