El Cocuy

“El Cocuy” National Natural Park, is located northeast of the Andean Eastern Cordillera, between the departments of Arauca, Boyacá and Casanare, with an area of 306,000 hectares. On the western side, this Protected Area begins at 4,000 meters, and extents up to 5,330 meters at the highest peak of the mountain range, but on the eastern side it ends at 600 meters in the foothills of Arauca and Casanare departments. On the western side of the protected area, Sierra Nevada overlaps with quaint towns like Güicán de la Sierra, El Cocuy, Chita and Chiscas.

In order to properly develop Ecotourism, a management area known as General Exterior Recreation Zone was established, it has 4,915.84 hectares, and represents 1.5% of the total area of El Cocuy National Natural Park. Is located above 4,400 meters in the western slope of Sierra Nevada, from Portón de Lagunillas in the town of Güicán and El Cocuy up to the limits of the town of Güicán and Chiscas near lagoon Pantano Hondo. It also includes the areas surrounding Sierra Nievecitas and lagoon of Las Orozcas in the town of Chiscas.

TEMPERATURE

27 °C

ECOSYSTEM

Amazon Foothills and Amazon Plains

ELEVATION

254 m.s.n.m.

InHhabitants

Cofán Villages

Humidity

76%

DAY 1 -DEPARTURE FROM BOGOTA

Departure at 8 am El Dorado airport
Tour in towns of Boyacá and Cundinamarca
Arrival at Cocuy and ascent to the refuge
Dinner
Rest

DAY 2 - LAGUNA GRANDE LA SIERRA TRAIL

Devil´ s Pulpit, one of the most iconic places of Nevado el Cocuy
<brThis trail in the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy begins at 4,000 meters and ends at 4,800 meters, on the snow edge of the Nevado Pan de Azúcar and next to the Devil's Pulpit, an imposing rock formation of at least 70 meters high, which is one of the most representative places in the park. The round trip hike is approximately 20 kilometers and usually takes 8 hours. On the way you will pass through valleys of frailejones and you will be able to appreciate ravines, lagoons, beds, flagstones, snow-capped peaks and the vegetation typical of the paramo and super paramo. The last stop before reaching the snow and the Devil's Pulpit is the sector known as the Little Hotel, there you can rest for a while, eat something light and recharge your energy, because from that point the strongest and most inclined part of the path begins.

DAY 3 rest

7:00 a.m. breakfast
8:00 am acclimatization walk and short walk at sunset
7:00 p.m. Dinner
8:00 p.m. Break

DAY 4 DEVIL´S

Lagunillas – Devil´ s Pulpit- is a journey of approximately 20 kilometers starting from the checkpoint located 4,000 meters high. You start with a 5.5 K hike towards the entrance of Lagunillas using a medium difficulty level natural trail. Here you can appreciate Frailejon vegetation, enjoy majestic waters that flow out of Lagunillas river and contemplate unique mountain peaks. Now you move on to a 4.5 K trail that starts at 4,000 high and goes 50 meters right before the glacier edge, approximately 4,800 meters high. Unbeatable view to contemplate campanilla lagoons, Pan de Azucar peak, devil’s pulpit , its lagoons, rivers, beds, flagstones and super páramo vegetation. The Devil’s Pulpit is a giant vertical rock devoid of snow that is anchored to the mountain range facing the western slope of the mountain range in the southern sector, with an elevation of 5070 meters at its base. Its name comes from an ancient legend that narrates the adventures of the devil, who sat on that rock at night and began to do evil things, causing meltdowns and avalanches in this sector (Castañeda & Suárez, 1989). This giant rock has about 70 meters high and 150 meters wide. Source: Cárdenas Y, PNN el Cocuy (2018)