Description:
These ridges explode in vibrant colors with a massive variety of wildflowers. You’ll find magnificent waterfalls and the velvety leafed frailejon. No mountaineering equipment is needed for the ascent to the top of Pan de Azucar.
Activites:
Trekking, Eco-Tours
Itinerary:
Day 1:
Once the Jeep is packed we will depart for the Paramo. The scenic drive takes us through the spectacular Venezuelan Andes with a chance to see typical Andean villages. From there we shall visit the Laguna Mucabaji (3800 m) where we shall hike (4 km) to the Laguna Negra. The laguna is a beautiful sight on a clear and calm day and a great place to butterfly and bird watch. The black water presents such a perfect mirror that it essentially disappears and is replaced by the reflection of the trees on the mountainside above the Laguna.
After the walk back to our jeep, we’ll drive to the Condor Station close to the highest point (4,125-m) that you may reach by car in Venezuela. This is where the biggest bird of the world, vultur gryphus is being re-introduced. From there, we descend to the Andean village San Rafael de Mucuchies and then ascend by jeep to a high spot for magnificent views of this paramo region. Saying goodbye to our driver we hike a few kilometers to our camp at the base of Piedras Blancas Peak (4,762-m). Scree-covered mountain slopes will surround us for the night as we study the Southern Hemisphere’s constellations. The sandy scree is a marvelous mixture of whites, pinks, and pale yellows which, contrast greatly with the greys and whites of the jagged, upper mountain peaks and are marvelous to see at sunset. (3 hours by jeep, 2.5 by hiking)
Day 2:
The ascent continues, as we pass through a spectacular corrie, we will see some of the rare 150-year-old giant frailejon plants up to 2 meters tall. Camp will be set at the base of Pan de Azucar (Sugar loaf) mountain. (5-6 hours hiking) (B,L,D)
Day 3:
After a hearty breakfast we’ll begin our optional trek towards the summit. From the top, at 4700 m, there are magnificent views of Lake Maracaibo, across the Merida valley to the peaks of the Sierra Nevada, and far away to the Sierra del Cocuy in Colombia.
We then continue our trek, crossing an area densely colonized by short red-trunked coloradito trees with rose-like blossoms—the highest-growing species of tree in the world. They once formed a solid belt that marked the upper limits of the Andean jungle zone. Now only ten pockets of coloraditos remain--once put to the axe, this ecosystem never regenerates. We arrive to a confluence of a large number of valleys whose streams combine in the Mucunuque River which is one the sources of the Orinoco.
Finally, we descend through one of the most beautiful valleys in the Venezuelan Andes, passing through villages and cultivated fields to meet our driver, who will bring us to Merida. Along the way we will visit some local arts and crafts tallers and possibly the local truchicultura (trout farm). This is one of the most scenic drives in Mérida.
Note: This trek has the optional possibility of beginning in Merida entrance to the Culata Park via, El Valle, on to Pico Pan de Azuca and ultimately arriving to an amazing mountain pool with a view to Pico Humboldt in the distance. Two hot springs feed the pool, one tepid and one piping hot, providing an excellent opportunity to soak away the rigors of the trek. As the steam rises up around you, you can congratulate yourself on a rugged trek well done.