Colombia's premier trekking destination is
quite certainly El Cocuy National Park (Parque
Nacional Natural El Cocuy). An unsafe region in the past,
it's safe to visit now (though Eastern parts of the park are slightly
more sketchy - you won't go near here though) and international
tourists and trekkers are starting to discover the stunning scenery and
trekking routes. South America's current trekking mecca is Torres del
Paine in Chile and other regions of Southern Patagonia - give it ten
years or so, and everyone may well be talking about Colombia's El Cocuy
as the most scenic place for trekking in South America. Non
trekkers will enjoy visiting just to admire the scenery.
The Sierra Nevada del Cocuy
contains 21 glorious peaks, most of which are higher than 5000 metres.
The dramatic landscape consists of snow clad peaks, towering
waterfalls, glaciers (rapidly melting unfortunately) and beautiful,
crystal clear lakes. The indigenous U'wa people still live heare,
somehow etching out a living. There's an abundance of flora and fauna
that includes deer, spectacled bears, puma, ocelot, tapirs, eagles and
condors.
The best time for trekking in El Cocuy
National Park is from December to February/March - the weather is
normally good during these 3 months, whilst the rest of the year it's
often rainy and/or snowy. As with everywhere in Colombia, during the
domestic tourism high season (late Deceamber, first 2 weeks of January
and Easter Week) it can get very busy around El Cocuy.
El Cocuy National Park is the ideal
destination for extended trekking trips in Colombia. The main starting
points are the scenic villages of Guican and El Cocuy.
The colonial village of El
Cocuy (altitude 2750 metres) is the most commonly used
entry point to the National Park. There's a dozen or so hotels in total
- the best option being the very reasonably priced colonial La Posada
del Molino, alternatively you could try Hotel
Casa Munoz. A couple of buses depart to/from Bogota every day
(11 hours). Alternatively, it's about 15 hours by bus to Bucaramanga (change in
Capitanejo).
Thirty minutes further on from El Cocuy is
the U'wa village of Guican (altitude 2950
metres) - this is the usual starting point for hikes into the National
Park, though not as scenic as colonial El Cocuy. There's a couple of
direct buses every day from/to Bogota daily
(12 hours). There's a handful of simple hotels in Guican, the better of
which include Brisas del Nevado and Hotel El Eden. There's no ATM in
town, though there is one in El Cocuy.
Trekking in El Cocuy
National Park
The most popular hike is the clockwise
circuit from Guican through the park and ending in El Cocuy, which
takes about a week to complete. If that fears you out, there's shorter
day hikes that can be taken using Guican or El Cocuy as a base (keep
reading for some ideas). Guican is the best base for the week long
circuit hike as it's easier if you start from there - however you might
prefer to begin the hike in El Cocuy, and end a week later in Guican.
Having spent a night in Guican, you'll need
to hike to one of a variety of cabanas on the edge of the Park to
acclimatize for a further night. The best option is Cabanas
Kanwara (tel: (0057) 311 231 6004) which is where the
clockwise circuit begins, otherwise try nearby Posada Sierra
Nevada (deepest into the Park) or Hacienda Pena
Blanca.
If starting the week long circuit in El
Cocuy, head onwards to La Capilla Hospedaje, Cabanas
del Pulpito or Cabanas Herrera
(deepest into the Park, on the Southernmost borders). Head into the
park proper from any of these refugios.
Lazy folk (or those wanting to save their
energy for the tough trek ahead) can charter their own private vehicle
to these cabanas/refugios for about 100,000 pesos (US $50) or so.
Intelligent folk can get up before dawn and hitch a ride (for a nominal
fee) on a milk van that will probably be heading up towards these
refugios - they leave before dawn (check locally).
Whichever cabanas you end up at, chill out
for the night whilst acclimatizing - this will be your last taste of
civilization (however rustic) for the next 6 days or so...
Practical Advice for
those Trekking El Cocuy National Park
Remember that this isn't an easy trek, and
that bad weather can appear at any time. No people live along the
trekking route, and there's nowhere to stay. You'll be sleeping in a
tent (hopefully a warm one) and you'll need to be carry your own food
and cooking equipment.
You'll need to bring some serious camping
equipment - and don't expect to find any on sale anywhere vaguely
nearby. First and foremost, you'll need a tent that can withstand very
cold night time temperatures, plus a serious sleeping bag. You can buy
basic food in El Cocuy or Guican, but for anything non-basic bring it
from Bogota.
Guides aren't necessarily required for the
hike - if you find yourself a decent map, and are an experienced and
adventurous hiker, you should be able to do the El Cocuy circuit trek
alone. Remember that bad weather (snowstorms and very high winds) might
appear at any stage, so you should be a seriously experienced hiker to
attempt going without a guide. It's far more sensible to go with a
guide - the cost is normally about 50,000-80,000 pesos a day, split
amongst a
group of people this really isn't much (finding groups to share guides
with locally isn't so hard). You can also hire a horse and it's handler
for a similar price if you don't want to lug your rucksack around with
you (recommended at this altitude). It's very easy to sort out guides
locally in either El Cocuy or Guican, if you want to book in advance
try Colombia
Trek.
