Generally informations: Pico
Bolivar, at 5007 metres above sea level, is Venezuela's
highest and only mountain above 5000 metres. It's a
steep, tough, technical climb, and don´t let anybody
tell you otherwise. Sure, experienced mountaineers should
have no problems, but for the rest of us mere mortals
it represents a challenge to our courage and our stamina.
Carabinas, harnesses, and ropes are necessary all year
round, and for most months of the year (July thru January)
you will also need sunglasses (to guard against snow
blindness), crampons, and ice axes. The entire expedition
is best done in 5 days via the 'U' shaped route known
as La Travesia, but if you really want to try to do
it in 4 days and thus increase the risk of altitude
sickness then this can be arranged. The symptoms of
altitude sickness are: faster heartbeat, shortness of
breath, headache, nausea, lack of appetite, and, in
the more extreme cases, vomiting and nose-bleeds. All
other things being equal, it's impossible to predict
in advance to what extent an individual will be affected.
However, there are some things you can do to improve
your chances...
1) Spend a day or two hiking at altitude before beginning
the tour. 2) Drink lots of water during the tour. 3)
Increase your intake of potassium rich foods, such as
bananas, tomatoes, and oranges before and during the
expedition. Having said this, some people will do none
of the above and have no problems, others will do all
of the above and still suffer. C'est la vie!
Day One (5-6 hours hiking)
It's a 40 minute drive from our offices to the park
entrance at La Mucuy. After signing-in, the guide will
lead the way up into the cloud forest. Your pack is
heavy from all the equipment and fresh food but at least
you'll be eating one of the two, thereby helping to
reduce the weight day by day. This is an area of dense
vegetation, huge ferns, tall trees, streams, tiny pure
waterfalls, and an abundance of life. Eventually we
break out of the forest at 3300m and are greeted by
the sight of Laguna Coromoto and páramo fauna
and flora. Here we make camp, or sometimes continue
a little further to a small cave.
Day Two (5-6 hours hiking)
The path is more steep, rocky, and uneven than the previous
day, and the scenery much more open. In a couple of
places you will need to scramble up easy sections of
rock using your hands for balance and leverage. Your
pack will feel lighter already. A narrow path with a
sharp drop on one side leads to Laguna Verde, and now
it's one hour more to Laguna El Suero for the second
night of camping at the base of Pico Humboldt.
Day Three (5 hours hiking
and scrambling) If
you didn't feel short of breath yesterday then you should
today. We scramble out of the valley up a slope of loose
rocks and out also of the páramo zone. We now
hike to the base of Pico Bolivar, and depending on your
condition, the time, the weather conditions, etc. we
will either make camp at Laguna Timoncitos (4700m) or
scramble on up to Pico Espejo (4765m) and the security
of the top teléferico station.
Day Four (climbing, scrambling, and hiking) At last, the big day has arrived. The time
it takes to climb Bolivar and return to Espejo or Timoncitos
will depend upon group size, fitness, and levels of
experience, as well as snow, ice, and weather conditions.
Attitude and sheer determination are major factors -
do not leave your courage at base camp. This is a real
climb, with steep drops, high walls, and difficult sections
to negotiate - be under no illusions. We may spend another
night at the same camp or, time permiting, we may start
on the descent out of the mountains so as to make the
last day shorter.
Day Five (downhill hiking)
It's all downhill from here, pausing at the farmhouse
called Pedro's Place for an afternoon snack, and continuing
to the village store at Mucunutan and the end of La
Travesia. Take it easy, because you knee and ankle joints
will be sorely tested on this last, long section. If
you don't want to walk all the way down you have the
choise to use the teleferico. (Note, The price of the
teleferico is not included on the price of the tour.)
Important:
Different tours assume different levels of fitness,
ability, or experience. Some tours require a high degree
of physical stamina, others none at all. Two people
can go on the same tour - one will find it easy, another
exhausting. It is your responsibility to provide and
discuss all relevant health and other information with
Guamanchi Expeditions that may affect your ability to
fully participate in your preferred tour. Thank you.
RATES:
- Tour with 1 person: 100 $ per day
- Tour with 2 persons : 55 $ per day, per person
- Tour with 3 -4 persons: 50 $ per day, per person
- Tour with 5 persons or more: 45 $ per day, per person
Is possible to make the Pico
Bolivar and Pico
Humboldt tours toghether in 6 days - 4 nights with
the same rates for days.
BOOK THIS TOUR - AVALAIBILITY REQUEST: GUAMANCHI EXPEDITIONS C.A.
ATTENZIONE:
Discovervenezuela.net promuove l'attivitą dei tour operator venezuelani.
Non siamo pertanto responsabili per eventuali inesattezza sui programmi, variazioni
o inadempienze degli stessi.
Pico
Bolivar, at 5007 metres above sea level, is Venezuela's
highest and only mountain above 5000 metres. It's a
steep, tough, technical climb, and don´t let anybody
tell you otherwise. Sure, experienced mountaineers should
have no problems, but for the rest of us mere mortals
it represents a challenge to our courage and our stamina.
Carabinas, harnesses, and ropes are necessary all year
round, and for most months of the year (July thru January)
you will also need sunglasses (to guard against snow
blindness), crampons, and ice axes. The entire expedition
is best done in 5 days via the 'U' shaped route known
as La Travesia, but if you really want to try to do
it in 4 days and thus increase the risk of altitude
sickness then this can be arranged. The symptoms of
altitude sickness are: faster heartbeat, shortness of
breath, headache, nausea, lack of appetite, and, in
the more extreme cases, vomiting and nose-bleeds. All
other things being equal, it's impossible to predict
in advance to what extent an individual will be affected.
However, there are some things you can do to improve
your chances...
It's a 40 minute drive from our offices to the park
entrance at La Mucuy. After signing-in, the guide will
lead the way up into the cloud forest. Your pack is
heavy from all the equipment and fresh food but at least
you'll be eating one of the two, thereby helping to
reduce the weight day by day. This is an area of dense
vegetation, huge ferns, tall trees, streams, tiny pure
waterfalls, and an abundance of life. Eventually we
break out of the forest at 3300m and are greeted by
the sight of Laguna Coromoto and páramo fauna
and flora. Here we make camp, or sometimes continue
a little further to a small cave. 
If
you didn't feel short of breath yesterday then you should
today. We scramble out of the valley up a slope of loose
rocks and out also of the páramo zone. We now
hike to the base of Pico Bolivar, and depending on your
condition, the time, the weather conditions, etc. we
will either make camp at Laguna Timoncitos (4700m) or
scramble on up to Pico Espejo (4765m) and the security
of the top teléferico station.
