I arrived early morning (5am) to El Cocuy town from San Gil/Tunja. I was the only tourist on my bus (no wonder: it was falling apart). Lucky for me, another 2 girls came by more 'touristy' bus at the same time and were caught by a local driver, Oscar-Rockero. He offered to drive them to the Park today. My original plan was to stay in town for a day, maybe find some hikers (with a tent) and join them for a small curcuit trip, but I decided to join: this would save me a day and I would not need travel for 2 nights running.
So morning was spent registering in the Park office, buying supplies (breakfast and dinners can be bought in cabanas, but I needed sandwiches for lunch) - we could not find veggies, locals kept sending us to a misterious corner shop, which was closed. Finally on our way to themountains Oscar stopped at the other shop.
El Cocuy
Cemetery in El Cocuy (course I found it)
We arrived to cabanas that belonged to the community, from there there was 30-40 min walk to a start of our first trail (and another cabanas). I stayed down here as it was cheaper, girls went to the cabanas in the park. We did short walk to the lagoons together and agreed to meet on the trail to the mountains the next day. Also that day I met French guy from San Gil and German-Argentinian woman from Salento. Yep. Remote far away place, sure.
Evening I spent chatting with Rockero who was waiting for a group of tourist (but they never showed up) and Colombian motocyclist who forgot his sleeping bag in some other place in the mountains, so I am not entirely sure how he slept in the tent... He was going to the coast with his bike next, invited me to come with him. But how could I ever leave mountains?
Next morning after breakfast (which was very strange: white broth with a piece of bread in it and half of the egg foating on the top) I started walking early to catch up with the girls, but the only people I met was my French friend with his companions: Colombian girl (who was surprisingly strong for COlombian girl!) and a Belgium who is going to Peru eventually (ah, Peru!), so I walked with them. It was extremely windy at the top. Windy and cold. And no Sun today. We walked to the glacier of Pan de Azucar (name of the mountain) and run back quickly. Guys continued to finish their loop, I went back to pick up my backpack and make my way to my next cabana.
Pan de Azucar
After sandwich lunch back in my cabana I started walking towards La Esperanza. Well, I was lucky enough: the rain started. Trail was well marked though, so I followed it all the wau to the top. At the top is where the problems started. There was no definite trail to go down. And it was foggy, so I did not see anything. I was told by a group of hikers I met at the start of the trail, that it is all the way down crossing some fences (some of them were under electricity!), so I started my descent in the fog and the rain, avoiding dead and alive cows, climbing through the fence, trying not to fall in... well.. what cows do. All how I like it. In about and hour I finally saw a house down in the valley! Reached it in another 20 minutes. Happiness! I spent 10 hours on the road in total, 9 hours walking.
Something in the fog
Little sheeps
There was even more happiness when I was told they have hot water. This is not cabanas, but Hacienda, big family farm with all its charm and nice owners. My French-Colombian-Belgian partners arrived 30 mins later from the other direction, cold, angry, tired and sick. So they took a ride with a farmer down to El Cocuy. My plan was to go to the Lagoon that they crossed today.
It was another 8 hours walk through Paramo and valley of fralejones, all the way up to 4400m to the lagoon surrounded by few snow peaks. I met a couple of local rangers on their free day walking same direction, so we walked half way together. Then they went to the lagoon, I went to a glacier of another mountain. Got lost, could not descend to the snow, although it was THAT close! Spent an hour climbing rocks, but decided to come back. Oh, well, I have seen it, no need to touch it.
Hacienda interior
Unlike previous windy cloudy day, this was perfectly still and sunny. It was so quiet on the top, so peaceful with snow peak, lagoon (not that blue and magical like in the Andes, but still beautiful).
Laguna, glacier and frailejoles
However, when I started to go down it all became cloudy. And rainy. So I ran. Meeting Polish hikers on the way. They knew all about me: I became very popular Russian girl down in El Cocuy (well, they were just lucky meeting the same people I did when I came). I came down to a small village that day, hoping to get a transport/walk to Guican, another village down in the valley, where Thursday was a market day.
'Small village' is really 4 houses: church, health center, 'Social center' with little shop and another shop/hotel. At night the lights were on only in 'hotel', so I assume the only people who live in the village are the owners of the place. However, evening was quite busy with locals hanging around both of the shops. I made friends with a farmer, who stuffed me with tinto (coffee tipo americano) and were telling a story of his life.
Village of La Capilla
Next morning I went down to Guican as planned and walked around its 3 blocks million of times, visited their small market, was called 'bonita' couple of times (seriously? In my dirty, wet, hiking clothing? - I guess it is just their way to greet foreigners), met an owner of the hotel in El Cocuy and headed back there with an afternoon bus.
Guican village (town?)
Back in El Cocuy I bumped into a guide that I met hiking to Laguna Grande de la Sierra. I had 4 hours to wait for my bus, so I agreed to share a couple of beers with him. Radio (nickname of the guide, because he speaks a lot. I mean A LOT!) Is from Merida in Venezuela, he is crazy about mountains, and rock climbing, and mountaineering. He made it his life. There was also another local guide who as going to lead a group of gringos and Colombian girl to climb few mountains in El Cocuy (I started to think how I can change my tickets in 2 days and come with them). 4 of us (both guides and the Colombian girl, whose name I do not remember) went to Jose'ls (2nd guide) house, which he shares with other guides working in his agency. The house is a 2-storey building with individual rooms set at the front with back yard, where shower room is. Not sure of they have kitchen there. None of the guys have proper bed: just infamable matresses. Must be very cold there at night. Jose's room is nicely decorated with rugs on the walls and floor, candles, pictures of the mountains. If I did not know, I would have thought it was girl's room.
It was finally 8 o'clock and I left with my 'luxurious' bus. With all my great planning: I was in the middle of the coach, windows seat, perfectly far from driver's music. Well, I was kicked out of my seat by a lady with 3 kids and I ended up on the last available seat in the front row. The worst possible seat with load music and light in the eyes. Needless to say I was happy again I was leaving Colombia, as I started to regret I was going so quickly.
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