In 1978 I read an article, I believe it was in The Wall Street Journal, about the Colca Canyon in Peru. It was reported to be the deepest canyon in the world, twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. I remember that the 1978 newspaper report compared the Grand Canyon and the Colca Canyon by a graphic description of how many World Trade Centers deep each was. The only other published information that I could find on the Colca Canyon was a reference to an article in a 1937 or 1938 issue of National Geographic. So, I ordered a back copy (they still had one!). Now I am paying storage for that issue! From time to time over the years I have wanted to explore the Colca Canyon……. but I have only explored how to go about such an adventure. The place was simply not easily accessible. I looked into helicopters, explored hiring a local guide, and explored a raft ride. So much for exploration……. Today I explored the Colca Canyon, this time on the internet. My, how things have changed! The endangered, prehistoric appearing Condor is still endangered, and is still living there. Forget the helicopter…… you can buy a tour package! A McDonalds can’t be far into the Condor’s future. AND…… it turns out that the Colca Canyon is NOT the world’s deepest canyon. Imagine! The new adventure is ……the Cotahuasi Canyon.
Gary Dennington 