A CHALLENGING MOUNTAIN ASCENT
This itinerary is just an example to serve as inspiration: every trip can be adapted to suit your group, your interests and how far off the beaten track you want to go.
Day 1 - 2
Arrival in Bogotá
Arrive in Bogotá and settle into the dynamic capital. Explore the historic old town with a local guide. Take a morning flight to Armenia and continue to the picturesque town of Salento to meet your guide and prepare for the trek.
Day 3 - 7
To Salento and the hike
Drive from Salento to the Cocora Valley where we load rucksacks onto mules and set off on foot through lush montane forest to reach a high-altitude farmhouse. The following days are walking through moorland to reach basecamp on the flanks of Nevado de Tolima, culminating in a dawn summit push, crossing the ice cap for a magnificent view across Colombia. Descend through the forest, awash with birdlife and settle into a nearby coffee ranch house.
Day 8-10
R&R on a coffee estate
Relax at the coffee ranch, tour the estate, visit Salento, or enjoy horse riding. A morning at the ranch before flying to Cartagena on the Caribbean coast.
Day 10- 12
The jewel of the Caribbean
Settle into a gorgeous boutique guesthouse in the walled city of Cartagena, enjoying the museums and beautifully-restored colonial-era houses. Fly back to Bogota and onto your final destination.
Let’s Talk
This is for those who like to push themselves, even on holiday! At the centre of the trip is the hike up Nevado de Tolima, one of Colombia’s highest and most spectacular peaks (5220m). The hike is guided by a local guide, who knows the area inside out, will set the pace according to the fitness and ambition of the group and who speaks fluent English. The accommodation is a mix of simple farmhouses and tents and the food hearty fare prepared by the guide.
After the trip, you enjoy some well earned R&R in a lovely coffee ranch house, offering beautiful views, delicious food and a never ending flow of the best coffee in the world!
The final stage of the trip is a visit to Cartagena, the magnificent historic capital of Colombia, steeped in history and heaving with museums, churches and great restaurants.