The Tallest Trees and Longest Climb
Epic climbs and a life of luxury in Bogotá
Lately I have been living the dream. I've based myself out of Bogota for 3 weeks now staying with a Colombian cyclist, Rafa, and his brother, Sergio. Two of those three weeks were spent in intensive Spanish school; a worthy investment. And in the middle I took a break for a mini-adventure in Colombias coffee region. I headed out with my bike and spent a week roaming around. The coffee region is an incredibly beautiful spot and while there I did a couple of unforgettable rides.
The first one was out to the Cocora Valley National Park. The Colombian Andes are split into three Cordilleras (mountain ranges) and Cocora is located in the Central Cordillera. This area is famous for hosting the world's largest palm trees, which reach up to 60m in height and can only be grown at altitudes of between 1,500m and 3,000m. I spent a few days in the nearby town of Salento and one day early in the morning I climbed out towards the park. The climb took me along dirt tracks from an altitude of 1980m to 3340m in the space of just 20km. Along the way I was passed by jeeps full of mountain bikers who were driving up the mountain. They would get a lift to the top and ride down the other side, getting driven back to Salento after their descent. I think they were pretty surprised to see me cycling up the climb alone and so I got plenty of shouts of encouragement as they passed by. It was not an easy climb, but having left all of my bags in Salento I felt light as a feather. After 3 and a half hours of steady climbing, it came time to begin the epic descent into the valley. As I descended, the valley opened up to the most spectacular views. Imposing green mountains were lined with the tallest palm trees I've ever seen. It was a view that I'll never forget. I sat down amongst the trees and ate my avocado sandwich in a state of pure bliss. Just me, my bike and the mountains. It was an epic ride.
A few days after seeing the biggest trees of my life, I got to complete the biggest descent of my life: the famous Alto de Letras. Rumoured to be the longest climb in the world, the road connects the town of Mariquita to the city of Manizales. The climb from Mariquita to the top is around 80km long and involves climbing nearly 4,000m - nearly half the height of Mt Everest. It also passes by the second largest active volcano in the northern hemisphere: the Nevado del Ruiz, at 5,321m high. Luckily for me, I was tackling the climb from the other side. It was still a hefty climb, 28km long with 1,700m of elevation and it took me over 4 hours to reach the top. The crazy long descent took me almost as long as the climb did, with a handful of short climbs within it. To put this into perspective, if I was doing it the other way around I'd predict the climb would have taken me twice as long. This would be a monster climb and I certainly wouldn't fancy doing it with a fully loaded bike! At the top I chatted with some mountain bikers who showed me pictures from their ride to the volcano that morning and topped up my bottles with gatorade. It was a nice moment to put my newly learned Spanish to good use. Then came the absolutely epic descent, with views of enormous mountains the whole way along.
Finishing the day in Mariquita, after 8 hours of riding, I stayed at the family home of a Colombian I had met previously in Bogotá. Although Colombia is located on the equator, Bogotá and many other places are located high in the mountains so they benefit from moderate temperatures. Mariquita however is only about 400m above sea level and is steaming hot. Not being a fan of such heat, I quickly got myself back to Bogotá the following day, back to cooler temperatures just in time for another week of Spanish school.
Life in Bogotá has been easy. Full of luxuries: good coffee, a cosy place to call home and a access to a washing machine so I don't have to wash my clothes in the sink. From where I've been staying it's easy to get out into the mountains on the bike and there's plenty else to do in the city. Rafa and Sergio, my hosts in Bogotá, have made it feel like home. Living in an apartment, rather than a hostel, and having the routine of daily Spanish school have definitely contributed further to the feelings of normality. The city has grown on me so much that I'm already thinking about when I'll return. But for now, it's time to continue my journey and get back into the mountains. Peru is calling…
Phenomenal pictures Miss Cleo. Also sounds like a phenomenal experience you're having. Stay safe and warm and watch out for avalanches/doggos xx