I am a beginner climber, but I always felt included in the daily plans, and safe wherever we went climbing. I am a yoga teacher, so it was a real treat to start each day with a calming practice up in the yoga house, which looks out over the rocks and the canyon below with a million dollar view. San Gil rafting was also super cool. The guides at Colombia Rafting are very safety conscious.
Vertical Thrills Colombia May 2020
World Class rock climbing and chill tropical vibes
Challenge yourself at Suesca Rocks, the birthplace of Colombian climbing
Sleep in an eco-lodge suspended from the side of the cliffs
4 Days of Rock Climbing at the Beautiful La Mojarra Cliffs
Challenge your abilities and learn new techniques at the three best rock climbing destinations in Colombia. Each area boasts unique and memorable accommodations along with world-class rock climbing experiences. Come for the climbing and fall in love with the culture. South America Rocks works with local expert climbing guides and tourism companies owned and operated by climbers. Come enjoy the buena onda (good vibes) and feel the difference for yourself!
Why Take This Tour?
Tackle three unique climbing areas that encompass an amazing variety of rock and distinct climbing styles
Push your limits on tricky single pitch sport routes, or follow your expert guide on a multi-pitch adventure
Sample traditional Colombian food and regional artisan coffee while exploring authentic culture villages throughout the country’s sub-tropical mountain ranges
Enjoy a wide range of exciting rest day activities, like Class V whitewater rafting or paragliding, or relax and soak your way to nirvana in beautiful, natural hot springs
Boutique accommodations literally built into the rock walls give stunning views and easy opportunity for apres climbing beers with local climbers and other travelers
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Trip Details
Trip Details
Price
$3699 per person
Trip Dates
TBD based on travel restrictions (15 days)
Meeting point
Bogota International Airport
Group size
Minimum: 2
Maximum: 12
Participation requirements
Must be at least 19 years old and have some outdoor climbing experience.
Included
Private transportation, all meals & accommodation, certified guide, group climbing equipment, lively tour wrap up party.
Not included
Alcoholic beverages, snacks, gratuities for guides and support staff, personal climbing equipment.
What to bring
- 2 pairs of rock climbing shoes in good condition,
- harness,
- belay device,
- safety tether,
- helmet,
- sporty clothes,
- swimsuit,
- sun hat,
- runners or approach shoes,
- travel insurance that covers climbing.
Number & type of staff for tour
Certified climbing guide, local driver, experienced co-ordinator (Will)
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Bogotá
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Day 1: All guests arrive in Bogotá. Will, the owner and experience coordinator for South America Rocks collects you from the airport for transfer to our hotel. We’ll then enjoy a welcome dinner where we will get to know one another and get excited about the trip ahead.
Day 2: Bucaramanga > La Mojarra
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Day 2: We hop on a flight to Bucaramanga, Santander. Once we land, we’ll take a private shuttle from the airport to La Mojarra climbing area.
Days 3, 4 & 5: Scaling the La Mojarra cliffs
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We climb La Mojarra’s beautiful red sandstone rocks while staying just up the hill on top of the cliffs at La Mojarra climbing resort. This location offers the best mix of chill accommodation and easy access to the rock. Enjoy artisan coffee with delicious breakfast. Warm-up with a stretch in the yoga house that’s known for its million-dollar view, before heading down to the rocks.
Day 6: La Mojarra > San Gil
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Squeeze in an early morning climb before getting on the road to San Gil. This cute little city has strong agricultural roots and a vibrant horse culture. And recently has grown into a a must-hit destination for outdoor enthusiasts traveling in Colombia.
Day 7: Exciting rest day in San Gil
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Awesome “rest day” activities in San Gil keep the adrenaline flowing while giving your climbing muscles a break. We suggest the Class V Rio Suarez rafting trip or a paragliding flight above the immense Chicamocha Canyon.
Day 8: San Gil > Barichara > Suesca Rocks
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Pack up and drive to Barichara, where we’ll spend the afternoon exploring this charming, colonial town. Next, we will drive onwards to Suesca Rocks, an impressive cliff band several kilometers long. We will spend the night in this town that is a popular escape from Bogota for city dwelling nature lovers and rock climbers.
