Camp and climb Pico Bolivar and mountain bike through the Andes
13 days / 12 nights
From $2,962 per person, double occupancy for 2009

Day 1: US - Caracas
Arrival and transfer to Hotel Ole Caribe.

Day 2: Caracas - Merida
Fly to Merida. This afternoon you will go for an acclimatization hike on the Humboldt trail in Mucuy Tropical Cloud Forest. Accomodations in a local posada. (L,D)

Day 3: Paramo
Trek through cloud forest and paramo carrying own packs with personal gear and climbing gear from Mucurutan to Loma Redonda, where you will set up camp for the night. Today you will ascend from about 2,000 to 4,000 meters. (B,L,D)

Day 4: Pico Toro
Climb Pico Toro, a scramble up to 4,500 meters. Return to camp for dinner and overnight. (B,L,D)

Day 5: Pico Espejo
Trek to Pico Espejo or Timoncitos Glacier (approx. 4,500m.), where you will set up base camp and prepare for tomorrow's climb. (B,L,D)

Day 6: Pico Bolivar
Ascent of Pico Bolivar (5,007 m). Return to Pico Espero for cable car back to Mérida. Dinner and overnight at a Merida hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 7: Merida - San Jose
After breakfast and a short tour of Merida and the market. After a 45 minute transfer to Tierra Negra, a world famous spot for paragliding, you’ll ride on a mountain bike to the village of San Jose, considered one of the prettiest villages in the Pueblos del Sur and overnight. (B,D)

Day 8: San Jose - Mérida
Today, you’ll ride out of San Jose, biking along the Tos Tos river and then continue steeply up to Los Pinos and return to Tierra Negra along an off-road route. You’ll be transferred back to Mérida and stay at the Posada La Sevillana, a beautiful inn located in a tropical cloud forest. (B,L,D)

Day 9: Mérida - Los Nevados
You’ll begin your day with a two hour jeep ride to the village of El Morro where your 22 km trek to the Los Nevados begins. This hamlet, with its fertile soil, was one of the first Spanish settlements in the area and is surrounded by high mountain plateaus and spectacular snow-capped peaks, a perfect backdrop to experience the atmosphere of a traditional Andean village. (B,L,D)

Day 10: Los Nevados - Los Frailes
Set off for the Loma Redonda cable car station by mule, crossing the Alto de la Cruz pass at 4,251 meters. You’ll descend back to Mérida on the world´s longest and highest aerial cable car. You’ll then transfer overland up to the paramos (high tropical mountains) of the Andes. Overnight at the Hotel Los Frailes, a mountain inn considered to be the most unique and charming in Venezuela. (B,L,D)

Day 11: Los Frailes - Mérida
Bike the Pico Aguila circuit (22 km) beginning on the highest paved road in Venezuela at 4,100 meters. You then continue your route off-road toward the village of Piañago and a moderately steep descent to the Mifafi valley. Jeep back to Hotel Belensate in Mérida where you can enjoy a splash in the hotel's pool with jacuzzi or dining at the La Nona with scrumptious food and special attention to details and service. (B,L,D)

Day 12: Mérida - Caracas
Enjoy a visit to the market for any last-minute shopping before being transferred back to the airport for your mid-morning return flight to Caracas. Airport reception and transfer to Hotel Ole Caribe. (B)

Day 13: Caracas - US
Hotel pick-up and transfer to the international airport. Check-in at airline ticket counter to depart for the US.