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Ritacuba Blanco climbing

Ritacuba Blanco ascent in Colombia

Go on this Colombian Andes traverse to the Ritacuba Blanco summit. Join Edy, IFMGA certified mountain guide, on an amazing intense and complete program.


MOUNTAIN RANGES

Andes

DURATION

15 Days

OFFER PERIOD

Jan

FITNESS LEVEL

Fit

SKILL LEVEL

Intermediate

PAYMENT METHODS

Credit Card, Wire Transfer and more!

Description

Join me on this intense and amazing expedition towards the Ritacuba Blanco summit (5,411 m), in the Colombian Andes. I invite you to share with me this 15-day traverse to remember.

First, I will meet you at the El Dorado Airport, Bogota. Next day will be acclimatization day around the city of Bogota. On Day 3, we will transfer to El Cocuy (2,850 m), for our first acclimatization walk. I will guide you up the hills outside El Cocuy.

Next, we will transfer to Güican, to start our trek to Hacienda La Esperanza (3,593 m) for the night. On Day 6 I will lead you on a new acclimatization walk. This time we will walk through rocky ridges to Pico del Aguila (4,020 m). Later, we will descend back to the Hacienda for the night.

As from Day 7, we will spend several nights camping. I will lead you to Laguna Grande de la Sierra (4,514 m), a high mountain valley. Over the next two days we will climb new peaks in the areas. Two possible options are: Pico Concavo (5170 m) and Pico Toti (5,017 m).

On Day 10, I will show the way back to the Hacienda. Then, we will transfer to the Kanwara Huts (3,976 m). And on Day 11, we will finally get closer to our main goal. That day we will trek towards the Ritacuba Blanco High camp (4,500 m).

Finally, Day 12 will be summit day. I will guide you on the ascent to the Ritacuba Blanco summit (5,400 m). While this mountain is considered a "trekking peak", take into account that its ascent includes some moderate and steep slopes, as well as rough, rocky morain.

(Day 13 is reserved as spare summit day, to account for possible bad weather for summit day).

Also, note that the group will include from 4 to 8 mountaineers.

On the final days of the program, we will transfer to Villa de Leyva and Zipaquirá, before the final transfer to El Dorado Airport.

Interested in joining me on the Ritacuba Blanco ascent in Colombia? Contact me for questions and more details. Also, check out other mountaineering options, like Mountaineering in classic routes.

Price includes

- Accommodation included

- Guiding fee

- Breakfast

- Dinner

- Transport during the trip

- Group porters

Secure your spot with just 25% payment

48-hour free cancellation with 30-day advance booking


Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival: Bogota Airport

  • Meeting at the Bogota International Airport, El Dorado

  • Transfer to local hotel

Day 2: Acclimatization day: Bogota

  • Acclimatization day: free day to explore the city

Day 3: Transfer to El Cocuy

  • Drive to El Cocuy (2,850 m) in private bus

  • Overnight at hostel

Day 4: Acclimatization walk

  • Acclimatization walk up to 3,850 m

  • Trek up one of the hills outside El Cocuy

  • Overnight at hostel

Day 5: Trasfer to Güican - Hacienda La Esperanza

  • Transfer to Güican (1 hour)

  • Trek to Hacienda La Esperanza

  • Overnight at the Hacienda

Day 6: Acclimatization walk - Pico del Aguila

  • Trek up to Pico del Aguila (4,020 m), across rocky ridges

  • Overnight at the Hacienda

Day 7: Trek - Laguna Grande de la Sierra

  • Trek to Laguna Grande de la Sierra (4,514 m), high mountain valley

  • Overnight at camp

Day 8: Climb to nearby peak

  • Climb to one of the peaks of the area. Options:

    • Pico Concavo (5,170 m)

    • Pico Toti (5,071 m)

  • Overnight at camp

Day 9: Climb to nearby peak

  • Climb to one of the peaks of the area. Options:

    • Pico Concavo (5,170 m)

