Parque Nacional Cajas

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Parque Nacional Cajas was as beautiful as everyone has said - and more!

After struggling to find a guide in Cuenca, I decided to head out to Cajas alone. Thankfully, I met Simon on the bus who was planning to hike there that day as well. We got to the Ranger´s station and he said we didn´t need a guide so we set off alone and had ourselves a fantastic adventure!

We hiked for 6 hours up and over montañas, through swamps, around lakes, got ourselves lost, and attempted to cross and alpine forest but thought better of it... It was such fabulous scenery though, that even as it was getting late and we became worried about being stuck on a mountain, our spirits were high. All the time, I kept thinking that Cajas is the best of the the Scottish Highlands mixed in with the Lakes District - muy muy bonito!

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Being revitalised by all the fresh air, I decided to stay the night in the refugio with Pedro, the Ranger. That was great for my Español practicar but V V cold... even with 4 thermals, a fleece and sleeping bag, I could hardly sleep and my fatal mistake was that I had brought no food to speak of. Needless to say, in the morning I was cold, tired and weak so as beautiful as Cajas was, another day of hiking was not on the cards for me...