Go on this Colombian Andes traverse to the Ritacuba Blanco summit. Join Edy, IFMGA certified mountain guide, on an amazing intense and complete program.
Andes
15 Days
Jan
High
Intermediate
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.
- Accommodation included
- Guiding fee
- Breakfast
- Dinner
- Transport during the trip
- Porters
Meeting at the Bogota International Airport, El Dorado
Transfer to local hotel
Drive to El Cocuy (2,850 m) in private bus
Overnight at hostel
Acclimatization walk up to 3,850 m
Trek up one of the hills outside El Cocuy
Overnight at hostel
Transfer to Güican (1 hour)
Trek to Hacienda La Esperanza
Overnight at the Hacienda
Trek up to Pico del Aguila (4,020 m), across rocky ridges
Overnight at the Hacienda
Trek to Laguna Grande de la Sierra (4,514 m), high mountain valley
Overnight at camp
Climb to one of the peaks of the area. Options:
Pico Concavo (5,170 m)
Pico Toti (5,071 m)
Overnight at camp
Climb to one of the peaks of the area. Options:
Pico Concavo (5,170 m)
Pico Toti (5,071 m)
Overnight at camp
Descent from camp base
Trek back to Hacienda La Esperanza – Lunch
Transfer to Kanwara Huts (3,976 m)
Overnight at the Huts
Walk to Las Lajas (3 to 4 hours)
Walk to Ritacuba Blanco High Camp (4,500 m) on glaciated slabs
Overnight at camp
Ascent to the Ritacuba Blanco (5,400 m)
Return to Cocuy
Overnight at hotel
Spare summit in case weather conditions are not good to ascent to the summit
Or Transfer to Villa de Leyva
Overnight at hotel
Explore Villa de Leyva
Transfer to Zipaquirá (just outside Bogota)
Overnight at hotel
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
Kumari
5
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Niklas
5
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Greg
5
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Lesley
4
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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