This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.
Packing for El Cocuy is trickier than it sounds. You’re not just packing for a hike. You’re packing for cold mornings, hot afternoons, sudden rain, and altitude that can catch even experienced hikers off guard.
Here’s what actually made it into my bags for two big hikes, Laguna Grande de La Sierra and Púlpito del Diablo, plus one acclimatization day. I’m also including a few things I wish I’d packed the first time.
That was our itinerary. It’s not a promise that one acclimatization day is enough for everyone.
What the park requires
- Day hikes only. This list is for permitted day hikes, and your overnight stuff stays at your accommodation outside the park. Camping, overnight stays and glacier entry aren’t allowed inside the park.
- Age. Kids under 10 can’t enter. Being old enough to get in doesn’t automatically make these hikes a good fit for your kid.
- Confirm with Parques Nacionales before you go: your trail reservation, an authorized guide, registration and induction, and the required accident-and-rescue insurance. Finish registration and induction at least the day before you enter.
- Conditions change. Check current trail and access notices with the park and your guide.
Quick note before the list: the links throughout are either the exact gear I used or the closest thing I could find. This was my sixth year doing a big annual adventure trip, and I spent years testing gear in Colorado before that, so I’m linking the kinds of things that have held up for me on trail after trail. If a link is a close match instead of my exact gear, I haven’t necessarily tried it myself. Check the current model and its instructions before you buy.
Clothing
Layers matter more than any single piece of gear on this list. Temperatures swing fast in the páramo, so you want options for cold mornings and for warmer midday sun.
- Head and hands: Beanie, a full-coverage hat, and a performance cap. Add a balaclava, since the park requires head and face protection. Plus glove liners and waterproof gloves.
- Next to skin: Sports bras, merino wool hiking socks, and performance underwear. I brought an extra of all three. Avoid cotton like the plague. Add 2 base layer tops and 2 base layer bottoms.
- Layers and outerwear: Fleece, puffer jacket, rain shell jacket and rain shell pants. Plus 2 pairs of hiking pants.
- Feet: Hiking boots, plus something comfortable for evenings that isn’t sneakers. Your feet will thank you.
- Around the pueblo: Shower shoes and a bathing suit for the termales outside the park.
Gear
- Pack: A 20L pack is one option, but make sure it holds your water, food, warm layers, rain gear and emergency supplies. Check the day’s load with your guide before you pick a size.
- Rain protection: Rain cover for your pack, plus a way to keep your spare clothes dry.
- Trekking poles: Trekking poles helped more than I expected on the steeper, rockier sections.
- Nice to have back at the hostel: Theragun and/or a heating pad for sore legs at the end of the day. I brought both and was not mad about it. Follow the device instructions and check the charger or power label so it works with local outlets.
Don’t stop at my shopping list
The park’s mandatory equipment list (section 7.2) has a few things that aren’t on mine:
- Light: a flashlight with spare batteries and a spare bulb. Talk to your guide about backup lighting that suits your particular light.
- Water and food: a reusable water container and ready-to-eat, calorie-rich food.
- Trash: a bag to carry your rubbish back out. That includes wipes and food scraps. Check the park’s single-use-plastic restrictions before you pack snacks.
- Clothing and protection: warm and waterproof clothing, suitable footwear, gloves, a balaclava, SPF 50+ sunscreen and 100% UV-protective sunglasses.
Water and safe refills
What the park says
- How much: The park’s visitor page suggests around 4 liters of water per day. Its older equipment annex says a minimum of 4 liters. Talk through the amount and any refill plan with your guide before you leave. Your needs depend on the hike, the conditions and your health.
- Don’t count on the stream: A clear stream or a suggested refill point isn’t automatically safe to drink untreated, and I can’t promise safe refills along the way. The CDC’s hiking-water guidance explains treatment options for water you’re unsure about. Sort out safe drinking water before you go in. (And no, that doesn’t mean lighting a fire in the park.)
