Peruvian park Donce Extremo welcomes rappellers

Northern Peru adventure park Donce Extremo says going downhill can be uplifting for foreign tourists.

The park – which caters to the adrenaline crowd – includes among its offerings a chance to go rappelling down a steep and lofty rockface.

Donce Extremo – found near the city of Chachapoyas – recently hosted an international group of travel agents and tour operator representatives who were in the region ahead of late September’s Peru Outdoor Expo, which touts adventure travel in the Andean nation.

Peruvian tourism authorities are increasingly promoting often mountainous northern Peru, a region traditionally overshadowed by some other parts of the country, when it comes to attracting foreign visitors. 

Donce Extremo – in business for three years – enables harnessed tourists to rappel  down the rockface, assisted by staff.

Participants are provided with helmets and other gear.

Among pre-Peru Outdoor Expo show group rappellers was Gary Tombs of British tour operatorJourney Latin America who quickly scampered down and labeled the experience fun, while Rajneesh Suvarna of Indian tour company Wayfarer also handled the descent relatively easily, unsurprising given he has mountaineering experience. 

But fellow participant Harold “Skip” Kaltenheuser noted that some newer rappellers are often uneasy about leaning back as they begin the downward journey.

“It takes a leap of faith,” he observed.

Kalenheuser jokingly called, “almost there” to one rappeller who had only taken a few tentative steps.

And all group members safely arrived on terra firma, pleased with their accomplishment and clearly underscoring that any fears they may have had about their descent were ultimately groundless.