Colombian Mountaineer

Overview

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A unique expedition to a remote area culminating in the ascent of Ritacuba Blanco (5,411m) - the highest peak in the range

Introduction

This mountaineering expedition to Colombia visits the western side of the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy National Park with the aim of climbing Ritacuba Blanco (5,411m). The mountain and the acclimatisation peaks that we plan to climb are comparable to Cotopaxi in Ecuador. The expedition is therefore suitable for fit mountain walkers, with crampon experience.

Following your arrival and a city tour of Bogotá, you transfer by road to El Cocuy. El Cocuy is one of the most beautiful towns in Colombia, reminiscent of the charming white-washed towns of Andalucia in Spain. You spend two nights here, hiking in the surrounding mountains to a high point of 3,850m. You then travel to the mountain town of Güican and acclimatise on peaks up to 4,000m before continuing to the southern part of the range. Here, you’ll stay in a base camp area by “La Laguna Grande de la Sierra”, which is surrounded by six mountains with altitudes ranging between 4,900m - 5,270m. Depending on the weather and conditions, you’ll aim to climb two of these peaks over the next two days. By now, you should be well acclimatised and prepared for the main objective.

Ritacuba Blanco is a non-technical ascent on glacier from a high camp at 4,500m. From the summit there are outstanding views into the central Andes and to the flat lands of the Orinoquía with its snaking rivers. On clear days, it is possible to see the snow-covered peaks of Mérida, in Venezuela. On your return to Bogotá, you spend a night in the beautiful colonial city of Villa de Leyva.

Join us on Colombian Mountaineer

• We have been leading expeditions to Colombia every year since 2011
• This is a unique expedition to a rarely-visited and remote mountain range
• You trek through isolated valleys and over high passes
• Acclimatise on peaks and moderate glacial climbs up to 5,000m
• Interesting culture and scenery

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Tailor Made Trips

We can organise this expedition on a ‘tailor-made’ private basis for groups of friends, families, clubs, charities or any other group. The cost of going private can be surprisingly reasonable. Please contact us to discuss the itinerary and your preferred dates. We will then send you a quote, with no obligation.

Experience Required

Experience of ascending Scottish winter routes of grade I or equivalent is preferable for those joining this expedition.
You can gain mountaieering skills and train for this expedition on our Scottish Winter Courses and our Alpine Courses.

Additional Information

If you wish to discuss any aspect of the expedition or your suitability for it, please phone +44 (0)114 276 3322 or contact us.

Know Before You Go

Jagged Globe supports the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) ‘Know Before You Go’ campaign. We recommend that you read the FCO Travel Advice for Colombia on the FCO Website.

What the price includes

• Economy class return airfares from the UK (unless otherwise specified.)
• UK airport taxes.
• All hotel/airport transfers.
• 2 nights' bed and breakfast accommodation in Bogotá on a twin-sharing basis.
• 3 nights' bed and breakfast accommodation in El Cocuy on a twin-sharing basis.
• 3 dinners in El Cocuy.
• 1 nights' bed and breakfast accommodation in Villa De Leyva on a twin-sharing basis.
• 1 nights' bed and breakfast accommodation in Zipaquirá on a twin-sharing basis.
• 4 nights' full board accommodation in tents on a twin-sharing basis.
• 3 nights' full board shared dormitory accommodation in mountain huts.
• All road transport by private vehicles.
• All porterage costs.
• All costs for leaders, guides and local helpers.
• Jagged Globe kitbag or lightweight fleece.

What the price does not include

• Visa fees.
• Overseas airports taxes not paid in advance through the international airline ticket.
• El Cocuy National Park fee (estimated to be USD 30).
• Bar bills and laundry.
• Travel insurance.
• Lunch and evening meals in Bogotá, Zipaquirá, El Cocuy and Villa De Leyva.
• Optional trips.
• Tips.

Tailor Made Trips

We can organise this expedition on a ‘tailor-made’ private basis for groups of friends, families, clubs, charities or any other group. The cost of going private can be surprisingly reasonable. Please contact us to discuss the itinerary and your preferred dates. We will then send you a quote, with no obligation.

Insurance

You will need a travel insurance policy that caters for the activities you will undertake on your trip with Jagged Globe. It is a requirement of our booking conditions that you have such a policy. For a list of insurers who specialise in mountaineering, trekking and skiing, please see our Travel Insurance page »

Itinerary

Here is an outline itinerary for this trip. A more detailed day-to-day itinerary is available as a downloadable PDF »

Outline Itinerary

Day 1:	Fly to Bogotá
Day 2:	City tour
Day 3:	Drive to El Cocuy You leave Bogotá in the morning for the long drive by private bus to El Cocuy (2,850m).
Day 4:	Acclimatisation walk to 3,850m The aim today is to trek up one of the hills outside of El Cocuy, before travelling to Güican tomorrow.
Day 5:	Transfer to Güican and trek to Hacienda La Esperanza (3,593m) You drive for 1 hour to Güican, where you begin the trek to Hacienda La Esperanza, a working sheep farm and mountain hut.
Day 6:	Acclimatisation walk to Pico del Aguila (4,020m) Trek up rocky ridges of the nearby peaks for an extra acclimatisation summit caledl “Pico del Aguila” (Eagle’s peak).
Day 7:	Trek to Laguna Grande de la Sierra (4,514 m) Trek into a high mountain valley, where you'll set up base camp for the next few days.
Day 8 - 9:	Climb peaks Climb Pico Concavo (5,170m) and another peak in the same cirque such as Pico Toti (5,017m).
Day 10:	Trek to Hacienda La Esperanza and transfer to Kanwara Huts (3,976m) Descend from our base camp in the mountains, stop for lunch at the hacienda and drive to Kanwara.
Day 11:	Trek to Ritacuba Blanco High Camp The walk to Las Lajas should take between 3 and 4 hours to reach a campsite on glaciated slabs at 4,500m.
Day 12:	Ascent of Ritacuba Blanco (5,400m) You can expect an 8-10 hour day. The mountain is considered a 'trekking peak', with no technical sections, but it involves walking on rough, rocky moraine and ascending moderate snow slopes, with the final 50 metres to the summit being quite steep.
Day 13:	Spare summit day/Transfer to Villa de Leyva This day is effectively a spare summit day, in case the weather is not good enough to attempt Ritacuba Blanco on Day 13
Day 14:	Explore Villa De Leyva, transfer to Zipaquirá Zipaquirá is located just outside of Bogotá.
Day 15 - 16:	Fly home

PLEASE NOTE: Every effort will be made to keep to the above itinerary, but as this is Adventure Travel in a remote mountain region, we cannot guarantee it. Weather conditions, road conditions, vehicle breakdowns and the health of climbers can all contribute to changes. The expedition Leader and our local agent will try to ensure that the trip runs according to plan, but an easy going nature will be an asset!

Photos & Videos

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• Ascent of Ritacuba Blanco, Colombia

Reports & Reviews

First Expedition: Dec 2011
Total: 3 trips

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Team Member Reviews

There are currently no team member reviews for this trip.

Leader Reports

• Colombian Mountaineer 14 Dec - 30 Dec '12
  “I would have loved to have stayed in Colombia and so the next best thing was to return for a further expedition which was going to be JG’s third Colombian Mountaineer as a second team had a successful trip in June. This year there...”
  report added 04/Jan/13
• Colombian Mountaineer 17 Dec '11- 2 Jan '12
  “On the inaugural expedition in 2011, all eight team members completed the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy circuit exiting via the high dramatic pass of Bellavista (4800m) and a few days later, ascended Ritacuba Blanco (5400m) in perfect...”
  report added 04/Jan/13