Rock Climbing

Location:
Colombia

Climbing

By Lorraine Caputo

For those who get their adrenaline rush hugging the faces of cliffs, feeling for the next hand hold, the next foot hold, PNN El Cocuy has some special treats for you. Perhaps the most popular is El Púlpito del Diablo, a 5100-meter (16,728-foot), two-pitch challenge of not only rock, but also ice. Other places to climb include Portales (5100-meter / 16,728 feet, three pitches) and Morrenas rising amidst glaciers. The most death-defying escarpments lie on the west face of the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, going down into the llanos (eastern plains). On this side of the range are vertical climbs of over 700 meters (2300 feet), only for the most experienced rock climbers. The views over the llanos is said to be breathtaking.

Getting There
A guide is necessary. Contact an operator in El Cocuy, Güicán or elsewhere.

Travel Tips: Basic experience is needed; skill levels are from easy to highly difficult. A guide is necessary. Unfortunately, the prime area for rock climbing lies in the red zone of the country's civil war, an area in which activities cannot be recommended at this time.

Within the national park, trekking, mountain climbing, fishing and paragliding. In Güicán, the Camino Deshecho and petroglyphs, Aguas Termales (hot springs) and more hiking opportunities.