1

Hi Eddy:
I think is a bit risky to try your adventure just like that. I have a cousin who is a mountain freak; he has scaled those mountains several times and knows many guides and mountain people. Maybe he can advise you in a better way. His mail is mauricio.a.ulloa@facebook.com
Good luck

2

Hi Eddy,

When are you thinking of going there ? I'am pretty much in the same situation. I'am by myself and it would be great to find a hiking partner to share a guide with. I will be in El Cocuy app. 30/31.1.13 and thinking of starting the hike 01.2. I intend to do the 6-day trek and possibly include the ascension of Ritacuba Blanco or the Pan de Azucar. If this suits your plans and time frame, let me know.

Thomas

3

Thanks Andres2013! I just emailed your cousin.

4

Rheingauer-
I will be there in early January, hoping to start between 3-6 January.

5

Can anybody tell me how much a guide will cost?

Alguien me podría decir cuánto cuesta un guía?

6

I just mailed with colombian mountain guides.
He told me around 160000 pesos a day for a guide which means around 550 USD for the 6 days.

7

Yes that price seems about right. However, now that I have done this trek, I can say that you really don't need a guide. The trails are quite well marked, every by western standards, and, depending on the time of year that you visit, there will be plenty of other hikers around, which means easy exchange of information. It will be fairly easy to find partners and a guide in the town of Guicán. I would recommend budgeting about 8 days to complete this spectacular 6 day trek. The extra two days can serve as 'buffer' days, to be spent in the town of Guican, in case a guide or group isn't available to go on your exact day of departure. Surely there will be someone going the following day or so. Plus, it will be cheaper to hire a guide in town. Hiring a guide from online usually (not always) means you are paying more than you need to, and that money will likely (not always) go to some big building in some big city, not to the locals of the PNN El Cocuy area.

Enjoy the trek - IMHO, it IS the best trek in the world.

8

Hey, eddy, I take it you were there quite recently? How was the weather? I was up in Los Nevados recently and it was rainy, super cloudy and very beautiful but just a tiny bit miserable in terms of being wet and cold. What was your experience?

I have some time to kill while I'm waiting for my Brazilian visa and a trek in El Cocuy would fill it perfectly!

9

Anyone want to team up and do this trek together in the near future? Next week or two?

10

Hello - I´m in Guican now.. have hooked up a guide to leave tomorrow hopefully. I might have another person coming but nothing is confirmed yet. If anyone else is in the area and would like to join I´m staying at Brisas de Nevado. If the other person falls through I´ll be looking for other people to hike with starting sometime soon. I´m planning on doing it with Colombia trek because I don´t have a tent, stove etc..
Cheers
Kate

11

Hi Kate. I'm in Bogota and planning to ride me bike to Guican or El Cocuy to start the hike so tomorrow is not going to work for me. Also I'm planning to do it independently because I do have camping gear but not much money.

I'm curious to know what your experience is, though. Please post a report.

Cheers,

Anna