South America in Versys 650 – Latin America on a motorcycle (19): in the mountains of Cocuy –

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Latin America by motorcycle (19): in the mountains of Cocuy

South America in Versys 650 - Latin America on a motorcycle (19): in the mountains of Cocuy -

From Cocuy (read the previous episode), I went to the heights in a small hacienda without electricity, without running water and necessarily without hot water.

From Cocuy (read), I went to the heights in a small hacienda without electricity, without running water and necessarily without hot water.

At breakfast: potato soup (I assure you that we got used to it), cheese, bread and hot chocolate. With a full stomach, I go backpacking for my last South American adventure…

Direction Paramo, at an altitude of over 4000 m. On the way I pass the Pintada, Cuadrada and Parada lagoons. As I go up to the Cusiri pass at 4400 m, I enter the clouds. Special atmosphere for this start of the hike.

Flagrant offense of nibbling

Then the weather clears and I discover a world populated by fraijoles (endemic plants of Paramo). Around 3 p.m., I stick my tongue out again to climb to the Patio Bolas pass, and after eight hours of walking I arrive at the laguna de la Plaza where I decide to camp.

I did not sleep alone last night … Caught in the act of nibbling on sandwich bread, the fugitive quickly took flight !

This lagoon is simply magnificent. Fed by glaciers, it cascades over the Amazon basin. I go around it to the east, climb a large scree and have lunch on the edge of a small lagoon.

I go up to the Balcones pass at 4450 m, discover the green lagoon of Panuelo and pass the Castillo pass as close as possible to the glaciers, before making a makeshift camp on the edge of the El Rincon lagoon.

In the early morning, the weather cleared on the glaciers that surround me. This third day will also be the most beautiful in terms of landscape. I first cross a valley full of fraijoles, then go down the valley of los Cojines – not to be confused with that of los cojones, you might have surprises !

At the end of this valley, the torrent cascades down into the next one. Superb! Impassable obstacle: I cross the ford and go up the quebrada El Avellanal to the lagoon of the same name and cross the Sierra pass at 4650 m, the highest point of the hike. The day is already well advanced when I finally find the house of my dreams: a cave !

Cave man

Call me Max Flintstones, the caveman! After a diplodocus steak, I put on my loincloth and took the road to the Grande de los Verdes lagoon, then went up towards the mountain pastures to the Cardenillo pass.

But the weather is cloudy: in the blink of an eye, no more visibility! I take a cairn (pile of stones) as a landmark and look for any clue leading to the famous pass … After half an hour of searching in vain, a clearing allows me to find my way. It’s okay, I’m quiet.

On the other side, an obvious path leads me to Parada de Romero where I buy some cheese. From there the trail begins: 4 hours of walking in the mist, really painful. But in the evening, what a joy to be invited by a Colombian family while I go to their cottage !

At dinner: mutton. More precisely the head, served with guess what: potatoes! While I cut thin slices of tongue, the girl to my right gobbles her eyes like flames and everyone is busy skinning the rest…

The son will give the final blow by tearing off the nasal septa that he will swallow in one go. After this frugal meal, I set up my hammock under the lean-to. The mother then offers me to come and sleep in the family room, and I find myself sleeping in the same room as the parents and the children, the TV on fully! It reminds me of the atmosphere in Mongolian yurts (read my).

The next morning, I say goodbye to this family who really welcomed me warmly. The motorbike is a 4 hour walk, so I don’t hang around. I pass the hacienda Esperanza where the owner shows me the shortest way to find my dear and tender Versys !

I go up in the pastures, pass the abandoned house and finally arrive at the last fence. At 3 p.m. I pick up the motorcycle and rush off to rent crampons and ice axes.

It is 9 am and I have a lot of aches, but no choice! My bag is ready and I have the equipment to attempt the ascent of the Concavo at 5200 m. At 10 am I leave my hotel in La Capilla (which I highly recommend). Starting from 3800 m, I begin the ascent through the valley of los fraijoles under a beautiful sun. Then the weather deteriorates … Rain, wind, snow, it’s the total !

I continue and pass above the clouds. It’s still cold, but at least it’s not snowing anymore. After 5 hours of walking, I discovered the Laguna Grande de la Sierra located between the Concavo, Pan de Azucar and Pulpito del Diable glaciers.

But I continue for a good hour to camp at the foot of the glacier, at an altitude of more than 4800 m. In the meantime it has started to snow again … Of course, I only have my tarpaulin for shelter and a survival blanket as a mattress. I take almost an hour to find a dry place, high on a flat stone.

After having spent one of the most extreme nights, waking up is difficult … It is 5 am. I take a look at the weather forecast: everything is blocked. At 5:30 am, the same. At 6 a.m., as I begin to fold up the camp, the weather is slightly visible. I decide to finally try the climb…

Crampons on my feet, ice axes in hand, I set off to attack the glacier. Everything is going well, I am in great shape and even if I have to make the track I find my way around and I advance at a good pace. But after an hour and a half of effort, the clouds come back in force … I can’t see 2 meters away when I just arrive on a plateau with a few crevasses to avoid…

I no longer see the summit, which is then within easy reach. To continue would be reckless: I turn back and find myself again at the foot of the glacier at 9 a.m..

Another great experience where I realized that giving up a goal is sometimes harder than reaching it … But I got what I wanted: to climb a last glacier and enjoy the view of this landscape of rocks, water and ice.

First assessment … and backpacker advice

I think it’s also a great way to end this South American adventure which will have lasted six months including 20,000 km on a motorbike, 30 days of mountain hikes, dozens of meetings, an incalculable number of falls … but in the end only happiness !

I will also have learned a lot of backpacker tricks: lubricate the chain and the air filter with drain oil, use ends of the inner tube instead of tensioners not found in these countries, tie the boxes with ropes instead. than straps that are systematically stolen from me, use a tarp rather than a tent in temperate and tropical zones, and finally the best for last: the alcohol stove (read) instead of the gas stove which costs an arm.

Travel light !

When you go on a trip, everyone knows it, the enemy is weight. Only to defeat the enemy, we all make the same mistake: we accumulate quality equipment, not bulky but expensive, and in the end we end up with a lot of unnecessary things. Just see the starting photo of my trip to Mongolia: I was ready to conquer Mars !

This year, I got rid of all the equipment that had become defective (mattress, tent, etc.) and did not replace it. The best way to lighten up is to take as little as possible: in absolute terms, you should go on a trip without luggage! Result: I still have a lot of space in the boxes that have become too large.

It is also necessary to take advantage of its weak points. For example, not being a mechanic at all, I hardly took any spare parts and only carried a small ratchet box, which still saves me weight. Exit also additional tires.

In fact, I strongly advise against using too much luggage. For a single person, two side cases or a tank bag and a saddle bag are sufficient. So you don’t need to reinforce the suspensions, the chassis, improve the braking or increase the power, in short, you spare your mount and you can trudge anywhere. A good way to see if your motorcycle is too heavy for you is to load it, lay it down and raise it without unpacking. Tested and approved on the Versys !

I now only have a few days left in South America, which gives me some time to return the bike. As soon as I return to France, I will give you an overview of the motorcycle and the equipment used during these six months: stay connected !

Maxime BARAT

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