Sierra Nevada del Cocuy

Parque Nacional Natural El Cocuy (1977). The Largest Glacier Mass In Colombia, With Peaks To 5,330 M And About 20 Snowy Summits, Lakes And Paramo, On The Ancestral Land Of The U'Wa People. Access Rules And Closed Zones Change; Confirm Before Travelling. · El Cocuy, Boyaca

The Sierra Nevada del Cocuy is Colombia's largest glacier range, a high wall of snow peaks, granite and lakes in the eastern Andes of Boyaca and Arauca, with summits up to about 5,330 m. The park mixes open paramo, glacial valleys and turquoise lagoons with a feeling of real remoteness, and it is one of the best treks in the country. It is also hard: the altitude is between roughly 3,500 and 5,000 m, the weather turns fast, and the days begin before dawn. Expect cold nights, thin air and little phone signal. The mountains are sacred to the U'wa indigenous people, who ask visitors to respect the high snow areas, and the park limits visitor numbers and requires licensed guides and permits for the routes. Because of glacier retreat, some glacier-top routes are closed, and quotas and rules change, so plan around what is currently open. It suits fit, prepared walkers who accept a slow build-up, early alarms and a guide's decisions on the day. The access towns are El Cocuy and Guican, reached by a long road from Bogota.

High glacial range in the eastern Andes, entered from El Cocuy town or Guican, with day treks to Laguna de la Plaza and the Ritacuba Blanco massif, El Cocuy, Boyaca, Colombia

Park access is controlled by a daily visitor quota and by designated routes, and you must enter with a licensed guide and the right permit. Treks start very early, often in the dark, and walkers are expected to be off the high ground by early afternoon when weather turns. Park offices in the access towns have limited office hours and may close on certain days. Some routes are closed for glacier retreat, weather or community reasons, so confirm what is open and the quota with the park office before travelling.

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