For us, one
of the best reasons to travel is to go climb. Getting to know a new place with
friends and climbing on new rock is wonderful. Now, if you’re wondering if there’s
climbing in Colombia because you’re coming or might come, let me tell you:
there sure is! Colombia has some ridiculously amazing climbing, from an enormous
cave in the middle of nowhere with a waterfall spraying from its mouth to small
and famous crags an hour from the city. This is where to climb in Colombia.
Since I
talked about the cave, I guess we’ll start there!
Where to Climb in
Colombia
Florian
There are 4 climbing areas at Florian, one of which is this cave. Obviously, it’s the main attraction. As you gain height on the limestone tufas, all you can hear is the raging waterfall below you and your own yells as you crush your project (the waterfall only rushes during the rainy season). The other areas are cool too, though! This climbing area has everything from 5.10 to 5.14. Getting here is quite the journey because, like I said, Florian is in the middle of nowhere. Part of the drive is 48 km (30 miles) of unpaved roads, putting Florian at about 5 hours from Bogota! There is a new guide for Florian. For info on the guide, how to get there and more, read this blog post!
Suesca
If you’ve been researching where to climb in Colombia, I’m sure this place has come up. Suesca is Colombia’s oldest and most well-known climbing area. The rock is sandstonemnand you can find everything from 5.6 to 5.14 sport climbing and trad. Since this place is so popular, the rock is really slick, and almost everything is vertical. You’ll have a hard time finding something really overhung. Guidebooks are available at any Monodedo store in Bogota or in Suesca. This place is also just 1 hour from Bogota, Colombia’s capital city. Click here to read a full guide on Suesca!
Sutatausa
Sutatausa is also known as Sutanblue because of its similarities to the climbing in Fontainebleau, in France (so, sandstone). I’m not so sure about that, but it is Colombia’s best bouldering area. And though it’s known for its boulders, it also has sport climbing on the imposing cliff-line above. I love this place because it’s extremely beautiful… and it’s only about 2 hours north of Bogota! There is no official guidebook, but you can get a “guide drawing” at the nearby hostel. To read about that and other details regarding Sutatausa, click here!
Macheta
Now, if you read “vertical” for Suesca and didn’t like the sound of it, Macheta is the place for you. Everything is overhung and almost everything is above 5.12. But that’s old Macheta. New Macheta is VERY vertical, and has some gorgeous, extremely long routes that follow splitter cracks in the rock. The place is called the Hall of Justice. A 5-star name for a 5-star climbing area. About 2.5 hours north of Bogota, this spot is a must-visit! You can get a guidebook to Old Macheta at any Monodedo store in Bogota or in Suesca, but there is no guide for New Macheta. To read more about both areas of Macheta, click here!
La Mojarra
The Mecca of Colombian sport climbing. Orange, South American sandstone, amazing routes and a mountainous landscape make La Mojarra something out of a dream. When people ask me where to climb in Colombia, I always recommend this place. It has easy climbs and hard climbs, and they’re all beautiful. It’s 8 hours from Bogota and about 2 from the city of Bucaramanga. The weather is warm and the sun hits the cliff-line in the morning, giving climbers the excuse to sleep in to climb in the afternoon’s sweet temps. You can get a guidebook at Refugio la Roca, a hostel right above the cliff, or on their website. Read more about this climbing area in La Mesa de los Santos here!
Puente Reyes
This place, also known as La Peña de las Aguilas (The Eagles’ Crag, with no eagles though) is a beautiful climbing area in Boyacá. It’s right next to a river in an area of the country where the weather is constantly changing. It has over 40 routes, all on sandstone, with way more to be developed. It’s an almost perfect place for some sport climbing. There’s also a lot to do nearby! There’s quaint towns, like Mongui, hikes, and paradisical natural scenes, like the Laguna Negra. Puente Reyes has a guidebook (more like guide-PDF) which you can access here!
El Peñol
If you’re visiting Medellin, Colombia’s 2nd-largest and best city, you’re probably going to want to visit El Peñol. El Peñol is a gigantic granite monolith that rises from the ground beside a beautiful dam. As touristy as this place is, something VERY few people do is rock climb to the top. Just imagine people’s faces (because normal people can climb up an infinite staircase to the top) as you mantle onto the lookout and belay your partner up. El Peñol has sport climbing and trad from 5.8 to 5.12 and is one enourmous slabby slab.
La Peña
This place, close to Medellin, is said to be the climbing area with the most potential in Antioquia. It’s a young area, less developed than others, but already has over 40 routes from 5.8 to 5.13c and a hostal that’s also in its beginning stages, but is beautiful (another lodging option is the crazy “Aero Hostal”). From what I’ve seen in pictures and photos, the place is gorgeous and in the middle of nowhere. The development it has had is high-quality – they even have a guide already! La Peña is about 3 hours from Medellin. Click here for how to get there.
Choachí – Valle Escondido
This cloudy place right behind the mountains of Bogota houses some great climbing and the 6th tallest waterfall in South America. It’s called Valle Escondido, or Hidden Valley. Also, some (I) would say it’s magical. The climbing area is pretty undeveloped, but has the potential to be as amazing as La Mojarra. The rock, (surprise!) is sandstone. This climbing area is only an hour and a half from Bogota going east and definitely worth a visit! Another cool thing about this place is that its 3,100 meters (10,170 feet) above sea level. So you’ll get some high-altitude climbing! There’s a guide for this place, and you can get it there or at Zona de Bloque. Read a full guide on how to get there here!
Tona
Imagine a cliff-side with two levels. Each level has tons of different climbing – from vertical climbing much like La Mojarra’s to overhangs like Macheta’s. The potential is crazy! And I say potential because this place is just now being developed, and getting here is quite a journey. That’s what makes it so worth it. A friend of our bought some land to start a hostel and develop the climbing, and it feels in the middle of nowhere, although it’s 3 hours from Bucaramanga. Click here to read all about this place’s awesome story!
Well, I
hope knowing where to climb in Colombia has motivated you to come visit this
country, meet new people, and climb on new rock. If you are, maybe send us a
message and we’ll see if we can go climb with you!
Finally, if you like hiking at high altitudes, you might also enjoy reading about Colombia’s paramos!
