Climbing in the Bogota countryside: Suesca, Sutatausa and Machetá

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Sport climbing in Machetá

  Your guide will meet you in Bogota and you will drive for two hours north, on picturesque mountain roads, to the warmest municipality of Machetá. You will park at a country house overlooking the Tenza valley, then walk 20 minutes to the cliff. The beige sandstone walls of Machetá offer spectacular overhangs and roofs on the side of a mountain ridge. This is one of the newest sport climbing areas in Colombia, with more than 30 routes currently and more under construction. Most of the routes in Machetá are fun and overhang on solid rock, ranging from 6a to 8a, but there is also a collection of moderate climbs from 4 to 5b on vertical rock, with holds and positive edges. You will spend the day climbing routes from 12 to 21 meters, with the Tenza valley as a backdrop, and spend the night at the country house.

• day 2

  Rocky blocks in Sutatausa

  After an early breakfast, you will drive two hours northwest to the hills of Sutatausa. The problems in this wonderful world of boulders are endless, ranging from V0 to V10 and beyond. Depending on the location and the difficulty of the climb, the hikes can last from 10 to 30 minutes. Some boulders are found on wide open hillsides and others in shaded forests. No matter where you choose to go, the scenery is idyllic and the problems are numerous. Bouldering is the best way to improve climbing technique and your expert guide will be your attentive spotter and coach. A few hard sport routes are also available if you miss climbing with a rope. At the end of the day, you will head to a nearby campsite with bathrooms and hot showers, and spend the night in a tent under the stars.

• day 3

  Traditional climbing in Suesca

  From Sutatausa, you will drive south for an hour and a half to the gray cliff of Suesca, which stretches for more than a kilometer. Suesca is the birthplace of climbing in Colombia and continues to be the hotspot for the sport among locals due to the quantity, variety, and quality of its routes. Its surprisingly ogival hard sandstone wall has more than 300 routes ranging from 4 to 8b+ and offers everything from slabs to roofs, splitter cracks to pockets. Although Suesca has a large collection of single-pitch sport routes, the highlight of the place is its long, unbolted line. The highest part of the wall is 130 meters high and is climbed in four pitches. You spend the day climbing multi-pitch routes and enjoying the view of the fields and forests hundreds of meters above the ground. In the late afternoon, with many more meters under your belt and new experiences on your climbing harness, you will return to Bogota in an hour and a half drive.