    • Pico Toti (5,071 m)

  • Overnight at camp

Day 10: Trek - Hacienda La Esperanza

  • Descent from camp base

  • Trek back to Hacienda La Esperanza – Lunch

  • Transfer to Kanwara Huts (3,976 m)

  • Overnight at the Huts

Day 11: Trek - Ritacuba Blanco High Camp

  • Walk to Las Lajas (3 to 4 hours)

  • Walk to Ritacuba Blanco High Camp (4,500 m) on glaciated slabs

  • Overnight at camp

Day 12: Ascent to the Ritacuba Blanco

  • Ascent to the Ritacuba Blanco (5,400 m)

  • Return to Cocuy

  • Overnight at hotel

Day 13: Spare summit day / Or Transfer to Villa de Leyva

  • Spare summit in case weather conditions are not good to ascent to the summit

  • Or Transfer to Villa de Leyva

  • Overnight at hotel

Day 14: Villa de Leyva - Zipaquirá

  • Explore Villa de Leyva

  • Transfer to Zipaquirá (just outside Bogota)

  • Overnight at hotel

Day 15: Departure

  • Transfer to Bogota International Airport, El Dorado

About the guide: Edy

Guide profile image

Edy

Mountain Guide

I was born in 1966. I was an aspirant Mountain Guide from 1986 and a Mountain Guide (IFMGA) as from 1989. In 1988, I joined the Mountain Guides company of Courmayeur, which was the 1st Italian guiding company and the 2nd in the world in 1850. From 1995 to 2001, I had the role of leading guide with as main function the coordination of the work and the promotion of the guiding programs we were organising.
From 1986, I worked in the Mountain Rescue Team of the Aosta Valley. I became a Mountain Rescue Instructor in 2000. As a mountain guide, I practice a lot mountaineering, rock climbing, off-piste skiing, ski touring, snowshoeing, etc.
The past 22 years, I have climbed with my clients many classic routes in the Alps, of mixed, ice and rock; I have climbed the mountains of South America (Aconcagua in Argentina, Cordillera Blanca in Peru, trekking in Torres del Paine in Chile and Fitz Roy in Argentina, the slopes of Alpamayo Pequeno, Sajama, Huayna Potosi, in Illimani Bolivia, Cayambe, Cotopaxi, Chimborazo in Ecuador). Each year, I keep on travelling the Andes with clients and friends to discover new mountains to satisfy the desire of mountaineering.

Languages

Italian | French | English

Certificates

IFMGA

What people are saying about Explore-Share

Kumari

5.00

I’m extremely happy with the ease with which I could book via your site reliable and experienced guide. Thank you so very much, and I’ve started to recommend your site to my friends. Dimitris is not only an awesome guide, but a wonderful person who was always looking out to give me the best experience I can have when he found out how much I love climbing! He is the Best!

Niklas

5.00

I am very pleased with Explore-Share! This was my first international climb, and the communication and response time were great. Herbie is a very skilled guide and very efficient. The entire booking process & payment was smooth. I will definitely use Explore-Share again. Thank you.

Greg

5.00

I was looking for a local guide for a hike I was planning and came across Explore-Share. They seemed to have good reviews and so decided to give them a try. The experience was very positive and completely happy with their service. I will be using them again for next trip.

Colin

5.00

Easy to set up and find the perfect trip. Informative site that is easy to use. Guides are all great to work with and communicate all arrangements needed. As simple as can be!

Lesley

4.00

Thank you explore-share for a wonderful via feratta experience. We have been wanting to learn for a long time but don't have the facilities in Scotland. The guide Mitja was extremely helpful and knowledgeable, answering all my many questions and providing advice. On the day head to take another group but he quickly arranged another guide Borut, who was brilliant. We had a fantastic morning learning via ferrata at Hvadnik in the gorge. It gave us the confidence to later hire our own equipment and go out in Mojstrana. Altogether a five star + experience. Thank you.

 

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