If you know anything about Colca Canyon, you likely know that it is one of the deepest in the world, with areas that are about twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the U.S. You also might know that it is the habitat for one of the most revered animals in Peru: the condor.
Blooming cactus near Condor Lookout (Jeff Rottschafer)
Coming from a place like Montana, we are certainly not starved for impressive vistas or incredible wildlife. However, even having plenty of mountains in our backyard did little to prepare
us for how beautiful and stunning this area really is. But, it is the condors that make it an especially mind-blowing place. Our first condor! (not really) (Jeff Rottschafer)
We started our morning at a famous condor lookout over Colca Canyon, patiently peering over the edge hoping to catch a glimpse of at least one of these fabled birds. Soon one became two, three, four, as they soared from cliff to cliff a few feet below the viewing platform. The ever beautiful Colca Canyon (Jeff Rottschafer)
After taking in these awesome birds for about an hour, our guide led us down a hiking trail away from the increasing travelers and their tourist buses. It was not long before we saw four condors perched on a rock outcropping, not more than a few hundred feet away! We walked stealthily and silently, with the only sound being our footsteps crunching on the sand underneath. Within minutes we were at an even better vantage point, but that is when our guide pointed up for us to take in the five or so condors that were circling right above our heads. Mouths agape, we hoped that our cameras could even begin to do justice to how lucky we felt as they endlessly soared above us. Condors soaring high in the sky (Jeff Rottschafer)
