Deep in the mountains of Santander, about 2 hours from Bucaramanga, there is our friend, Silvio Bejarano. His vision, quite literally, since you can see it from his front door, is a cliff-side with incredible climbing potential. He moved there by himself to launch his hostal, La Antigua Floresta, and develop the climbing nearby. This place is worth visiting because it is going to be big in the climbing community. It already has some spectacular climbs, without even scratching the surface. Plus, out there you really are far from civilization, so it’s a great place to take a deep breath of nature and rest. Read on to get to know La Antigua Floresta and the new climbing area close to Bucaramanga and Tona!
If you’d like to read about another great climbing spot close to Bucaramanga, click here!
How to Get to La Antigua Floresta
(Find a map to get to La Antigua Floresta from Bucaramanga at the end of this blog post!)
Traveling on Colombia’s bus system is usually easy and inexpensive, but getting to La Antigua Floresta is quite complicated, so we recommend getting there in a car or motorcycle. If you need transportation from Bucaramanga, you can contact Silvio and he’ll set it up for you (more on that below).
With a GPS: look up “La Antigua Floresta, Tona, Santander” on Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions. Park your car at an entrance to a path on the road, shortly after passing “El Gramal” (I marked the spot on the map below). Someone will meet you there for the hike up to the hostel.
Without a GPS:
- Exit downtown Bucaramanga on the road to Cúcuta from Megamall. At kilometer 18, take the second exit on the roundabout headed towards Tona.
- When you enter the town of Tona, keep going straight, passing the plaza. Head up the road until “El Gramal.” This is the last place you can buy groceries. We recommend you buy them here to support the local economy!
- Continue 10 minutes until you find the entrance to the hostal on a wide curve (marked on the map). You can leave your car inside the fence.
- From here, you have a 30-40 minute hike left to get to La Antigua Floresta!
What to Do at La Antigua Floresta
- Rock Climb!
At the time we visited in October, 2020, there were 17 routes, 11 in one climbing area and 6 in another. All were slabby, but we watched as Silvio bolted a 3-bolt roof with some crazy moves. Further up the cliff (on the second pitch, which you can climb up to on a via ferrata) are several undeveloped climbing areas. There’s everything from insane, layered overhangs to long-ass cracks to slabs waiting to be bolted, and surely of every climbing level. This place is going to have a lot of classic climbs, so it’s worth a visit… and if you can contribute just a tiny bit to developing it by simply visiting and having a great time, I’m sure our buddy Silvio Bejarano would greatly appreciate that.
- Hike Along the Whole Edge of the Middle of the Cliff
One of the days we visited Silvio, he showed us one of the hikes on which he plans to take people. You start off hiking up to the first climbing area and along the edge of the cliff where there’s a via ferrata to climb up to a ledge in the middle of the cliff. This ledge spans the entire length of the cliff. From there, you keep hiking all the way up through valleys and boulder fields as you watch the clouds roll in and out of the panorama. The whole way, you have incredible (potential) climbs above your head. It was an 8 hour hike with lunch stop and everything, and worth every moment!
- Get in the River
It will be cold! But in a place with so many rivers and watering holes, you just have to take advantage of them. Pretty much every hike runs across a river or creek, so your options are extensive. Lale actually got into the pool from where La Antigua Floresta gets its water and helped clear the pipe of leaves (everyone gets their water from the rivers here, since there is no piping system, and it’s absolutely drinkable).
- Pick Andean Blueberries
There are scores of Andean Blueberry plants behind La Antigua Floresta. During a chill day, there’s nothing quite like picking blueberries and then making jelly, dessert or pancakes with them.
- You can Apply to Volunteer
As of now, La Antigua Floresta has a ways to go. Silvio is looking to make it a proper hostel for climbers and non-climbers alike, with a capacity to host lots of people and make them feel like they’re at home. If you’re looking to get cheaper lodging, want to get your hands dirty or would like to help develop this upcoming climbing area, we suggest you contact the place and see what you can set up! (Contact info below).
- Eat. A lot.
One thing La Antigua Floresta has had from the start is a fully equipped kitchen. They even have one of those industrial ovens with four doors! We made some delicacies while we were there: French bread, lasagna, pizza, cinnamon rolls, some delicious oatmeal and pancakes with Andean blueberries and more. Silvio is a great chef, or you can pay for cooking space. You’ll have to hike in with all your groceries, so choose wisely. Still, I’d say a difficult hike is worth it for a full belly at all times.
Biosafety
The hostel has important biosafety protocols for everyone’s safety. You have to make a reservation beforehand, fill out a Health Statement and Liability Exemption Form and disinfect yourself and your belongings upon arrival. The maximum number of climbers allowed during the pilot program is 8 climbers in the climbing area.
Some Things to Know
- To contact Silvio directly, you can call or WhatsApp him at (321) 389-9107. You can also message him on Instagram on La Antigua Floresta or Escalada Tona‘s pages. Drop them a follow too to support this venture!
- Staying at La Antigua Floresta costs $25,000 pesos per day.
- You can rent all sorts of camping and climbing gear.
- Low or old cars might have trouble on the last stretch of the journey up. If you want to play it safe, you can take the same road from above, though it is a longer trip.
- Before getting to the hostel, you have to hike a 1.5 km path from the road. We highly recommend taking luggage with which you can hike (learn from our mistake)!
- As of October, 2020, there are 11 climbing routes in one climbing area and 6 in the other. Routes are being opened as often as possible, but nuts and bolts are expensive, so the endeavor may be slow at times.
- There is ONE toll from Bucaramanga to La Antigua Floresta, and none on the way back.
- The cell service that connects best in this area is Claro.
We truly hope this helps make up your mind to visit! It’s a new climbing area close to Bucaramanga, and its going to be huge. If you’ve been wondering where to climb in Colombia or Santander, this is as good a place as any. Let us know if you do!
If you’d like to see a long list of climbing areas in Colombia, click here and read on!
