public transportation

There’s amazing places to climb everywhere, and there are great places to stay everywhere. But the sheer quality of the climbing and lodging at La Mojarra and Refugio la Roca is just something else. We can, without a doubt, say this is our favorite place to climb because of the entire experience. The climbing itself is on orange South American sandstone (more on the climbing later) and the hostel is a wonderful combination of a modern glamping destination for tourists and a simple, down-to-earth place for climbers to stay at a good price. This is how to get to Refugio la Roca!

There’s a new climbing destination being developed close by – click here to read about it!

How to Get to Refugio la Roca

(See a map to get to Refugio la Roca at the end of this post!)

In Public Transportation:

1. From Bogota: grab a bus from the Transportation Terminal or North Terminal heading to Bucaramanga (aprox. $75,000 COP). Tell the driver you’re getting off at Los Curos (you may want to remind them about 6 or 7 hours into the drive). After you get off, cross the road and wait for a Flota Cachira or La Culona bus going to Los Santos. Tell the driver you’re getting off at Refugio la Roca, and you’ll be there in about an hour! It will be on your left. All these spots are marked on the map below.
2. From the Airport/Bucaramanga/Piedecuesta: take a taxi to the bus station of Flota Cachira or La Culona in Piedecuesta (marked on the map below). Tell the driver you’re getting off at Refugio la Roca, which will be on your left. The trip takes about an hour and a half.

In a Car:

With a GPS: look for “Refugio la Roca” and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

1. From Bogota: exit the city going north. After the first toll, take a right at the bridge to go under it. At the next bridge, go over it while staying in the right lanes. Then follow directions to Zipaquira, Ubate, Susa, Barbosa and San Gil. There really is only one main road, so it isn’t too complicated. After going down Pescadero (the canyon), you’ll drive a while and get to Los Curos. Take a left on this narrow road and drive up all the way through the toll, which you don’t pay headed this way, and to Refugio la Roca (don’t go right towards Piedecuesta when given the option). The whole trip takes 8-9 hours and the roundtrip tolls cost $ 110,000 COP in total. There is ample space for parking at Refugio la Roca.
2. From Piedecuesta: get on the highway exiting the city towards Pescadero and Bogota. When you see a sign to Mesa de los Santos, go right. Stay on the main road. After a while, it will end at another road, where you’ll want to go right. Pass the toll, which you don’t pay this way, and you’ll be at Refugio la Roca on the left in about 40 minutes. There is ample space for parking there.

Refugio la Roca

This hostel is truly a unique place: it welcomes weekend city tourists and climbers, which are two quite different groups. Right on the edge of a cliff is where Refugio la Roca has its most exclusive lodges. Then there’s a variety of other places to stay, all the way to a more communal lodging style, where climbers tend to stay for long climbing trips (prices go from $490,000 pesos COP a night for the incredible lodges to $35,000 for the dorms). Climbers that stay for more than 5 nights, receive a 10% discount!

I’d say there are three things that we enjoy the most about Refugio la Roca (aside from climbing):

• Food: of course, if a place has good food, we’re going to love it. The kitchen at Refugio la Roca makes some of the best food I’ve had, and at great prices. We’re usually there on a budget for a climbing trip, but that doesn’t stop us from being able to enjoy. Many of their plates are named after classic climbing routes from the park. There’s not much else to say other than to recommend some food: definitely get the chicken sandwich with added bacon, as well as four-cheese pizza on the weekends. If there’s fresh bread, buy all of it (especially the chocolate bread and cheese bread).
• Beauty: this hostel really blends into the land where it’s located. There are so many trees, you can’t really tell how much there is or what it is from the road below. Most of the lodges are built as part of the cliff or the land, and there are platforms with amazing views where we love to sit and read. There’s something to be said about simplicity, and how it’s created very mindfully, it’s absolutely beautiful.
• Work: one of the best trips we’ve had to La Mojarra was out of the blue when Bogota shut down due to Covid and work became virtual for 2 weeks. Refugio la Roca has WiFi, so we were able to work without too many issues. When the WiFi wasn’t good, we used data. Signal is best at the crag, though. We worked half the day and would then climb every day after work. If only every day were like that…

The Rock Climbing

This world-class crag is called “La Mojarra.” The rock here is sandstone. It’s mostly vertical climbing, but there are a few parts of the crag with some really gorgeous, steep sections. This doesn’t speak for everything, but the climbing tends to be between ledges, with a variety of moves in between. If I were to compare La Mojarra to any place, it would be the Obed in Tennessee, USA (not the roofs, but definitely the vertical climbing).

One of the best things about climbing at La Mojarra is the sheer amount of climbing. You can get on everything from a 5.8 to a 5.14, and each grade has a ton of climbs to try out (except 5.14 – there’s only one of those, but there are lots of projects). Actually, one thing we recently noticed was the sheer amount of 5-star 5.13a’s. We’ve also had some really enjoyable volume days during which we just climbed 5.10s and 5.11s. It seems like they never end!

The main crag has two entrances – one from Refugio la Roca and the old way from the road. Either way, you get to a “park ranger” hut, where you sign in and out, and the bolted lines begin. From there, you can walk about 30 minutes to the end of the crag, where there’s a via ferrata. If you cross it, there’s even more climbing, although it’s chossier because it’s newer and further away. If you head back towards the Refugio and a little further, you’ll find yet another area (La Reserva) that’s also a little chossier, but very cool. Refugio la Roca usually hosts a competition/festival every January where competitors climb on new routes, so they’re always being developed.

If you’re looking for an amazing place to climb in Colombia, I seriously recommend La Mojarra. The weather is warm, but dry, and it’s quite simply a good time. We’ve gotten to know a lot of great people from all over the world coming to climb here –  it’s part of the awesome experience.

What to Do at Refugio la Roca and Mesa de los Santos (click here)

Some Things to Know

• There are 8 tolls from Bogota to Refugio la Roca and 8 on the way back – $110,000 COP round trip.
• If you are driving from Bogota, you should stop just outside of San Gil and try the best chorizos in a restaurant called Doña Eustaquia.
• The crag is open from 12:00-6:00pm on weekdays and 10:00am to 6:30pm on weekends and holidays. It’s closed on Mondays, but you can climb at La Reserva that day.
• Climbers get a 10% discount on lodging at Refugio la Roca when staying more than 5 nights.
• There is an entrance fee of $10,000 Colombian pesos for Rocas la Mojarra, but it’s free if you stay at Refugio la Roca. Other hostels have different deals. A 1-year pass costs $150,000 pesos.
• All cell phone carriers connect really well at the crag, but the signal for Movistar and Virgin Mobile are best at the hostel.
• There is a kitchen anyone can use. They also rent kitchen tools!
• Book here!

Now that you know how to get to Refugio la Roca, let us know how it goes!

Click here to read about the most impressive climbing area in Colombia!