Day 9, 10, & 11: Climbing at Suesca
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Explore the rocks at Suesca, the birthplace of Colombian rock climbing. Push your limits on tricky single pitch sport routes, or climb high on a multi-pitch adventure. Feeling bold and strong? Let’s take a day trip up the road to the steep and technical walls high above Macheta village. Or opt in for a relaxing soak at nearby hot springs. The choice is yours.
Day 12: Abejorral & Casa en el Aire
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Fly from Bogota to the Rio Negro Airport outside Medellin. Enjoy a traditional lunch and artisan coffee in the authentic town of Abejorral en route to La Pena. This night, we arrive at the famous Casa en el Aire (House in the Air), where we will sleep in an eco-lodge suspended from the side of the cliffs at La Pena de Abejorral climbing area.
Day 13 & 14: Rocks of La Pena de Abejorral
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The rocks at La Pena offer the best climbing within a day’s drive to Medellin. There are shorter and less imposing walls to practice your movement skills, and steeps and overhangs to max out at your limit. Whichever routes you climb, we all return back to the lodge hungry to feast on traditional dinner prepared on the neighbouring coffee farm. The friendly neighbours deliver hefty portions wrapped in big waxy banana leaves and we all hit the hay satisfied.
Day 15: Final Day in Medellin
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Drive to Medellin and enjoy a colorful tour of the legendary Communa 13. Later we wrap up our trip with a lively party, Colombia style! Enjoy the sexy and seductive nightlife that Medellin is famous for, but don’t miss your flights the next day. Or you might decide to stay forever…
INCLUDED |
NOT INCLUDED |
|---|---|
| Accommodation | Alcohol |
| All transport | Snacks |
| Qualified climbing guide | Gratuities |
| Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily | Flights |
| Climbing equipment* |
* Excluding personal climbing gear: shoes, helmet, harness, and belay device.
Good to Know
- Any attempt to speak a little Spanish will go a long way to earning smiles and friendly service to enrich your experience.
- Try to show up in good climbing shape to get the most fun out of each climbing day. Think grip strength training and steep bouldering technique to help you surmount the roofs and overhangs that make rock climbing in Colombia exciting and challenging.
- The climate tends to be cool in the evenings, especially high up in Suesca and Bogota, so pack proper pants and a jacket. Also, rain is common in the late afternoons, that’s why Colombia is so green and lush!
- Buy some Colombian pesos at home before you travel to avoid extra ATM fees, and carry a little US cash as a backup. I strongly recommend carrying multiple credit/debit cards as a backup in case you lose one.
What this trip has in store
See what our clients say about this tour
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Rock Climbing Tour In Colombia 2020
The whole trip was great. The rafting tour in San Gil on the Rio Suarez with Colombia Rafting was wild and exciting and we celebrated with the biggest burgers ever at Gringo Mike’s later that night. I had a great time working with Will on this South America Rocks climbing adventure.
The Colombia tour with South America Rocks was definitely a great experience! Normally organized tours is not my style of traveling so I was hesitant to sign up but I’m so happy I did. The climbing was excellent! I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
Having never really done a tour of any kind in the past, I was surprised at how organic everything felt. There was always an opportunity to detour, try new food, check out cultural things, relax, be lazy, etc. but somehow we still achieved all our goals. Having the opportunity to do some pretty hard climbing was great.
I went on a rock climbing adventure to Colombia with Will back in 2016. He researched a bunch of the best rock climbing areas in Colombia and invited me to join and I’m so glad I said yes. I absolutely loved Colombia. Every climbing area is unique and presents a different challenge. And we got lucky that Cocuy National Park was open and we summited a multipitch tower rising out of a glacier at 5000m called El Pulpito del Diablo. What a thrill!
Back in 2015 Will and I worked for the same rafting company in Squamish BC and we decided to take winter jobs rafting in Mendoza, Argentina. When rafting season slowed down we took our savings across the border to Chile for an epic climbing adventure to the massive granite walls of Cochamo. We brought supplies and equipment for 16 days of climbing and exploring the unspoilt Cochamo valley. And we ended up summiting two huge granite peaks, and climbing nearly 100 pitches of world class rock. I’ll never forget that winter I spent rafting and climbing around South America with Will.
