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Hiking the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy: Dazzled on Day 3
On our third day of hiking the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy we were met with dazzling mountain scenes from the moment we opened the tent flap.
Considering the fog had rolled in by 4 pm the afternoon before, we really had no idea of the beauty that lay waiting for us once we peeled back that flap.
The sky was that deep inky blue that you only see at high altitude. The lakes were breathtaking in their beauty. And around this camp there was plenty of bird life and vegetation I’d not seen anywhere else on the planet.
Some trekkers come to this camp and spend a few nights hiking in the area. That in itself would be very worthwhile. Our plan though was to continue over Balcones Pass at 4350 meters (13,920 feet) to a camp beside Laguno del Pañuelo at an altitude of 4300 meters (13,674 feet).
The view outside our tent on the morning of Day 3
Ice on the ground in the morning
I have no idea what kind of plant this is
Although we were up just after 6 am we really didn’t get going till close to 9 am. We were waiting for the sun to dry the tents and since this was such a stunning landscape I was in no rush to get going either.
The hike took us around the lake – with infinity pool like views into the Colombian jungle. Then we had thirty minutes of Moab slickrock like hiking – which was easy and fun. As it turns out that was to be some of the easiest hiking all day.
Lots of frailejones at Camp 3
Unusual vegetation – at least for someone from North America
Female Plumbeous Sierra Finch
Beautiful waterfall at almost 14000 feet elevation
We’re heading towards a very different looking set of mountains
A pretty set of waterfalls
The cloud layer below lies over the jungles of Colombia
Our goal for the day is a camp at the bottom of the pass at the back of the photo
Rodrigo hiking along slabs of solid rock
Big mountains and glaciers in your face all day long
For about an hour we hiked along benches and eskers. The hiking required your concentration as this was not a place you wanted to turn an ankle or worse – break a leg. The hiking through huge boulders after lunch required even more careful foot placement as some of the big boulders moved with any weight on them.
I breathed a huge sigh of relief once we were through them.
Beautiful set of ponds en route to the pass
Quite the growing environment
Beautiful clear stream – a huge contrast to the orange ponds we saw
The end of the nasty walking through the boulder field
Love the burst of colour from these plants
New valley view after crossing over the hump – path at far right in photo
The top of our only pass for the day
Looking down from the pass to a flowing river in bright orange
Although the lakes appear a ways off in the distance, it took us only 20 minutes of hiking to get there.
Our camp is down by the far lake
We can see our tent from a distance
All told we hiked about six hours. Breathing felt easier on the climb than it did the day before. Thank heavens!
Another reward for our efforts and sleeping at altitude were the phenomenal night skies. They were just packed with stars so those 4 am trips out of the tent were actually quite pleasant. I think most of us forget what a sight a starry night is to behold.
Would you be dazzled by the hiking in Colombia’s Sierra Nevada del Cocuy on Day 3?
Other posts from our Colombia travels you might find interesting.
- Hiking in the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy Range, Colombia
- Hiking in the Sierra Nevada Range in Colombia: Day 1
- Day 2 of Hiking in Colombia: High Passes and Heavy Breathing
- Discovering Bogota, Colombia via a Bike Tour
- The Bus Ride from Hell: Bogota to Guican in 14 Hours
Leigh McAdam
HikeBikeTravel
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About Hike Bike TravelAvid world traveler. Craves adventure - & the odd wildly epic day. Gardener. Reader. Wine lover. Next big project - a book on 100 Canadian outdoor adventures.
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23 Responses to Hiking the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy: Dazzled on Day 3
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About
I’ve been all over the world – to all continents but Antarctica and to a grand total of 53 countries. I’ve always got some sort of an adventure planned – even if it’s only a weekend. I thrive on change and travel provides that.
Feel free to email me at
leighmcadamtravels at gmail dot com
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Fantastic. How about the temperature? Was it very cold?
Mette – Italian Notes recently posted..Italian fascist architecture
@Mette During the day it was warm enough to have a quick wash-up in the stream (with biodegradable soap) and we were in T-shirts during the day. The minute the sun went down though we bundled up in many layers.
that is some awesome scenery!! Having lived at sea level my entire life I noticed a diference in Banff when I was there last fall – I’m sure there would be a lot of huffing an puffing going on for a while!
BEP recently posted..Wild Weekly Photo Challenge #17 – Flowers!
@BEP I was always huffing & puffing going up for the whole six days but the hiking definitely got easier every day. Now if only I could keep that fitness level up in Calgary.
Beautiful photos. I haven’t studied geology since university (i.e. a looong time ago), but in your photos, you capture the forces that shaped the landscape. Did you have to worry about rock or landslides?
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@Suzanne Thoughts of landslides as we were getting to the trailhead by bus went through my mind as we passed by many of them from the past. I did think of rockfall on occasion – including where we had our tent that tent – but fortunately nothing ever happened.
Such an amazing landscape and great vistas. It surely is worth the hike.
Michael recently posted..Climbing Mont Valerien
These posts have been so amazing. What an incredible place.
Thanks for sharing it with us!
Wow.
cindy@thetravelgal recently posted..Worth a Return Trip: Phoenix, Arizona
@Cindy Thanks for your nice comment.
So pretty-the photo with the orange ground is amazing. Never seen anything like this!
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That is some spectacular scenery that surrounded you. WOW! The river in bright orange is just amazing. I’d love to be able to wake up to that view every morning. Absolutely beautiful pictures, Leigh! Thanks for letting us virtually hike with you.
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I am almost numb at the beauty you’ve shared in your photos; I can’t even imagine waking up to that view just outside the tent flap! Thanks for taking us along with you -
Jackie Smith recently posted..Travel Classics: Hotel de Haro ~ San Juan Island
@Jackie My pleasure and glad you visited. I was as shocked as you are at the beauty when I opened up my tent flap!
What beautiful country and what a dramatic landscape. Some of it is so stark and lunar. Stars are more magnificent at altitude with thinner air. In Santa Fe, when the sun is out and wind is quiet, it can be very comfortable in colder seasons. The temperature will drop 30 degrees or more the minute the sun goes down.
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@Billie The stars were such a treat but I think when we’re so used to light pollution we just don’t give them a thought. They really do make you feel small and insignificant.
Absolutely beautiful! Thank you so much for posting about your hike and all the amazing picture you took as well! What trail head did you guys start at?
@Eric We literally left from the outskirts of the town of Guican. However we did get a ride after four hours that took us up high into the National Park. Many people would start from there – perhaps via a 4 wheel taxi from town.
Oh my God! The scenery is just unreal. So beautiful!!!!! This place is on my bucket list !
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@Agness I couldn’t agree more. The scenery was out of this world.
Sounds like quite an adventure! Really beautiful images in your series here. All the best from Chile…
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@Andrew It was a wonderful adventure through grand country. Thanks for stopping by.
When I read other blogs I don’t pin much, but your blog is the exception. Fantastic photos as always. The landscape here is so unique.
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@Ted It’s taken me awhile to get used to being back at home. When you have a dose of scenery like that you get greedy and want more and more. I’m missing that country. And thanks for the lovely compliment re photos. I keep working away.