Mountain
Biking and River rafting on Rio Doradas & Pico Bolivar Mountain Ascent
( 11 days,
10 nights )
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Day 1: Arrival in Caracas. Reception and transfer
to your hotel
Day 2: After breakfast, transfer to
the airport for the flight to Barinas. Transfer to your lodge in Merida.
Day 3: After breakfast, departure
by 4 wheel drive vehicles down to Ejido where we visit a typical “Trapiche”
(sugar cane production). From here we continue our ride down the dry
and xerofite Chama valley. We enter El Museo de Cafe in Estanquez and
as we drive on we will leave the rain shadow effect again and find the
lush and green valley of the Mocoties river. This area is famous for
producing Venezuela´s finest coffee.
We leave the main valley for the small road across the mountain hills
to the tiny village of Guaraque where we prepare our new mountain-bikes.
In the afternoon we will enjoy a 10 km asphalt and 25 km dirt road by
mountain bike along the Rio Guaraque and later on the Rio Negro. The
altitude and climate are perfect and the views of the mountains and
canyons are fabulous. This place looks more like the Gran Sabana than
the Andes. Just after the cycling we have a refreshing bath in natural
pools and tropical rainforest vegetation. We also visit a cave located
close to the waterfalls.
In the late afternoon we reach the dam of “Represa la Honda”,
an artificial lake that has created a fjord – like landscape.
Cabañas at 1200 meters above sea level guarantees the absence
of mosquitoes and you will sleep in cabins and a nice and fresh mountain
climate.
Day 4: After breakfast, a short drive
to the San Agaton Hydroelectric station where we get our compulsory
rafting instructions and an intensive safety briefing. There will be
fun class 3 to 3.5 rapids awaiting us. As we enter the Doradas valley
we will stop in the middle of the wilderness and tie up our boat. An
hour hike through the lush and tropical rainforest, we will encounter
the ruins of a developed society that lived and built a “lost
city” in the Doradas valley almost 2000 years ago. This site is
practically unknown to science and very few people have even heard of
it. A brief explorations of the site before returning to our boats where
we will continue with another hour of rafting in soft class 1 waters
except for the last rapid which again is a class 3 rapid.
Picnic lunch by the shore of the river. Just 5 minutes walking distance
and we will come to the "blue lagoon" (pozo azul), with crystal
clear waters and a small waterfall in the middle of a beautiful jungle
landscape. Time to enjoy this pristine spot, swim, refresh and disconnect
from the world for a little while. Return to Campamento "la Trampa".
Day 5: Breakfast at the clubhouse. A motorized boat-ride
will take us out on to the lake to see and photograph the beautiful
natural waterfalls and rivers that feed the artificial lake and the
sunken village of Potosi.. Here you will see just a church peak (cross)
protruding out of the water. After lunch in Pregonero (a small andean
village) we return to Merida via the National Park “Paramo Batallon
la Negra”. Preparation and briefing for the Pico Boliva Moun tain
ascent.
Day 6:Mucuy- Laguna la Coromoto (2130 m - 3200
m / 9 Km / 3.30 - 5.30 hours walking)
A one hour jeep drive takes us to the entrance of The Sierra Nevada
National Park in la Mucuy. Through tropical forest we hike uphill for
several hours passing over to cloud forest, bamboo forest and finally
reaching the green transparent clear Laguna Coromoto at the exit of
the woods. Camping.
Day 7: Laguna Coromoto - Laguna Verde (3200
m - 4000 m/ 6 Km / 3.00 - 5.00 hours walking).
The path turns out to be quite rocky and steep today. We will pass "el
puente quemado" and are forced to make little climbs over the huge
rocks from the glacial period. We camp somewhere close to Laguna Verde
with the snow-white Humboldt thrones visible.
Day 8: Laguna Verde - Laguna Timoncito (4000 m - 4600 m/7,5
km/ 4 - 7 hours walking)
From beautiful Laguna Verde we hike west towards Laguna El Suero and
face a steep uphill on loose rocks called "Chomahoma". Once
on top we can enjoy excellent views and we have reached the traverse
altitude. We cross over through a rock and/or snow landscape to Laguna
Timoncito.
Day 9: Pico Espejo - Pico Bolivar o Timoncito
- Pico Bolivar (4765 m - 5007 m / 2 - 3 Km return / 4 - 10 hours walking,
climbing and rappelling)
A fantastic day you won’t forget. Catwalks, steep climbs, abysses,
oxygen-lack and cold sweat is the program for the non-climbers. You
are assured with harness, rope, and helmet and a professional guide.
In the rainy season ice axes and crampons will have to be used too.
Weather conditions and physical resistance determine if you need 4 hours
or the whole day for the climb. Our groups have a maximum of 5 climbers
on this adventurous trip. If possible we try to return to Loma Redonda
on the same day - an extra 2-4 hours hike.
Day 10: Pico Espejo - Loma Redonda - Teleférico - Mérida (4765
m - 4045 m, 2 -4 hours walking and then down by cable car to Mérida
1650 m in 1 hour approx)
If the cable car is not working then we shall require an extra 5 to
8 hours making the last day the longest of all.
Day 11: Return to Barinas for the flight to Caracas
and onward for your flight home.
For current availability contact us at info@amazingperu.com
and we will send you the relevant trip dossier along with a 90 day fixed
quote, terms and conditions
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