Araquipan Adventure

We arrived about 5:30 am in Araquipa and it was 8degC, which was definitely a shock to the system. We got a van to our accommodation where they let us sleep on small couches in the communal lounge for the morning.

Our late morning tour was for white water rafting. We geared up and headed off to the Chili River and boy did it live up to its name. 

A girl from the USA joined our raft. We paddled downstream and our guide said best team. We got to a point for a cliff jump. Our wetsuits had no sleeves so when we hit the water we immediately felt the freezing 8C water which had come from the snowy peaks of the mountains. After completing our 4km of grade 2-3 rapids, Dory heads back to the hostel to dry off as Doug and I got picked up for our private rock climbing tour at a local sport wall called Cathedral Crag.

Here we find a good mix of grades across approximately 12 routes. After a few easy warm ups both of us got to climb some stuff around our ability level and take a few whips. For me, it was also good practise at using a Grigri as I had previously mostly used ATCs.

With Doug and I now slightly sore but very satisfied (and no injuries other than a scratch on the new 360 camera) we return from our adventure packed day to a veggie filled stir fry (we had not eaten veggies our whole trip!) freshly cooked by Dory in the hostel kitchen, Delicioso. *chef kiss hand*