9th January 2025

The Lost City, also know as Ciudad Perdida, or Teyuna by the locals, is the ruins of an indigenous civilisation that sits in the Colombian Sierra Nevada, believed to be founded in 800 AD, predating Machu Picchu. The city was thought to be a place of significant importance to the indigenous, hosting sacred ceremonies. It became popular for tourism after a group of hikers were taken hostage by a guerrilla movement that was warring with paramilitary back in the early 2000’s. It turns out there really is no such thing as bad media! The mountains surrounding the city are now safe and conditions for hikers much better due to this increased tourism. Like Machu Picchu, you need a permit to hike up, only accessible via a tour group.

We were picked up from our hostel at 7am and squeezed into a jeep with two benches at the back facing one another where we were joined by 6, tall, broad shouldered men also keen to hike to Teyuna. We were all knee-to-knee and elbow-to-elbow trying to keep our distance in the now tiny jeep, perspiration developing between limbs of strangers. The drive up the mountain justified the need for a 4×4, it was very bumpy and saw us crossing several fords. We were way up in the jungle now, thick green vegetation lining curvy mountains. At the top we stopped in a town called Machete, where we had lunch before starting our hike.

Today we would only be hiking 10km to the first camp, called Alfredo. We walked slowly to begin with, stuck behind a guide who was assessing our speed along a road. Evidence of landslides littered the place and a truck and crew were working on what appeared to be a clean up effort. I spoke with the guide who said that all of this occurred in the rainy season and now they were working their way down the mountain restoring the path. As we climbed it became obvious that there had been an accepted defeat to the landslides as the mud had been groomed over the concrete as if to create a new path. Before long the road became muddy and we walked into the jungle, becoming cooler under the leafy shade.

Every couple of kilometres our guide would stop us for a break under wooden shelters with a small shops run by locals. At most stops, we were offered snacks by the guides, watermelon and pineapple were common, but at one hut we were given a spoonful of bitter cacao mixed with sweet honey spooned on top of a melon slice.  

The camp was nicer than expected and hosted about 30 bunk beds under a shelter without walls, each bed with a white mosquito net. The mess hall was also under the shelter and had four long tables for resting and eating. We showered in cold water before hanging up our dirty clothes in the pitiful attempt to dry them. We dined together and then clambered into bed. The hum of the jungle and the running of the river below was the last thing I heard as sleep found me.