It is not uncommon to want to go out and escape the routine and the big city, so the destination this weekend was the Los Soches Páramo, the largest in Colombia and the world on its Muisca route Ubquiqua that crosses through a trail of private properties in collaboration with its owners and local communities.
Understanding the historical and social context in Usme
This trip was made with Road Trip Colombia, the starting point was Calle 45. Once we met with the whole group, we headed south of the city, along the way, we picked up William, the local guide who would accompany us during the trip. Our first stop was in Ciudad Bolívar, here William began to tell us the historical process behind the formation of this locality, the most densely populated in Bogotá, and an area that has historically had significant mining activity. From here, the knowledge William has and his confidence in recounting these and many more historical and current data can be evidenced.
The next stop was not far, near the Doña Juana sanitary landfill. Once again, William took care of providing us with context about the landfill situation, the tons of waste deposited daily, and the need to raise environmental awareness with all our consumption habits. The data provided by the guide are quite interesting and reflect the customs and behaviors of the past. At this point, the urban Bogotá aspect had practically been lost, and as we continued our journey, the landscape became more and more rural, like some of the typical towns of the department.
Importance of the Pasquilla corregimiento
Our last stop before reaching the starting point of the hike was in one of the many veredas that make up the locality of Ciudad Bolívar and Usme: Pasquilla. We all gathered in the small square to listen to William talk about the history of this place, which has held the name of Corrigiduría since colonial times. Although it may not seem so, we were still in Bogotá. The streets, the square, the church, everything looked as if time had not passed, as if it were a distant little town. Here, we passed by a store to finish preparing ourselves and then return to the van to our great destination.
Walking in the Largest Páramo in the World
After leaving the city and exploring the rural area of Bogotá, we arrived at our starting point to begin our hike. It could be said that the first half hour is the most “demanding” on the trail, the steepest part, but from a certain point, the path becomes more “flat” and you can easily enjoy the endless and imposing landscapes of this enormous páramo – covering an area of over 300,000 hectares.
However, for these hikes, you must be prepared for sun or rain. A pleasant surprise was that the weather was on our side, from start to finish. A shining sun accompanied us at all times, with sufficiently clear skies adorned with beautiful clouds; although it has its charm and it is expected that a páramo will be more opaque, humid, cold, cloudy, and even rainy, the weather that day contributed to making the photos and landscapes fascinating. We walked along orange-colored dirt roads that connected this area with the municipality of Sibaté, saw gigantic rocks and glacial formations, walked among gardens of frailejones with yellow flowers that looked like small sunflowers, observed complex lagoons that demonstrate the importance of this ecosystem for water resources, and visited the Ubchiqua Lagoon, one of the 7 sacred lagoons where the Muisca inhabitants made pilgrimages in this vast territory. Thus, surrounded by the beautiful nature of this territory and William’s stories and anecdotes, we walked for more than 4 hours in this beautiful place.
During the hike, we also had another challenging moment, descending to the Ubchiqua lagoon, a stretch that can become the most demanding. However, reaching the edge of this lagoon is another of the experiences of that outing. On our way back, we reached the summit where we had lunch and took a group photo. An added bonus of this type of experience is the opportunity to meet people; on this trip, I shared with people from Bogotá and also with people from India and Spain, with whom I was able to converse, enriching this pleasant experience in the páramo.
There is not much more to say. The sunset was beautiful, and the sun bathed the extensive potato plantations with its light as we finished our hike. We returned to the city, which welcomed us with a heavy downpour.
Next, I want to share some recommendations:
1. 1. Good amount of water, at least 2 liters per person.
2. 2. Snacks, fruits, or anything else that can give you energy, to eat along the way.
3. 3. Sunscreen, very important, especially on a sunny day like ours.
4. 4. Physical and mental capacity to walk 4 hours straight, because if you are not adapted to the altitude – mainly because of this – certain parts of the route can be challenging due to lack of oxygen and the body's reaction to physical activity.
5. 5. Enjoy from start to finish, whether you go alone or with company, there will always be moments to share with others, enriching the experience.
6. 6. And as it could not be otherwise, I recommend RoadTrip, a company that, from what I have seen and experienced, is quite serious and committed not only to its clients but also to the territories and people supporting the routes. I can say they have been doing a great job.
By: Luis Alejandro Orjuela
@_luisorjuela