By Manuel Rueda (Published in the Bogota, City Paper March 2009)
The mountains around Bogotá have professional Rangers who organize treks for those who appreciate nature and a walk in the woods.
Juan Carlos Higuera is a man who knows the mountains around Bogotá. Every morning he runs up and down the cerros orientales drinking water from clear streams. As an experienced guide, he looks for new routes and guides school excursions up a trial that starts at the La Vieja stream near the Avenida Circunvalar with Calle 71.
Today he´s walking at his own pace following a path lined with ferns, eucalyptus and plants endemic to the hills, such as the broad leafed lengua de vaca, cows tongue, and the medicinal uña de gato or ‘cat’s claw’.
The Claro de Luna trail which Higuera knows well was built back in the 17th century under orders of Juan de Borja, a Spanish conquistador. It formed part of an elaborate path system uniting small towns reached only on foot and horseback with the seat of power in the colony SantaFe de Bogotá.
“The eucalyptus is actually a foreign species,” claims Higuera as we ascend slowly above the metropolis from its 2600-meter plateau. “The Spanish brought it here because its wood made for good construction material.”
The Eucalyptus, which began to reproduce naturally and has colonized much of the forest, poses a threat to streams and the water supply as it consumes large quantities of water. Although the water which flows down La Vieja has a steady current, Higuera claims that it was stronger back in the 19th century when the residents of Bogotá used to come and sit along its leafy banks, eating chicken sancocho and enjoying their baths.
“During the Christmas holidays, Bogotá’s wealthy families used to rent farms in what is now Chapinero,” says the Ranger with a smile. “Young couples used to come to this stream in order to fall in love.”Higueras has designed thirty routes through the cerros orientales and he is currently working on a book regarding the history and legends of the mountains. Bogota’s “Oriental Hills” - as Higuera likes to calls them -include over 14,000 hectares of protected forest that start at the southern most part of the city and extend north. The reserve is patrolled by 44 Park Rangers employed by the city’s water company, the EAAB. The mountains which rise almost a 1000 meters above the city also offer some incredible views of the savannah of Bogotá.
The trails are easy to follow and most hikers (caminantes) choose to walk the mountains without a guide. “Thefts are rare,” says Higuera, as “thieves usually prefer to work weekends.”
The trail at Quebrada de la Vieja in Rosales, and the one, which winds its way up from the Parque Nacional are popular with local residents, who also enjoy taking their dogs for a short walk in the forest. Some trails can be done at night, with the help of guides who work with the municipal government. There are also walks for those ‘supernaturally’ inclined.
Higuera lowers his voice when recounting some of the more ominous history associated with the Cerros. “There were lots of murders here and you can still hear the souls in pain,” says my guide recounting how during the worst days of the violence many missing persons would turn up dead victims of organized crime and vendettas. But the day is bright and Higuera prefers to listen to the birds and soak in the mountain’s “positive energy.”
Having started out in graphic design at an important Publishing house, Higuera turned his love for the mountains and passion for hiking into a career and founded Caminantes y Armonia (Trekkers and Harmony) fourteen years ago. At 34, he employs eighteen guides and the Alcaldia - Mayoralty - contracts his company for trekking excursions for schools across
the city. But Higuera prefers leading groups of adults because they tend to “appreciate things more.”Once a month, the local government hires Caminantes to organize a trek open to the general public. Anyone can sign up at one of the city’s official tourist information spots: PITs. “Life made me choose between mountains and design” says Higuera in a relaxed and thoughtful voice. By the smile on his face, it looks like he made the right choice.
