Nevado del Tolima, 4-day Expedition to the summit via the Shimmer Glacier (Easy route)

Welcome to Nevado del Tolima, a spectacular stratovolcano in the Los Nevados National Natural Park in the Andes of Colombia. Here’s your chance to summit this amazing geological treasure!

Tolima’s most recent volcanic activity was in 1943 but the last major eruption was back 3,600 years ago. From atop its peak at 5,220m there are panoramic views of epic proportions!

Our trip will see us ascend via the Cocora valley and ‘Shimmer’ glacier which is an easier option than others and doesn’t require great technical skill or experience.

We will begin the trip in Salento, about 25km southeast of the large city of Pereira, this town has a rich and interesting history. We will also use this day to finalise all our plans for the upcoming trek and summit.

The next morning we set off at 06:30 and head to the valley of Cócora where the horses that will transport our possessions to the camp are waiting. Then we will hike to our camp site at 3,600m, this route provides absolutley breathtaking views over the forested landscape.

On day 2 we head towards our mountain Camp on Nevado del Tolina. Again the views will leave you speachless and we will arrive after about 6 hours, to then prepare for the summit the next day.

The next morning at 2am we begin our summit hike, we will advance up the slopes until we reach ‘Shimmer’ glacier. Here we will get out all the neccessary equipment to continue. The summit is truly remarkable and we will spend some good time here taking in the beauty!

The whole days trekking, including the descent back to the camp, will take about 12 hours in total. Then our last day will see us return to Cócora in one journey and end the trip with a meal in a special local restaurant.

This trip is as amazing as it sounds, sign up now if you want to summit this monumental volcano and discover the wild beauty of the Colombian Andes!