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Climbing in Colombia / Escalando en Colombia (April/Abril)

Original Post
Juan Reyes · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 5

I will be in Colombia for the entire month of April and plan on climbing in Suesca and maybe near San Gil. I have my own transportation and gear but no partner... If anyone would like to climb during that time please let me know. I speak fluent spanish (i'm a native) and would love to climb with some locals!

Estare viajando a Colombia durante el mes de Abril y estoy planeando escalar en Suesca y depronto cerca a San Gil. Tengo transporte y equipo pero estoy solo y necesito un companero. Si alguien quiere escalar durante ese tiempo porfavor dejenme saber. Gracias!

keithm82 · · Longmont · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 5

Hi Juan,
Reading you post got me pretty psyched, but unfortunately I can't climb in Colombia during that time, working until the summer, but anyway. Heres some beta, I spent all last summer climbing and hanging in Colombia.

In Suesca, a few people to look for (locals): Sebastian Mejia lives in
Suesca and guides a bit. Super cool guy and always psyched to climb when he's not working. Also for info and possible partners, check out the restaurant, Vamanos p'al Monte, at the entrance to the rocks in Suesca. A bunch of nice people work there and there is probably people to partner up with when they aren't working. That restaurant also acts as a guide service (talk to Maria who is one of the owners).
Also another local climber owns a hostel there (Katty Guzman). The hostel's name is el vivac and is a pretty good place to stay where you can just walk to the crag

You should definitely climb near san gil, specifically la mojarra. It was my favorite place to climb in Colombia and an amazing area and great people. Go to Bucaramanga, then get a bus in. There is an awesome climbers hostel there, Refugio La ROCA that was just opened this past year and is owned by two Colombians, Alex and Richie. Really easy to find patners there and they are great people. They have a facebook site for there hostel as well.

Let me know if I can give you any more info or thoughts. You are in for an amazing trip

Keith

Juan Reyes · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 5

Keith,

Thanks for all the beta man. makes me happy to hear people actually travel to Colombia as a climbing destination, truly a beautiful country!

I'll definitely look for those people when I go to Suesca. La Mojarra was the place I was wanting to go and I had heard about the refugio, seems like a rad place. I was looking at prices per night though and it seemed pretty expensive (even with meals included)... I was wondering if they have a camping option if I were to bring a tent? I dont have a facebook so I can't contact them that way but perhaps i'll try calling. I'd really like to go up there but I don't have the funds to pay that much. I'll have a car so maybe I can stay somewhere else and take day trips to the crag.

Anyway, thanks again for your help. You in Longmont,CO? I might be living in Boulder this summer, if thats the case and you're around we can climb together.

cheers

sanz · · Pisgah Forest, NC · Joined Nov 2011 · Points: 210

If you make it down to Ecuador hit me up, I'll be in Quito until April 20. The best crags are further south but there is one sweet spot in the North called Cuyuja.

keithm82 · · Longmont · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 5

Hey Juan,

They do have a camping area that they made at Refugio La Roca that is right next to the main place where you could put a tent. There is also a kitchen you can cook in if you want. I think they just charge a few pesos for propane. You should definitely stay there. You can park a car there as well. Send Richie and Alexandra an email and they will give you all the information you need.

therocksheltercolombia@gmail.com

There is also some info on this blog, but I think they mainly use facebook now.
refugiolaroca.blogspot.com/

And I am in Longmont, so hit me up. I'm always psyched to climb and get out or whatever
Have fun and let me know if you need any more info

Keith

Juan Reyes · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 5

Keith,

Thanks again man, I sent them an email and have worked everything out so i'll be heading there for a few weeks. I'm incredibly stoked!

If i come through colorado i'll definitely hit you up.

Sanz - unfortunately i dont think i'll be making it down to Ecuador but if you make it up to Colombia let me know!

