Los Nevados: Unbelievable Beauty

The hike started in very dense forest with incredible biodiversity. 

Can't say I expected to see an armadillo here.

After hiking for many hours into the mountains, I was very surprised to keep running into cows grazing in pastures.

Our campsite the first night was on a farm. The setting was so incredibly picturesque that I kept thinking I was still unconscious from when I fell a few days prior. Easily one of the best places I've ever camped.

As we hiked higher, the landscape around us changed drastically. 

This is near the peak of our hike, clocking in around 13,300 feet. The highest both of us have ever been. If you can deduce from Fabienne's posture, it was a serious struggle to hike at this point.

Laguna Del Otun! Our destination. Such a beautiful Lake hidden in the peaks of the Los Nevados National Park. Unfortunately we didn't have much time or energy to hang out at the lake. We needed to get back down a few thousand feet to where we were going to be camping.

Our transportation in and out of the park. It's called a chiva, which means goat in spanish. A majestic beast for sure.

I don't even know where to start here... The best I can say is that everyone should visit this place at some point in their lives. Los Nevados National Park has it all: mountains, lakes, waterfalls, monkeys, thousands of bird species, friendly people and so much more. It was nice getting out of the cities and camping under the stars for a couple nights. In three days, we hiked around 28 miles, with an elevation gain of about 6,500 feet. A challenge for both of us for sure, but certainly very satisfying. The last morning in the park, we got up early to join our new friend Peter for a lesson jn bird watching. Peter is from Montreal and knows an incredible amount about birds. He showed us proper techniques and helped us see a lot of different species. I was able to identify my first bird by observing it's appearance and finding it in his book. It was a russet crowned warbler. My favorite birds that we saw were the green Jay and the red ruffed fruitcrow. Afterwards, we headed back to Julian's to shower and grab the rest of our belongings. With sore legs and burnt faces, we headed to the bus station to make our way to Ecuador. Colombia was an absolute treat and I hope to make it back again someday.