I travelled to the Andes in the summer of 2005 and it was one of the most exhilirating experiences of my life. I started by journey from the large town of Merida. I found this to be the perfect starting point as there is everything you could possibly want: many english speaking guides who are more than qualified and registered with reliable companies. The town itself is also quite nice with its meandering streets and bustling markets. However trekkers should be advised that it is very very hard to find any fuel for your stoves. After a short stay in Merida to stock up on the esentials we set off to the mountains. The trek itself lasted 5 days and was very strenuous in places. In particular the first day or so where tempertaures were in the 30s and the path was very steep. However after a day or so you reach a 'valley' in th mountains and the temperatures drop significantly, sometimes to as low as -5 at night. The summit day wherever you are ussually includes a quick dash up the top of a peak with as little kit as possible an then a faster dash down. To anyone contemplating such a trek i would advise them to acquire good kit, (boots, tent, sleeping bag) and i would also say reading about the affects of altitude would be a good idea as someone did collapse in my group.
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