The Legend of the Five White Eagles, Guamanchi Expeditions of Mérida, Venezuela - The Leaders In Outdoor Adventure Tours and Tourism

"Once upon a time, 5 white eagles flew in a sky of blue - 5 huge eagles whose radiant bodies cast shadows over the hills and mountains. They came from the north! They came from the south! The ancient indians only say that the 5 eagles came from the shattered sky a time long ago ...

The mysterious birds flew about the naked crests of the mountain range. At last they settled, each one on a crag, fixing their claws into the living rock, and there they stayed, motionless, silent, with their heads facing north, their massive wings extended and raised again to the skies of blue.

Caribay (the first woman of the 'Mirripuyes' indians, inhabitants of the high Andes) wanted to adorn her armour with their rare and splendid plumage, and ran towards them so as to rip out the coveted feathers. But, a freezing glacier numbed her hands: the eagles had turned into 5 enormous blocks of ice!

... the white eagles woke up ...

They stood up furiously, flapping their monstrous wings, covering the ground with snowflakes, and the mountains were blanketed with white feathers ..."

This is the story of "The Five White Eagles" by Tulio Febres Cordero, based on American mythology, that describes the fabulous origins of the Sierra Nevada of Mérida. Today, the "Five White Eagles" are named Pico Bolivar (5007m), Pico Humboldt (4942m), Pico La Concha (4922), Pico El Toro (4755m), and Pico El León (4740m).

In the spirit of this legend, the name chosen for this outdoor adventure company, Guamanchi, means "Our Eagle" in Quichua (a language of the South American Indians). We invite you to join us for a excursion in this land of magnificent beauty. From 1 day to 14 days, mountain biking to paragliding, bird watching to ice climbing, we have the experience you are looking for.