Armenia, Colombia - El Valle de Corcora

Hiking the Corcora Valley
The Corcora Valley is part of Los Nevados National Park and sits next to the central ridge of the Andes, which soar to 15,000 feet.  Corcora was the name of a Andean princess and means "star of water."  The park was created to protect certain species, one being the Quindia Wax Palm, a tree that can grow as high as 200 feet.

The trip was easier than most - a taxi ride from the farm to Armenia, then a bus to the small town of Salento and finally a jeep ride to the edge of the park.  We shared our jeep with two Colombians, a young lady from Montreal, a couple from France and two young ladies from London.  The only way into the valley is by foot or horse.  There are various routes to take.  We chose one that leads up into the mountains to a hummingbird sanctuary then loops back counter-clockwise to the starting point.  It didn't look to be too taxing - about 8 miles and a thousand feet up then down.

When we'd gotten out of the jeep it was raining so we bought some plastic ponchos.  Within 30 minutes the sun came out and we packed them away in our backpacks.

The valley is beautiful.  A variety of greens, cows grazing in the pastures, the wax palms dotting the valley and mountain tops.  This is the end of the road for the Pacific ocean breezes, they bump up against the mountains, turning to mist and rain.

At the start of the hike, in the lower valley, the horse trail is separated from the walking trail.  Still, with the recent rain, it was muddy and slow-going.

After a few miles, as you get into the higher elevations and begin to climb, you enter a cloud forest.

The horse and walking trails combine and the trekking becomes much harder.  Dodo took the lead, trying her best to avoid the deep mud, horse dung and slippery rocks.  She is much more skilled now - her many workout classes have improved her balance and agility.

The sign on the right says "one person at a time" and it's the only bridge that did so.  Given their state, all should've had that warning.  One wrong step and you were going downstream.

You can tell that there aren't many lawyers in Colombia, if there were, this trek would be outlawed.  Many of the river crossings required your best balance.

After a few hours we reached the hummingbird sanctuary.  There are about 8 species of hummingbird here.  There is a small restaurant where you can get a drink or lunch.  Dodo got a classic Colombian hot chocolate served in a bowl, with a side of country cheese, which resembles mozzarella.  

The hummingbirds buzz all around the place, mostly at the feeders.  Some were larger than I've seen before.

We then looked for the left hand turn that would take us counter-clockwise back to the start.  The signs were not that clear and we began a trail straight up the mountain towards "Estrella de Agua."  It was extremely steep and already 3pm, the sun behind the mountain, when we aborted and decided to backtrack on the trail that had taken us in.

It turned out to be the right call - Estrella de Agua is a campsite 10k inside the park.  We would never have made it out until the next day.

The views back to the entrance were spectacular.

It was 6pm by the time we'd jumped out of the jeep in Salento, the nearest local town.  A hundred years ago, it was the main stopping point for travelers between Cali and Bogota.  When the modern highway was built elsewhere, the town became frozen in time, keeping all its charming architecture and color.  We walked the main square and the side streets, ate dinner and then took a bus back to Armenia in the dark.  I was thoroughly exhausted and slept the night like a corpse.