Palccoyo is a colored mountain, similar to the Rainbow Mountains that are getting many tourists these days. On the way, we drove through some poorer areas of Peru. Here, a family farm is still getting plowed with an ox and blade.
Some bricks on a bridge support don't give me a lot of confidence.
We followed this little river up a canyon for many miles to reach Palccoyo. We weren't even sure we were on the right road until we saw some tourist vans coming back down.
A rock carving along the side of the road, next to the river. There was also a carved condor on top of the rock.
We found an almost-flat space just next to the river at an intersection with another dirt road that led to another small town up here in the mountains.
The rocks in the river were red and blue and gray, very pretty.
The turquoise rocks are very fragile and here a pile of crumbled shards sits where it disintegrated.
The red mountains and road just outside of Palccoyo.
Some turquoise rock chunks make a stark contrast to the red dirt and rocks here.
Looking back along the road as I walked towards town for some exercise.
Sculpted red rocks along the river bank next to the road.
Red and blue rocks used in a fence near the terraced fields.
This reddish-maroon rock would crumble at the slightest touch!
Alpacas were all around here.
This little girl was too shy to look up and smile for her photo.
Some bright oranges in the red and purple of this rock stuck out to my eye.
A herd of alpaca heading past YOLO and on up the hill.
The little community of Palccoyo is at 4054 meters above sea level, about 13,300 feet.
The black alpaca stuck out in the herd.
These alpaca nibbled on whatever they could find on the ground here.
The little shack in front of YOLO at the intersection was used by some school girls for shelter as it rained for a few minutes. More of a play house than necessary shelter for them. Trucks or motorcycles picked them up to take them home.
A local lady with her children, carrying loads of sticks for burning in their cooking fires.
Many alpacas have brightly colored yarns in their ears, to identify the owners, we presume.
A couple herding their alpacas down the road.
These ladies collected the fee to go through the village to the colored mountains of Palccoyo.
Lots of red in the hills and valleys here. Bright colors for a scenic view.
We started seeing the colored bands in the rocky slopes, layers of different minerals making the colors.
It was an overcast day, so the colors just don't pop, but our eyes could appreciate the beauty of the colored layers.
You can see the Stone Forest on the top of this peak as we started our hike up.
The overcast sky let loose with snowfall three times as we wandered up the slopes of Palccoyo. I've got four layers of clothes on to keep warm.
The edges of rock slabs tilted up on their sides make interesting rock formations at the top of a trail.
You can see the stripes of different materials even if the colors are muted by the dull light this day.
The layers have recently been uncovered by melting snows because of global warming.
Maroon and light turquoise next to each other make a nice combo.
Rainbow colored stripes backed by the deep orange-red of the mountain range behind.
The geology of the area becomes evident. You can see where rocks and mountains were uplifted by the direction of the colored stripes.
We followed the little white line of a path across the spine of the mountain to reach the far colored hill.
Just the red and green is gorgeous if you ask me.
We were hiking at almost 16,000 feet to view this beauty.
The Stone Forest at the top of the peak beckons.
These slabs are tilted almost vertical. There are some ripples in this rock that shows it used to be part of the sea bed.
Jason taking a rest on the path to the Stone Forest. We were up there!!!
Some of the Stone Forest slabs standing tall.
This one has a sharp needle point top.
Jason with his walking stick at the Stone Forest.
The path to get up here was quite narrow and a bit slippery from the snow showers we had.
People walking to the colored rainbow mountain of Palccoyo.
Jason surveying the beauty of Palccoyo rocks and colors.
This bend of the layers lends the 'rainbow' to so many descriptions of these mountains.
Karen loving the rainbow of colors at Palccoyo.
There was a local in colorful costume with these alpacas for photo opps for tourists.
Looking back at the Stone Forest as we descended.
Mother Nature can be so pretty some times.
Just imagine the beauty if the sun was shining!
A final view of the rainbow hill of colors.
The red hills were all around us.
What are you looking at?
Alpacas in front of the Stone Forest slabs of rock. You can see the broken bits that get scattered across the ground over time.
This black cutie was right next to the path.
The view as we came back down the path.
This lady had her alpaca nearby.
A cut in the mountain near the parking lot for tourist vans.
The ragged raw colors along the dirt road down from Palccoyo.
Bright distinct layers form a pretty design in the distance.
These alpacas had coats! Perhaps they'd just had their coats shorn.
Terraced hillsides everywhere, these look greenish-grey from the rock underneath.
A pile of turquoise colored rock that has disintegrated along the road.
More fencing made of colored rocks rounded in the river.
We were glad we went to Palccoyo, but we aren't sure we'd have done it if we'd known how tough the road would be to traverse. The only other option we could find was tours from Cusco, three to four hours away. We were happy to make it back down in good shape.
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