SIERRA NEVADA DEL COCUY: CLIMBING PART 2

SIERRA NEVADA DEL COCUY: CLIMBING PART 2

NORTH

ERN COCUY

In this part of the massif you will find the highest mountains of Sierra Nevada del Cocuy: Ritacuba Blanco and Ritacuba Negro as well as La Aguja and Picos Sin Nombre. It is a 2-day trek from Cabañas de Kanwara to Laguna El Avellanal  - the base camp for the East Faces of the Ritacubas. The base camp - Las Playitas - for the "normal routes" is located in the western part of the mountains, 3 hours from Cabañas de Kanwara.


A good topographic map can be found HERE






RITACUBA BLANCO (Ritak U’wa Blanco)
elevation: 5,410m / 17,749ft

NORMAL ROUTE

The normal route (access from the west) is a relatively easy, non-technical climb, though basic glacier travel gear is required. It takes 4-5 hours to reach the summit from the base camp (follow the rocky paths and then moraine to access the glacier) and another 2-3 hours back.
Here is a Summitpost page with more detailed description of the route and some photos.

EAST FACE

 (access from Laguna El Avellanal)

“El Llano en Llamas” 5.10c / A2 (Daniel Anker)


It is the northernmost route on the East Face of Ritacuba Blanco (Route number 1* on the photo)

* There are a at least 2 variants of this route - “Blancanitos” and “Hermano Sol, Hermana Luna”



“Tierra de Condores” 5.12, 800m (Fernando Gonzalez Rubio, Ivan Calderon, Simon Kehrer, Helmut Gargitter, February 2010)

Route number 4 on the photo

“Viviendo Entre Tinieblas” 5.10 / A2+, 800m (Fernando Gonzalez-Rubio, Matteo Mazzieri, Hernan Wilke, 14 January 2003)

This is one of the most representative Big Wall climbs in Sierra Nevada del Cocuy
Route number 2 on the photo


RITACUBA NEGRO (Ritak U’wa Negro)

Elevation: 5,290m / 17,355ft

NORMAL ROUTE (access from the west)



The normal route passes a very thin and exposed ridge with cornices and drops up to 500 metres. Some snow/ice sections may have up to 70% inclinations

Here is a Summitpost page describing the route
 and a Video of the most difficult part of the route


EAST FACE (access from Laguna El Avellanal)

“Avellanal Estéreo” 450m, (Ricardo López, Fidel Pinzón, Henry García, 12 January 2009)

Very detailed description (in Spanish) with photos on Henry García’s blog

Photo of the route here

“Arista Nororiental” (The Northeast Ridge) 5.9, 600m (Juan Pablo Ruiz, Marcelo Arbeláez, 1978)

16 pitches with a couple of sections of an easy A1 artificial climbing. Good ledge around the 8th pitch for a bivouac (portaledge not necessary)
Description of the route
 here
Photos of the route, 
approach, and the first four pitches of the route.

LA AGUJA

Elevation: 5,000m / 16,404ft



East Ridge route
Access: on the way to Laguna El Avellanal turn left before Laguna de la Isla
see a map here
Good description (in Spanish) with photos on Henry García's blog

PICO SIN NOMBRE
Elevation: Elevation: 5,000m / 16,404ft



Access: from Laguna El Avellanal
Good photo of part of the route here
Check out Henry Garcia's blog for photos and detailed description

Read more: Pan de Azúcar

SEE MORE PHOTOS OF EL COCUY ON FLICKR

Posted in: Northern Cocuy