El Cocuy National Park, Protected mountain area in Boyacá Department, Colombia.
El Cocuy National Park is a protected mountain area in the Colombian Andes with glaciers, steep valleys, and peaks rising to 5,410 meters (17,750 feet) at Ritacuba Blanco. Several trails pass through different climate zones, from lower shrubland to barren rocky slopes with permanent ice.
The Colombian government established the protected area in 1977 to preserve glaciers and biodiversity in this part of the northeastern Andes. Over the following decades, changing regulations led to temporary route closures before access reopened under stricter guidelines.
The name Cocuy refers to a traditional drink from the region and reflects the close bond between local towns and the mountains. Hikers sometimes meet herders with their livestock grazing on pastures below the snow line, where families have raised animals for generations.
Visitors register at offices in El Cocuy or Güicán, where an orientation explains rules and safety guidelines. The three accessible routes require a mandatory guide, and changing weather calls for warm clothing even during summer.
Several glacial lakes in the upper terrain display different colors, from green to gray, depending on mineral content in the water. Some of these lakes lie so high that their surface freezes even during warm months.
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