Just got back from a trip to Colombia and although it's not known much as a climbing destination it should be. The weather is great for climbing, there are brief showers but they generally don't soak the cliffs and temps are very comfortable with days in the 60's and nights in the 40's.
Very cheap too, 10 days cost us about $500 and we also explored Bogota and did some birding in the cloud forest.
The rock is compact sandstone that does get polished fast. Lots to do in the 5.8-5.12 range. The rock is steep and pocketed sometimes with Huecos other times it's like pocketed limestone which has good pro though it's hard to get used to the types of placements. Good cracks as well. Grades were a bit all over the place, some 10's felt like pumpy 9's some felt like 11's. We mostly did 5.10 mixed routes (bolts and gear). We did one spectacular 4 pitch 5.8 called Suerte. We brought a very small rack, nuts and 1 each blue alien to gold camalot, but many of the full length routes require #3 & #4 camalots, I wish we had doubles of .75 & #2 camalots.
The best part was the cliff flora, nothing like doing a move next to a bromeliad!
Our Hostal
The cliff extends for 3 km and is maybe 300 feet tall at its highest.
Ready to start a 10a called Alcatraz
Taking a lap on Alcatraz, it was so good!
A nice bolted 5.8
Some climbers getting ready for Alcatraz
The end of poetry 5.10b
Easy climbing on big holds, just steep at the end!
A sandbagged 5.10b, more like 10d/11a!
Some local armed law enforcement making sure topropers aren't clogging up the multipitch routes.
Part 2 on the way...
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