Andes trek     First day

Our jeep was scheduled for 7 a.m. The boss of travel agency Guamanchi was quite busy preparing equipment for the French group intended to climb to Pico Bolivar (jackets, crampons, tents, gloves, even socks...). We have other jeep and at 7:30 starting our trip.

A nice asphalt road was climbing on the slopes with a view to Merida. After cca one hour solid road ends and started pista. We are passing by big trees with long "beards" of the hanging tillansia plants. We stopped (driver's lunch) on picuresque place in the andean country.

After one hour pista ends and started ralley. The road sharply climbed or dive into the valley and passed small rivers. After next hour, rallye ends and started "muddy hell". Heavy rains last days created consistent mud layer. It is hard to believe that it is possible to get trough. Some parts were "mud sliding" and on some we had to get out of car.

After five hour of exiting ride we arrived to beautiful andean village Los Nevados.

Our travel agency has even a very nice posada there. We dedicated some time to look around.

Just after noon our small group of three started with trek. The path was quite wide and it seems that is heavy used. But cable car is out of order so nobody is on this trek now. After last indian house path gently ascend through mountain forest and alongside waterfalls and mountain rapids.

It reminded me photos from the Inca Trail in Peru what I have seen (and my colleague which was there confirmed).

We crossed a few stone bridges and than entered clouds. After 4 hours of climbing clouds vanished and totaly different landscape appeared. The slopes around were covered by the blossoming mountain flowers. Mainly in two kinds - "small, violet" and "big, yellow and comose".

In a twightlight we reached mountain pass 4300m high. There is a nice view to the northern side of the andean ridge with cable car station Loma Redonda 4045m high. It was bitter cold and gloves were helpful. We erected our tent 100 meters below the pass.