Colombia Hiking
Cocora Valley
Los Nevados National Park
Los Nevados National Park
Cocora Valley
The wax palms of the Cocora Valley are supposedly the tallest of their kind. There is a popular day hike loop in the area (~10 miles, 1500ft)
Los Nevados Traverse
Frailejones (fray-le-ho-nez) in the paramo
Crested Outdoors arranged a one way traverse of Los Nevados Park, starting in the Cocora Valley and ending on a farm near Laguna del Otun. The highlight of the trek was reaching the paramo, a high altitude tropical swamp land with unique vegetation. Los Nevados has the largest section of paramo in the country.
The trip was done during the end of "dry season" in February, the mornings were beautiful and we woke up before sunrise every day to enjoy them. January offers the best chance for good weather and is the peak hiking season.
It didn't take before the climbing started en route the farmhouse (7 miles, 3000ft gain)
La Argentina Farm
We stayed with local Andean farmers in the park, who would provide dinner and breakfast. La Argentina was the better of the accommodations, many generations of the same family have lived here.
Staying warm in the kitchen
Hallway in the farmhouse
The chickens sitting on the fence admiring the view
The next morning we continued to climb through the paramo, gaining around 4,500 ft elevation today
Paramillo del Quindio
We summited Paramillo del Quindio (15,600 ft), which became covered in clouds by the afternoon. The fog was thick returning from the summit and we could not find the trail. Our guide, Camillo, acted like it was common to be lost here.
Near the summit
The farm on the second night was smaller, and had just enough room for the four of us
It was another beautiful morning and a cold night, I used all eight sheep blankets provided at the farm to stay warm
Laguna del Otun
We finished our three day hike in the area around Laguna del Otun. From there it was a long jeep ride to Santa Rosa del Cabal, and a return bus ride to Salento.
Laguna del Mosquito
Salento
Willys in Salento
Coffee production at Finca las Brisas where they grow Cafe Don Elias
Playing Tejo at Betatown in Salento, like cornhole but with gunpowder. Three points for an explosion