- Home
- Expeditions
- Jul 18, 2017
-
-
Email -
Facebook -
Pinterest -
Twitter
-
The Tough Guy Killer: Adventures in Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
In the shade underneath the thatched roof choza, I looked one last time at the bottom of my coffee cup. This was day two of our expedition in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia, and it was spent arranging passage from the local Kogi shaman into their lands of overwhelming green, wildly steep mountain sides, and equatorial glacier-clad peaks. After some lengthy negotiations we received a hand-written permit for us to journey into the indigenous Kogi tribal land. Time to pack.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F1_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=2e7a88820d3a31b89b39fc3ac8502237 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F1_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=ac7e93cff5368db6565daf72efee7094 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F1_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=eb1e8a4045f78bde99aca2ba2110a43f 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F1_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=49f4e3563b78c5c860529cf65d4e041e 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F1_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=c09ba8b739f6ed6f16bda55998f612c6 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F1_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=bb3c79cac6e7f0452cb9936161878cca 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F1_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=f374e7dee14c29b7e5f3e324118e767b 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F1_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=bf7398e708ed146e2202b381a65a27b4 1600w)
Preparing breakfast underneath the choza.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=437fc31ae40d3d424ed5b8fd6651d6e2 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=2d1a87f0139ef14484411288306a78fb 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=78c8198e3585f888cafdbe72405f2445 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=e21e11d31449c9f7cf5599a7d809a2da 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=d8773b9a9be78983a47661f4afdc64cb 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=b8d947d41f3c2604429dcf0e6d8edb5c 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=9ca159ecffe0be5e41d7cf3d57448227 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=f4e046b544fe882471b2164f75bd0f8f 1600w)
Mateo working out the details of our passage with Kogi leaders.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F3_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=4817a6dcf7d3b447a0d4f54e6ee2ef0f 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F3_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=74efe92814e57ac57d0077753ba16c82 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F3_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=f8ee84f71f3fa86d6990568b438b2be8 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F3_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=2cca08f1af8c67201061790376478ecd 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F3_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=8af6b69f06e1332205791581e375e688 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F3_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=a9e34bc2e4f6d00ecd99194608d6c6f6 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F3_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=09b4164c2d39053766f525122f166e1d 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F3_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=3e36ffd0ee8d9e2b4b369c688e38277e 1600w)
Packing up.
Like stepping out of a stormbound tent and into a wicked, cold blizzard, I left the cool shade to face an altogether different extreme, one also of undesirable discomfort — think hot yoga, but with the equatorial sun beating down on you. We were about 10 degrees north of the equator at about 1,200 meters, so to think in six days we’d be walking on glaciers, climbing Colombia’s highest peak at almost 19,000 feet, seemed implausible at best as we melted in the sweltering heat and humidity.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F4_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=12a90cf84e2cbadd68f1d94a1a12e73f 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F4_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=a6fa76f976cefc52dd0f88d01fed1f10 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F4_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=5bfbee9fc30de6f7b5524c332e737967 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F4_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=3d98ae9c4df805c75ccdf556f3bf4d62 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F4_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=1ee8dfe6ab9c785a17908bf1b8a7c23c 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F4_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=8b43df03657b5b80f3ffb675f6684506 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F4_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=1d01ecc4cbdda3fdf5465f89a747144f 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F4_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=36d20b32f0f7a04d9afe6cffc97f7993 1600w)
Kogi village with the mountains high above.
But, with permit in hand it was time to move on. Stepping intothe lush tropical forest with a few machetes in hand to occasionally clear the trail we begin the arduous hike to Colon. We said our goodbyes to the Kogi villagers and children we’d met and started what would be a lot of walking on some challenging, unrelentlessly steep trails. What lay ahead was about 15,000 feet of elevation gain, including what locals referred to as the amanza guapos- the “Handsome Killer,” or what we decided to call the “Tough Guy Killer.” Whether or not we would be tough enough was to be determined.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F5.1-2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=f4554acaace8e054a7d0183d8faa49f2 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F5.1-2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=c593aa421cbfd12427e32191690d9eed 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F5.1-2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=139c6af82e32b5ec68a87e0b1d7f6d7c 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F5.1-2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=859ac3b404cfa5fce9909639d1cfd5fa 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F5.1-2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=93419755b6f2a2c4746f239cc47ed859 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F5.1-2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=fdd948d1913ad403414008d0fc7f3c2a 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F5.1-2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=4c10dbf05ae7c904c34907bf22b49b1e 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F5.1-2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=6cd62aceb90e9805270b63f86f7c987a 1600w)
Where’s Waldo?