What I did
- Mine’s an Osprey with room for a hydration bladder, and it made refills easy on our trip.
If you bring a filter
- LifeStraw: Check the exact model. Common microfilters remove bacteria and parasites but not viruses, and purifier models differ. Follow the manufacturer’s filtration guidance and cold-weather instructions, because freezing can damage a wet filter.
- Don’t overdo it: Extra water or electrolytes won’t prevent altitude illness, and forced overhydration can be harmful.
Health & Hygiene
- First aid: First aid kit, your personal medications and any wound-care supplies you need. Neosporin was on my original list, but you don’t need it in every kit, since most minor cuts don’t need topical antibiotics. Buy specific supplies before the trip instead of counting on the pueblo to have them.
- Sore spots: KT Tape and blister bandages.
- Electrolytes.
- Hygiene: Toiletries (my fave containers), wet wipes (great for the bus ride and the trail, just carry the used ones back out) and hand sanitizer.
- Sunscreen: SPF 50 or higher. The park requires it, even when it’s cloudy.
- Sunglasses: 100% UV protection, which the park also requires. I’m a big fan of Blenders for activewear, but check the UV rating on your actual pair.
A Few Things People Forget
- Cash. Bring enough for anything that might not take cards, and check payment methods with your lodging, guide and transport before you go.
- A portable charger. Our hostel had plenty of outlet extenders, but my phone battery drained faster than I expected. I had my Garmin and Oura connected, though I can’t say for sure that’s what did it. You’ll want your phone charged for photos, not just emergencies. Flying? Check the operating airline’s battery rules. Under FAA rules for U.S. flights, power banks go in carry-on baggage, have to come out before you gate-check a bag, and need protection against damage and short circuits. Check the bank’s Wh rating and the airline’s current limits.
- Earplugs. Between the long bus ride and a small pueblo that can get lively, especially around the holidays, a good pair goes a long way.
- ID, park documents and the required insurance. Carry the ID the park asks for, your entry ticket and registration, and proof of the required accident-and-rescue insurance. Don’t assume an ordinary travel policy covers it. The hostel we stayed at managed this for us and I had copies on my phone. Offline copies make good backups, but check which originals or formats the park requires for your visit.
Temperature to Plan Around
Gear rated for around 40°F (4°C) worked well for us on that trip. That’s what we experienced, not a forecast, so don’t treat it as a minimum. Pack like you’ll be cold, because up top you usually are. Check conditions with your guide, and bring insulating layers, waterproof and windproof outer layers, gloves and head protection, plus a way to keep spare clothes dry. Wet clothing and wind make you lose heat faster, and the park’s checklist calls for protection against extreme cold.
Packing doesn’t replace acclimatization
A good packing list means less energy wasted on being cold or uncomfortable. It doesn’t remove the risk of altitude illness, and neither does gear or fitness. Plan a gradual ascent. As the CDC explains, acclimatization takes time, and our one-day pause isn’t a plan for everyone.
- Mild symptoms: A headache, nausea, dizziness or unusual breathlessness. Tell your guide and don’t push higher through them. If they get worse, go down.
- Emergency signs: Confusion, trouble walking, or breathlessness at rest. You need urgent help and descent with your guide or a rescue team. Don’t wait to finish the hike.
More El Cocuy Guides
- How to Get to El Cocuy, Colombia: The Full Route Guide: The route from Bogotá, bus options, driving tips, and where to stop along the way.
- Where to Stay in El Cocuy: Hostal El Caminante: Why this hostal, run by Marta, made both of our trips easy.
- The History of El Cocuy: Pueblo, U’Wa Culture, and the Páramo: The story behind the name, the U’Wa’s connection to the mountain, and what makes the páramo so rare.
- The El Cocuy Trek: Laguna Grande de la Sierra and Púlpito del Diablo: What the hikes were like and what they cost us. Bringing kids? Start with the park’s current age rules, then think hard about whether the altitude and route suit your child.
Leave a Reply