Tom Mulholland · · #1 Cheese Producing State! · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 50

If you happen to visit Medellin, we can climb at El Peñol. Suesca has tons more routes and lots of good stuff, but you can climb a few tall cracks and a lot of granite slabs at El Peñol. Really, I'd only recommend it though if you were planning on visiting Medellin as a tourist anyway. Anyway, if you need more info on that or on visiting Medellin, let me know! I live here!

Josh Kornish · · Whitefish, MT · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 800

Bump for Colombia! I was just in Suesca for 40 days. Super rad area!

Must do routes!

Gran Diedro 5.10 A0 or 5.11c mixed pro, Incredible dihedral and roof traverse

Soda y Limon 5.12a mixed, Incredible splitter!

Cara a Cara 5.9 trad, Super fun line up Betty Blue, Rapsioda Carioca is a great variation to the 3rd pitch.

Clavicula 5.6 3 pitches of Stellar huecos

La Creciente 5.10 trad

Mandala and Supernova 5.11d both are amazing sport lines with beautiful movement.

You´ll love Suesca! It´s a magical place! Make sure to get up into the Valle de Los Halcones and the Valle de Los Gnomos! Check out Macheta as well if you´re into Techos.

La Mojarra is also super rad! The previously mentioned hostal is great and if you camp it´s only diez mil / noche.

Juan Reyes · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 5

Thank you guys for all the help! Got everything figured out, headed to la mojarra on Monday for 10 days and then going to Suesca.

Josh ill definitely look for those routes.

Happy climbing to all!

Evan Belknap · · Placitas, NM · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 65

I'll be in Colombia in a couple weeks, looking for work around Medellin. Would love to go climbing if that works out. Lemme know!

Josh Kornish · · Whitefish, MT · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 800

Hey Evan I have some climber friends in Medellin. Let me know if you'd like that contact info.

Also in my opinion the climbing in Suesca is far superior to that in La Mojarra. You can find lines in La Mojarra all over the South West here in the States. Suesca on the other hand has really unique lines.

And the other line you HAVE TO DO is Inti Rami. Short roof on gear but super cool!

Ben Layson · · Sydney, Australia · Joined Jun 2013 · Points: 5

Hi Juan,
I will be finishing up working in Peru in the 1st week of April with no plans afterwards. Perhaps i could come up and meet you there? I'm from Australia so not a native spanish speaker but I will be all over central and south america for a while so I will get lots of practice. I can climb up to about 5.11b in sport. I don't have too much experience in trad but I would love to learn.
Ben

Daniel Cardenas · · Avon, CO · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 15

Ben, checkout the other Colombia forum under international that's on here, it's a little more current. My contact infos on there, for when you make it out here.
Daniel

Ola · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2013 · Points: 0

Hi All,

Is anyone still in South America climbing? I'm heading there in December and would like to find climbing partners. I'm specially interested in long multi pitch trad routes in Argentina but Colombia is also in my plans.

Ola · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2013 · Points: 0
Ola wrote:Hi All, Is anyone still in South America climbing? I'm heading there in December and would like to find climbing partners. I'm specially interested in long multi pitch trad routes in Argentina but Colombia is also in my plans.
Robert Fielding · · Thousand Oaks, CA · Joined May 2011 · Points: 195

I'll be in Colombia from late August till Oct. Let me know if anyone will be down to climb. Cheers!

Tom Mulholland · · #1 Cheese Producing State! · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 50

I'll still be in Medellín, and happy to climb with anybody!

On that note, I'm planning on going to the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy at the end of December, beginning of January for 2 weeks. If anybody is interested in high altitude mountaineering, high altitude technical climbing, high altitude camping, etc, let's do it!

Check out some of the photos and routes here: rutadirecta.info/2009/02/un…

Emily Durrant · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 0

I'll be in Colombia starting early Sept for a month or so, then on to Ecuador for a month or so. I'll be traveling with my harness and shoes (leaving my rope at home... it's so heavy!) and hope that I can make some climbing happen. I'm reading through the forum now!

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Extended Trips and International Partners
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