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F5b_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=ee27548f880975be1d600a7bcf180fea 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F5b_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=b0db9a6751e03eba18dd45a596ece918 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F5b_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=e481746d71d188bdf44d2813a0442956 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F5b_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=bcd5b4ab48b903877eea9cc3ad9faf98 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F5b_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=969f7fc902d94deeaf03566823fee9a9 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F5b_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=247798012a14c666952989ef2bcfafde 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F5b_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=587f3a337e5195827b3eecf9b36bc134 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F5b_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=983671ceae579f8de7adcd064fcd9187 1600w)
Kogi children hanging out with Mark.
Our team consisted of Colombian climbers Juan Carlos and Mateo, both of whom work with Mountain Madness in El Cocuy National Park; and four porters, Vincent, Minjo, Oscar, and Benedict, all from the small town of Palmor. Carrying large bags of coffee beans and working in the fields in the mountainous terrain more than qualified them as tough guys for sure, and three of them had been up the Setai Valley to high camp for Colon, so we had a solid team to take on this amazing challenge, an expedition maybe more about the journey than the goal.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F6_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=e588a0e3b9eb5c0b5373fdc073c9c0a6 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F6_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=db166d35454e114a1475f6cfe7e278c7 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F6_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=5694ce45ec596978e6b02ad88ec471cd 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F6_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=4794b6c5338c98b1fa527d53287c967f 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F6_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=9da5d28af8026e43e7170f5437653c8b 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F6_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=e5ec5cfb1f37e3c933d37dba32eac199 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F6_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=afec39d7a2684d9614a79d69e7f3dc3d 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F6_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=41dd050f816ec65e6fee7f2033d9ea20 1600w)
Getting ready for the Tough Guy Killer.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F7.1-2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=c3059b4af81be0985a350f20b89c19bf 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F7.1-2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=5017cb202e05837d7654775eba68d925 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F7.1-2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=01d66cd20ced869a2d2faa889087f9e7 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F7.1-2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=560edf80745e14e667a329c6352b78f9 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F7.1-2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=e30fdc4c7410f3052fa5af85c2e0fb9c 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F7.1-2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=fde058b1818338b79af651a17e14a036 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F7.1-2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=f64fab548dd01b42276ebec613305cc2 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F7.1-2_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=97642966cb8f4bcdbb28c15428211cf3 1600w)
Town.
At 18,700 feet (5,700 meters), Colon is the world’s 5th most prominent peak; which is as defined in wikipedia as, “the height of the peak’s summit above the lowest countour line encircling it but containing no higher summit within it.” Clear as mud that definition, but in the company of the top four most prominent peaks of Everest, Denali, Aconcagua, and Kilimanjaro, we knew we had our work cut out for us. Separate from the Andes, this relatively unknown range has stayed out of the imagination of climbers, explorers, and trekkers alike for numerous reasons. Impenetrable forests, indigenous tribes denying access, and armed guerrillas roaming the range made it a less than appealing, if not an altogether dangerous place to visit. But, with locals’ trails more known, the wars over, and some patient negotiations over the years by Juan Carlos with the Kogis, the time was right for this adventure to happen.
On day three, we walked along raging rivers strewn with huge, brilliant white boulders; the bubbling waters collected from the convoluted, twisted topography of the mountainsides that drain into these beautiful rivers and eventually flow into the Caribbean Sea. Butterflies, hummingbirds, oropendulas, parrots, toucan, and birds too numerous to name glided through the dense understory among giant ferns standing 30 feet high, groves of Birds of Paradise, and exotic plants too diverse to identify.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F8.1_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=17942fa3f2056a97ac75fcf26d91ccba 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F8.1_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=eaae327a0fa79f700aa087352b4f20ff 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F8.1_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=baf70159abb9925b88816dbdee265a8f 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F8.1_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=cd599e901d3450214eb8b3db7627522b 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F8.1_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=77dca224d44934d0a77f7914ad66db53 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F8.1_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=6aef8e198be755b57f8ef0fe62c7e7c6 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F8.1_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=bf1301889f158b4e345529385d874fd3 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F8.1_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=cf9ac936fe187e120b1c7c9e41c45332 1600w)
Dense tropical forest down low on the trek.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F9_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=e1c138736865fd7d610cf81e516ace85 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F9_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=d23a686824c2df0bb02e260e8548e1f8 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F9_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=32ae9eda55d325f09118629d5a2886d0 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F9_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=139de06937519dd9f25dfb10f785e80a 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F9_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=a28acac05e6bfede19aedcccf8820e89 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F9_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=b7e30c4b75a81b237313af95f2e76b73 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F9_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=2f94ae1a09cfa7afe039421d0ef47c07 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F9_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=0e97f746fb4badf1851dec3e0cebb674 1600w)
Crossing rivers.
