Ozogoche Lakes

Ozogoche is a set of paramo lakes at about 3,800 metres in the southern part of Sangay park, open cold grassland, dark water and almost no shelter, and it is known for one thing that has never been fully explained: every year in late September, cuvier plovers, small migratory birds arriving from the northern hemisphere, plunge into the lakes and die in numbers, an event local Kichwa communities have observed for generations and mark with a festival. Explanations offered include exhaustion, cold shock and disorientation, none conclusive. Outside that week it is a quiet, wind-scoured place for walking and camping, with trout in the larger lakes and communities grazing sheep and llamas on the slopes.

Highlights

• The September plover event - the unexplained annual bird deaths.
• Open paramo lakes at 3,800 metres - dark water in bare grassland.
• Community grazing - sheep and llamas on the surrounding slopes.
• The festival held for it - the local commemoration each year.

When to go

June to September for the driest weather; late September for the plover event and the festival. A day, camping to stay. It is bitterly cold and exposed at night.

What to expect

The road in is rough and long and needs a capable vehicle. There are no facilities. Weather is harsh even in the dry months. The bird event lasts days and is not predictable to the date.

Nearby

Guamote is north-west; Sangay park surrounds it.