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ITINERARY
Mountain
Biking, River rafting and Climbing
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 through
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.
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 to 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.
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