As we climbed higher we passed through slash and burn sites where Kogi grow corn, bananas, and other crops that sustain them. Eventually we reached the cloud forests and our camp near a mamo, or shaman hut. Here, as would happen every day of our trek into the alpine zone, we encountered different flora, all unique to the different altitudes and ecological zones we would pass through. It is within this altitudinal gradient that one begins to realize the incredible number of different species that exist here and the incredible diversity that lies within this vast sea of green.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F10_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=90478e77faade1b204cb80fc25e1a5fb 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F10_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=0b360eaf1f81177b5f6017001da2cffc 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F10_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=187c24c47eeb333b1cc18d621391226d 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F10_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=e73b72b7857018d857b2ca2b603fef04 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F10_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=45f1d63d1aa5676ededa18af51fcae72 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F10_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=42a767a21ef2eebbbdebe84a87ba7955 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F10_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=203e605b2ea18272491861ef3bf691e8 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F10_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=1e05fed444d33fe8403fa5dc29cc7fa5 1600w)
Camp for the night, with the “Tough Guy Killer” up and to the left.
It was a difficult, eye-opening day to what lay ahead. In the evening an almost deafening, but pleasant sound of frogs croaking and lightening flashing on the distant ridges gave us a surreal, magical feeling as we dozed off for the night, exhausted from the first of many 3,000 foot days of hiking into the alpine zone.
Day 4: The Tough Guy Killer – I learned most recently from an expedition in the Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda that locals’ trails generally go straight up; on our nine-day trek there we encountered only four switchbacks — I kid you not! In the Santa Martas I expected the same, especially on the Tough Guy section, which consisted of no switchbacks, tunnels of bamboo and other uncompromising vegetation, all in swetlering tropical heat. It was, for lack of any other way to describe it, the real deal…
In recent years the trail was used by FARC guerillas, the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, who moved through this wild terrain finding hideouts, running from the military, and connecting a network of trails that allowed occasional visits to villages where they would resupply from Kogi’s food stocks and recruit unwilling villagers, including children, to join their forces. Unimaginable.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F11_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=313a94a5e43f415573f72fa12908f107 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F11_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=7fd36c91d7178488e8b21365ecb85f27 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F11_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=5b9b39dc41252f3920963e0b171393d1 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F11_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=e10cef98e1f094192b231fd59904700d 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F11_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=cae5f7573d17ad87553eb9a5912de77b 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F11_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=195e3a51ac5792086a8b359f678ae056 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F11_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=cbe7bd3f06218c60e7ee3ceb1e4e0cba 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F11_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=0c8f24a5d5c3787bc91db1503f7ca3a6 1600w)
Getting into the business of the “Tough Guy Killer.”
We survived the Tough Guy, which notably lived up to its reputation, and arrived at the Dove Camp, another shaman encampment. Here, a slightly leaning hut built on centuries old Tayrona rockwork, gave us shelter and a certain mystique. The clouds swirled over the rocky ridges and peaks, as the sun sank below the distant ridges. The Kogi are descendants of the Tayrona, an advanced civilization that evaded Spanish colonial expansion until 1599. Unlike the relatively quick work the Spanish made of defeating the Incas, the Tayrona held back the Spanish for years before finally becoming subjects of the Conquistadors. Some Tayrona, however, fled into the highlands; leaving the coast and subjection to Spanish in favor of a life in the foothills in the great, but challenging, Santa Marta Mountains.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F12_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=e120fbc0d0c2de6ba5f84f4e9169fce0 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F12_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=eddec2e8298db7feb053909b636ba80a 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F12_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=f054f69b032dc75d00a360a01498288d 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F12_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=b59b0953c75a9fcbc17772bc0635c2c8 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F12_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=7241ea250c6a5ab1bba31d56486cd25e 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F12_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=46ffeb510e01e917e67a5141668b8a7b 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F12_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=c482d601649191a66dc415ba901e2834 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F12_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=5d1f3e5a285a33860cc44f2bc45b9dd0 1600w)
The Dove Camp.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEvening_at_Dove_Camp_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=cfae62482b8d9dd736c94a8b1a72d67e 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEvening_at_Dove_Camp_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=e1745215e8d5342030a7f2fd41111515 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEvening_at_Dove_Camp_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=5a935dbeb01abd3d1078e2f23c317bbb 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEvening_at_Dove_Camp_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=70976bed6cd69c13086d0892d720662f 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEvening_at_Dove_Camp_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=da27ac27b0893ac1663eb0fa4e251a4f 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEvening_at_Dove_Camp_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=362c2c839244c6d6bfddeb0e54a56ce8 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEvening_at_Dove_Camp_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=3235b7948716e10a23425a2e4920a8cd 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEvening_at_Dove_Camp_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=43278d286e776a5dd15bdbcd3f5c470a 1600w)
Evening at Dove Camp.
Having travelled throughout South America over the years, and being immersed in the prolific prescense of the Inca Empire in tourist attractions, it was fascinating to see another facet of ancient culture on the continent. The ever-knowledgeable Juan Carlos filled me in on the details of this magical place, ending an amazing day exhausted and intrigued as much as I have ever been on my travels across the globe.
More blogs to come. In the meantime, here is a link to the new trip: Caribbean to Glacier Climb & Trek