Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [186]
The entrance to the park is at Las Brisas (4050m). Concesión Nevados ( 881 2065; mercadeonevados@gmail.com; Calle 64A No 24-30 in Manizales) will charge you admission (Colombians/foreigners COP$26,000/COP$40,000; 7:30am-2:30pm). About 7km uphill from Las Brisas is Chalet Arenales (4150m), where you can camp (COP$7000 per person), and 10km further up the road is a shelter known as El Refugio (4800m), which sells coffee, snacks and rolls of film. From here it’s a half-hour walk to the flag pole (4900m); if conditions permit you can walk 1½ hours further to 5100m, then 30 minutes back down. The snow glare can be ferocious; wear sunglasses and sunscreen.
The extinct Olleta crater (4850m), on the opposite side of the road, is covered with multicolored layers of sandy soil and normally has no snow. The walk to the top will take about 1¼ hours from the road, and it’s possible to descend into the crater.
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Centro de Visitantes El Cisne
Twenty-four teeth-shattering kilometers from Las Brisas is this hotel (campsite per person COP$7000; r per person incl 2 meals COP$98,000). Set at a gasping 4180m, the rustic cabins at El Cisne were refurbished in 2006 and now offer comfortable, heated lodging surrounded by the striking landscapes of high mountain páramo. There are a mixture of accommodations for 30 people, plus a camping area. It’s a romantic getaway that will leave you breathless (literally). It’s also a good base from which to explore the peaks, valleys and lakes of Los Nevados, although if you intend to summit any of them be sure to request permission from the Manizales National Parks office well in advance.
Comfamiliares (see Tours, opposite), which administers the Los Nevados park concession, provides early morning transport from Manizales to El Cisne (Colombians/foreigners COP$64,000/81,000).
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Nevado del Tolima
The Nevado del Tolima (5215m), the second-highest volcano in the chain, is the most handsome of all with its classic symmetrical cone. On a clear day it can be seen from as far away as Bogotá. Its last eruption took place in 1943.
It is best reached via Ibagué, the ugly capital of the Tolima department. The southern reaches of Los Nevados still harbor a guerrilla presence, so be sure to check conditions before attempting this climb. A recommended guide is ‘Truman’ David Bejarano ( 273 4433, 315 292 7395).
It’s a challenging climb, requiring ice axe and crampons, though if you make your base camp you can rejuvenate afterwards in the natural hot springs at El Rancho (2650m).
The southern part of the park is accessible only by foot. From Refugio La Pastora in the Parque Ucumarí a 15km trail goes uphill to the Laguna del Otún. Another access route begins from Cocora, from where a path heads uphill to the páramo and on to the extinct Nevado del Quindío (4750m). Neither of these routes is popular with hikers and in the past there have been occasional instances of guerrilla activity on both trails. Be sure to check current conditions.
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Tours
Most tourists visit Los Nevados as part of an all-day group excursion to Nevado del Ruiz from Manizales. Ecosistemas ( 880 8300; ecosistemas2000@yahoo.com; Carrera 21 No 23-41) and Comfamiliares ( 886 0737, 316 472 8545; cnr Carrera 25 & Calle 50) offer similar services. Ecosistemas includes a visit to Hotel Termales del Ruiz (see above); Comfamiliares uses Termales del Otoño (see below). The standard one-day tour costs COP$95,000 for foreigners, including transport, breakfast and lunch, and admission to the national park and the thermal baths. They can both organize longer, multiday tours of the park as well.
If you want to spend a night or two in Los Nevados, Ecosistemas is recommended, as they will let you use the return leg of your tour on a different day.
Comfamiliares includes a stop at Termales El Otoño ( 874 1412; www.termaleselotono.com; Km5 Antigua Via al Nevado; 10am-10pm Mon-Thu, 8am-midnight Fri-Sun; admission COP$17,000) outside Manizales on the way back to town,