Andes and their communities

1. DIFFICULTY

LEVEL 3. CHALLENGING

For the physically active, with a spirit of adventure and who have some experience in traveling through mountainous terrain with a light backpack. Hikes from 6 to 7 hours a day, with distances between 10 and 14 kilometers (≈ 6-9 miles). The terrain is hilly, with steep slopes, irregular roads with mud and some sections without shade (direct sunlight). The elevation change is of minimum 1,000 meters and maximum 1,600 meters (≈2,000 – 5,200 feet), with a maximum altitude of 4,000 meters (≈13,000 feet).

DAY PRIOR TO THE TREK: We ask all clients to please come to the Paramo Trek office in Salento (before 4pm) where we take you through a pre-departure briefing. We double-check you are adequately equipped (hiking shoes, clothes for the cold, waterproofs etc.) as well as complete any outstanding payments. We do have some equipment available for rent, however, this is on a first come first served basis.

DAY 1: We all meet at the Paramo Trek office at 7am where you are introduced to your guide/s before heading to our breakfast stop. Once full from our hearty breakfast, we all jump into a traditional Colombian ‘Willis’ jeep to our start of the trek at the Cocora Valley. We start walking at an altitude of 2,390 meters towards the forest, where you can see the valley of wax palms. A day dominated by ascent, we continue ascending through the forest until we reach our final destination of Day 1, the farm “La Argentina”, at an altitude of 3,400 meters.

Day 2: Following a typical and delicious breakfast prepared by our hosts at Finca La Argentina, we leave for our day exploring the Paramo ecosystem. We started the ascent from the “La Argentina” farm to the Buenos Aires sector at 3,750 meters, getting closer and closer to the Los Nevados National Natural Park. From Buenos Aires you start a path between ascents and descents as you have to cross the Cardenas River basin. A stop is made to rest after the strong ascent of the second day at 4,045 meters where there can be seen the Paramillo del Quindío with a height of 4,750 meters. From this point there is already a descent to the farm “La Primavera” our final point of the day where we will rest and share with the family of this farm.

Optional: Depending on the strength of the group, amongst other factors, it is possible to visit the base (4,200 meters) of the Paramillo Del Quindío, an extinct volcanic crater. This would incur an additional 7km of further distance for this day.

Day 3: Upon leaving the farm ‘La Primavera’ we reach our highest point of the day at 3,800 meters within an hour, ‘La Virgen’ and Lagoon of ‘La Virgen’. From here we say goodbye to the mystical paramo and begin our descent back to the Cocora Valley. We make a lunch stop at the finca ‘Estrella de Agua’ at 3,150 meteres. From here we complete the final 9km descending through the Andean forests, while searching for rare birds and beautiful orchids. Our day normally finishes around 5:00pm, with our transport waiting to take us back to Salento, where we enjoy our celebratory team dinner in one of the town’s top restaurants (included in the package price).

_{A: Cocora Valley    B:Finca Argentina      C: Finca Primavera}

• Undertake some basic acclimatization- ensure to go for a walk in Salento upon arrival and stay hydrated.
• For your safety always comply with the recommendations of your guide throughout the tour
• Use of psychoactive substances is prohibited
• Do not drink alcohol the day before the activity
• Do not remove any vegetation of organic matter from the National Park
• Please be open and honest from the moment you contact us regarding medical information or other factors that impact upon your safety when isolated in the mountains.

• Adequate shoes (trekking/hiking boots – no sandals or sneakers)
• Rain gear (rain jacket and rain pants)
• Head torch
• Clothes to change into at the end of each day and personal toiletries
• Backpack for your personal belongings and the snack packs more than 30liters
• Sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat
• Water bottle, we take care of the refill during the trek

Paramo Trek works according to the Colombian Law 300 that reserves the right to consider compelling reasons and circumstances for non-participation in the reserved and/or contracted activity and the respective reimbursement.

Once the booked activity/service has started, there is no reimbursement of the paid amount.

For cancellation of the booking prior to the agreed start date and time, without cause, will incur a 50% charge of the total value of the booked activity.

In case of a failure to use the service for extreme causes (death, hospitalization, accident duly certified), we will reimburse 80% of the paid amount.

Paramo Trek, due to the very nature of the tours we offer, have to be flexible and constantly evaluating all aspects of safety for our clients. Some of the places we visit are difficult to access with a lack of urban amenities, as well as subject to unpredictable and variable environmental conditions. We therefore consider these experiences to be for the adventurous, with our clients prepared to adapt and to be positive in the face of unexpected change.