I can honestly say I hated every breathless, nauseous step I took up the Rainbow mountain. The higher I went, the slower I became until I had to stop every few steps to take some breaths, drink some water and try to steady my buzzing head. Although not steep or particularly long, the path here takes you up to 5200m which is not quite as high as Everest Base Camp or Kilimanjaro but, unlike those trips, there was no time for acclimatisation on this trip.
But enough complaining. Our day began with a 3am pick up but I just transferred myself from my bed to the bus and continued with my sleep; after a few months on the road I had become adept at falling asleep almost anywhere. After a short stop for brekkie, we arrived at the start point to begin our hike. It wasn’t until I found myself walking against a tide of tourists on my way back down that I understood why we started so early – it is well worth the effort of pulling yourself out of bed at some unearthly hour.
The path up to Rainbow Mountain carves its way through a wide, dramatic valley offering something different at every juncture: Sweeping grassy hillsides, rocky outcrops, snow filled ravines and fabulously vivid limey greens and rusty reds. The landscape is peppered with horses, alpacas, local guides and farmers, distant farmhouses and of course, tourists – lots of them. The colours of Rainbow Mountain are apparently the result of thousands of years of mineral deposits which have only become visible in recent years due to global warming – prior to this the mountain was covered in snow and ice. The impact large swathes of tourists are having on the area is fraught with problems and the eco system of the whole area is overwhelmed. Yes, and I am part of this problem.
From the top, the view over the valley beyond is a stream of colours broken up by the light and shadow of the clouds dancing above. The landscape appears to have infinite depths; it is a scene that the mind has to grapple with, like looking deep into an intensely starry sky. Rainbow Mountain itself didn’t quite appear as vibrant as the tourist posters would lead you to believe but, for me, the beauty of this place was is in the surrounding terrain and the views down the valleys. The altitude adds to the surreality of the experience and although Rainbow Mountain was a magnificent sight, even looking back at the photos makes me feel slightly queasy.
