National Park El Cocuy

From the Amazon in the south, we went to the mountain range of the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, a somewhat deserted and not well connected place. When I say not well connected, I mean: taking a plane from Leticia to Bogota, and then, taking a gruewesome nightbus to Güicàn. Travel time of the bus: up to 12 hours on endless little mountain roads and with countless stops letting local people on or off.

Not well rested, but full of enthousiasm, there we were : Güicàn in the morning and ready for a day hike during which we should see for the first time the unique páramo ecosystem (it’s more or less an alpine mountain landscape filled with the typical ‘frailejon’ plants).

Day 1 : Valle del Rio Mosco

Acclimatising hike starting in Güicàn (2885m), through the Rio Mosco valley, stopping for a coffee at Parada de Romero, and to the Cabañas Kanwara (3950 m)… All just outside the borders of the National Park

Day 2 : sendero Ritacuba Blanco.

Happy new year! Yes. On the first of january 2020 we set off to the Ritacuba (Ita’ uwa) Blanco (5330m). Our aim was not the top, but the start of the ever receiding glacier (4900m). Due to park restrictions to protect the land of the indigenous people, tourists can only enter the park with a guide, go no further than the snowline and have to sleep outside the park. Hence the many many differences in altitude on our hikes.

Can you see it? The beginning of the glacier? Every year it’s creeping a little more higher up. So unfortunately, This is about how far I made it. At 4720m above sea level, I turned back because of a combination of thin air and an obnoxious cold. It is still my new all-time altitude record though.

Day 3 : Sendero Laguna Grande and Valle de los Frailejones

Again a high altitude hike, starting at Hacienda La Esperanza (3500m), crossing the Valle de los Frailejones (3790m), and then a seemingly eternal climb to Laguna Grande (4600m). As I’m already throwing numbers at you, here are some more: total distance of the trail : 18km. Total amount of steps: 32.000, maximum amount of people allowed on the trail : 175 (no overcrowded tourist trails = fresh drinking water straight from the streams that come from the glacier!). As in the whole of the El Cocuy National Park, there is a limit for the number of people allowed on a trail. Although it means there is little or no room for improvisation, it also means you have the impression that you are the only tourist in the whole of the Sierra Nevada. Beautiful.