Santa Isabel Trek: Los Nevado (2 days)

Experience Description

On this tour you will go to theNevado of Santa Isabel, which is one of the mountains of the Central mountain range of Colombia. Its highest level is located at 5100 meters above sea level, in El Domo or south peak. In the tour you will be able to identify the sub páramo, páramo and super páramo environments, which are considered one of the most important ecosystems in the country. Additionally we will try to reach the peak in the mountain glacier where we will also talk about the importance of the ice sheets as a source of water for the country.

Itinerary

Accommodation Type and Food

• Farms, Potosí, El Jordán, and Otún refuge.
• Food described in itinerary.
• If you need any specific requirements tell us to adjust them

Price

What's included?

• Transportation from Pereira or Manizales to Parque Los Nevados and return (private vehicle 4x4 closed cabins
• Breakfast and lunch
• Snacks and hot drinks
• Entrance to the national park
• Mountain guide
• Medical assistance insurance.
• Support canes (optional)
• Water purification

What's not included?

Things not specified within the plan

If you are interested in additional services, we can offer:

• Coffee tour in traditional coffee farm
• Thermal break
• Visit of Finland, one of the most beautiful villages of the coffee axis
• Walk or ride to the tunnels and the waterfall of Boquia

Disclaimer

If more participants join you on the same Tour/Date, through Beyond Colombia, your final price will be cheaper according to the group size.

How to Book?

To book, we need a deposit of 20% of the total value of the Tour. You can do it via Bank Transfer, PayPal (+ 7%) or Cash (15 days before the Tour). The remaining value must be paid 10 days before starting the tour by the means mentioned above.

* Last minute requests are accepted. Subject to availability.

Recommendations

• Due to our proximity to the equator, the Caribbean and Pacific Sea, Colombia has a warm tropical climate practically all year. Our country observes two rainy seasons and two dry seasons: rainy season between April and June - September and November; and less rainy season between November and March - June and August. Bogota our capital offers an average temperature of 18ºC. In the interior of the country, the coffee region (Pereira, Manizales, Armenia) averages 24ºC, however, in the Nevados or snow caped mountains you will experience much colder temperatures due to the altitude. These temperatures can be around 8ºC but they can go below zero at a higher altitude and at night.

Ecotourism

To avoid the negative impact on the areas to visit, our work team has been trained d for the management of groups in wild areas where the human impact can be very strong, therefore, we have a list of suggestions that we would like to invite you to follow:

• Do not extract any fauna or flora material
• Do not disturb wildlife
• Do not cut or damage trees
• Do not bring alcoholic beverages
• Do not open new roads through the forest
• Consult with the guide about the type of activity in the area, he knows the place very well and can inform you
• Respect the homes of the people who provide us with their accommodation and food services

Mountaineering in the tropics is great, there are no insects and the weather is very pleasant, but walking in the heights can bring medical problems which can be avoided with certain precautions.

From 3,000 meters, tachycardia and lack of air is very common as a response of the body to the lower availability of oxygen. Soroche or altitude sickness, manifests and affects mostly those who ascend very quickly. The symptoms of Soroche are headache, tiredness, dizziness, lack of appetite, insomnia and vomiting. Our itineraries are created to bring proper acclimatization, however, all people react differently. We recommend that you always have at least two days of rest, hopefully in an area greater than 2000 meters before starting your trip to the mountains.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

For all our plans and itineraries, the ideal is to have previous experience in short and / or long walks. Thus, each person can know their body and how it adapts to the height.

The itineraries have been planned for people with some type of experience, it is necessary to have the appropriate physical conditions and not have any relevant medical condition that may affect your health. In case you do not feel prepared for this experience, count on us and we will help you choose a first experience more in line, which you will surely enjoy and invite you to move on.

Where does this Adventure start?

This Adventure starts in Pereira, Risaralda. We will pick you up at your Hostel/Hotel in Pereira at 7am. Take into account that you must arrive to Pereira the day before the Tour or the day of the Tour before 6am, as all participants need to show up in order to start at the same time.

How do I get to Pereira?

From Bogotá:

You have two options: by Bus or Flying. By Bus it takes about 10 hours and costs around $55.000 COP (about 16 USD) each way. You can take either Flota Magdalena or Bolivariano, both bus companies recommended.

If you want to take less time definitely take a flight which takes 1 hour and costs around $160.000 COP (about 47 USD) each way. Weekends are more expensive, so you can expect to pay up to $230.000 COP (about 67 USD) each way. Depending on the season, you can get cheaper tickets. We recommend the following airlines: Latam, Easyfly or Avianca.

Is it safe?

Colombia is, in general, a very safe country. Traveling by road, walking through cities and towns are low-risk activities. The big cities of Colombia, such as Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Cali or Barranquilla, have lower levels of insecurity than other places in America, even lower than in other large capitals. The rural areas are also safe and allow the visitor to walk and discover them without fear.

As in other places in the world, in Colombia it is necessary to take some precautions to make your trip the best possible experience.

What equipment do they provide?

During our trips to the mountains of Colombia we will provide you with:

• Tent (if necessary).
• Insulation and sleeping (If necessary).
• Helmet
• Walking sticks.
• Crampons
• Harness with all your equipment.
• Piolets

Remember: All our tours include baggage carrying, however, on the day of the ascent to the peak you must carry all these implements in your backpack.

What equipment should I take?

• Backpack minimum 40lts.
• Rain Cover
• Sweater
• Waterproof jacket
• Sunscreen and insect repellent
• Hat and sunglasses
• Small headlamp (plus spare batteries)
• 2 lt plastic bottle for water, or Camel Bag
• Personal medications (allergies, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, etc.)
• Trekking whistle
• Power bar style energy snacks, powdered jack, power gel Camera.
• Gloves and hat.

In the event you decide to cancel the trip:

• Between 30 to 16 days before the Tour date we will refund 80% of the total value.
• Between 15 and 9 days before the Tour date we will refund 50% of the total value.
• Between 8 and 1 days before the Tour date we will refund 25% of the total value.
• If there is any unforeseen event before starting the activity, the client can appeal for a new start date of the expedition, assuming an additional value of 20% of the total event
• In the event that the client suffers an accident and / or domestic calamity before starting the activity it is possible to appeal to the total refund of the money (Subtracting the contract with third parties that the company has already paid) with their respective proof.
• We are a prepaid operator, for this reason before starting any tour, 100% of the agreed value must be paid. Otherwise the tour will not start.
• In case of non-presentation of the client to the trip, no disbursement will be made.
• In fortuitous cases (climatic changes, natural disasters, landslides, mishaps in air, land or river transport, social manifestations, etc.) in which the trip has to be canceled, Beyond Colombia will return 100% deposit of the Reserve.
• In case of a scheduled calendar trip and the minimum quota is not achieved to make the departure for not completing the quota, 100% of the money will be refunded.
• In the event that a credit card payment is made through the online payments platform and any refund has to be made, Beyond Colombia Adventures will return the value paid by the customer minus the 7% commission charged by the virtual platform. The client is informed before making the reservation with Beyond Colombia Adventures, that this virtual platform charges an additional 7% of the value of the plan.