Snow peaks of the National Park of Cocuy, Guicán and Chita
Hiking and Trekking
Gallery
In the north of Boyacá department, the impressive Sierra Nevada (snow peaks) is the set of highest peaks of the eastern mountain range in Colombia. They are approximately 25 kilometers of peaks over 5,000 meters above sea level. This is a protected area within the natural national park “El Cocuy, Guican y Chita”, in Gutierrez province. This is an ideal place for hiking, excursions and nature contemplation. Distance from Bogotá: 390Km (10-12 hours by public bus).
At present the largest glaciers are the massif of Pan de Azúcar and Ritacuba Blanco. Throughout the mountain range there are at least 50 lagoons, among which the Laguna de la Plaza stands out. In order to to ascend to the glaciers it is very important to comply with an acclimatization process that allows the body to gradually adapt to the altitude.
At the moment there are 3 authorized trails within the park: Pan de Acuzar, Laguna Grande and Ritacuba Blanco. Walking on glaciers and touching the snow is prohibited. It is not possible to camp within the national park area.
Day 1: Arrival to Cocuy (each traveller should arrive by their own means). Night in the Cocuy village in a hotel.
Day 2: Day of acclimatization. Ascent by car from Cocuy village Kanwara area. This is a northern part of the National Park and allows to carry out easy acclimatization hikes with surprising scenery. You will be hiking at 4.000 m.a.s.l. which is perfect to get ready for more challenging trails during the following two days. In the late afternoon you will be transferred to the cabins Mirador de la Sierra for rest (multiple accommodation, shared bathrooms).
Day 3: Transfer by car (1 hour approximately) to the Lagunillas Valley located in the south area of the National Park. From this point we will start the ascent to the glacier of Pan de Azúcar (3.700 – 4.900 m.a.s.l.) and the huge rock of Pulpito del Diablo. It is not permitted to walk or touch the snow; the visitors can only get maximum 25 meters before the glacier.
Descent back to the car on the same trail. This hike is 20 km long and takes around 8-10 hours round trip . Return by car to the cabins Mirador de la Sierra for well-deserved rest.
Day 4: Transfer by car for about 20 min to the Hacienda La Esperanza. This is where we will initiate the ascent to the Lake Laguna Grande de la Sierra (3.800 – 4.500 m.a.s.l.). We will return on the same trail. This hike is 18 km long round trip and takes 7 h approximately. In the late afternoon return to Cocuy village by car. Night in the hotel.
Day 5: End of the tour. Each traveller can return to the place of origin by their own means.
Private transportation, the trip lasts approximately 8-10 hours from Bogota. Please take the road via San Mateo.
Public transportation. The schedules might vary depending on the season. Normally there are departures in morning and even hours. The bus companies that make do this route are: Libertadores, Fundadores, Concorde. Duration of the trip between 10 and 13 hours.
Charter flights to the small village Espino located 20 min from Cocuy. Please contact us for this option, since there are no flights on any day and might apply different restrictions.
- All the trails in the National Park have limited number of visitors permitted per day. For this reason we recommend to book the tour in advance and make sure that the trails have availability
- The driest season in high mountains in Colombia is from December to February; still, the park is open all year round. Normally day temperatures fluctuate between 10 and 20 C and in the night it might go down to 3-5 C.
- All waste produced must be taken out of the park
- Ensure that you are in good physical shape to undertake the hikes (no heart problems, no breathing issues, and no knee injuries)
- The mountain cabins are basic, for small groups it is possible to offer double accommodation, for larger groups it should be multiple. The cabins has shared bathroom with only cold water.
- The cabins provide blankets