From Cali, Colombia on February 16 I took a three-hour bus ride - joined by friend Wenling Wang from Kunming, China - to Popayán and then up about 40 km to Cruce de la Mina and Pilimbalá where we spent the night in a cabin in that Resguardo Indígena. The next morning (Saturday, 17 February) at 6:30 a.m. we were joined by Alonso, the guide who led us up the volcano to the summit at 4,760 meters. It was a 4 or 5 hour hike up to the summit - passing through páramo with beautiful mosses and unique vegetation (frailejones). Luckily, the clouds held off for the final trek, and it was possible to view the deep crater and walk around it in about 45 minutes before the clouds entered. It was a very tough hike because of the altitude and the trail that had deep ruts caused by cattle. We reached the base camp around 4 p.m. and then relaxed in the hot springs.
Cono del Volcán Puracé - Puracé Cone - 17 FEB 2018
Flores del Páramo/Páramo Flowers
Pasto del Páramo Grass
Flores del Páramo y el Volcán Puracé al fondo/Paramo Flowers and Puracé Volcano
Frailejones - Vegetación del Páramo - Volcán Puracé
Small Paramo Lagoon with Moss
Páramo del Volcán Puracé
Entran las Nubes/Enter the Clouds
Enter the Clouds/Entran las Nubes
Fumarole - Volcán Puracé
Suman, Wenling, and Alonso at the summit of Volcán Puracé
Cráter del Volcán Puracé
Cráter del Volcán Puracé
Walking around the Crater Rim