Pico Bolivar Pico Bolivar 5731 m Primary factor 5540 m Highest in Colombia. Location: North 10.82888, West 073.69055 (Estimate) Difficulty: AD ?? Attempted December 6th. - 14th. 2017.

Copyright Petter Bjørstad, 2015-2020.

Information:

A more detailed trip-report is available.

WARNING ! If you consider these mountains, then please read this warning

Route description:
The following is a brief outline of a trip that takes about 2 weeks, one should add 3-4 extra days for weather and other unplanned changes that would require extra time.
For more details, please see the trip-report referenced above.
The outline below assumes that the reader, as a minimum, refers to this map.
Note that a permit for climbing the mountain and for travelling across Kogi land, should be secured in advance. Also, one should have pre-arranged transport of gear and provisions with mules provided by the Kogi. These mules will typically start from Palmor. There are few opportunities for making camp outside of the places mentioned. A strong party could (perhaps?) skip an intermediate camp, but the need for proper acclimatization as well as keeping the mules happy must be kept in mind.
Day 1: Complete preparations in Santa Marta. Drive Hwy. 90 south to near location N11.00810, W074.21638, , turn left onto Hwy. 45 and continue to near location N10.74253, W074.10132. The road to Palmor starts here, this road is 4WD only. Continue on a rough dirt road to the very small town of Palmor. Palmor has a nice hotel on your left early on when you drive down the hill in the middle of town.
Day 2:Secure transportation to the end of the road. This section is very rough, you need a 4WD of Toyota Landcruiser quality or better. The straight line distance from Palmor is 6 kilometer, this took 2 hours with a skilled, local driver. The trail starts slightly downhill at location N10.72482, W073.99297, elevation about 1200 meter. Continue on foot to the Kogi village of Mamarongo. This is about 800 meter of (total) ascent and takes about 5 hours.
Day 3: We needed a full day in Mamarongo to visit the Kogi. If this can be avoided without any offence (or insult), then a day has been saved. See the trip-report. It is extremely important that the village of Mamorango fully supports your trip, this is where our contacts failed badly, see warning above and the trip report.
Day 4:Continue the trek along a pretty good trail from Mamarongo (1650m) to the very small place (a couple of Kogi huts) called Uramaka (2400m). The total ascent is near 1000 meter and about 4-5 hours is a reasonable time.
Day 5:From Uramaka, the trail climbs in a more determined way as you traverse a big hillside high above the valley river, then eventually join the river again, but now above timberline in an area where the valley is broader. You first arrive at a couple of huts called Dubungie, however the camp is about 100 meter higher at a large pasture and one Kogi hut. Elevation about 3670 meter. Trekking time about 4 hours. It may be a good idea to spend 2 nights here and do an acclimatization hike on the available day to well above 4000 meter.
Day 6:The trail continues up the valley and runs right next to an old wreck of a small airplane that crashed here. Keep right as the trail climbs the hillside and reaches the first mountain lake. The mules walk an alternate route here, staying more at the valley floor, then more steeply up to join the trail just before/below the first lake. The first lakes are all passed on the left, a short stretch on stepping stones in the lake below a steep cliff. After crossing higher on the left, the valley is crossed near a small pasture before a final ascent to a new (pretty large) lake with camp on its left side. Elevation about 4400 meter, about 4 hours of trekking.
Day 7:The route continues gently uphill and more lakes are passed along the way. There are two somewhat steeper sections where the cairns should be followed closely, in particular for the mules to find a way up. One then arrives at a spectacular high camp right next to a lake and with a panorama view directly at the Simons mountain with a large glacier in front. This camp is at 4890 meter and the mules do not go any further. We camped here, but a strong and well organized party should consider pushing on to the final camp in the same day. Another good possibillity is to camp at the pasture that is located at the lowest point (see description under Day 8) of the route from here to the final (base) camp. This is better for acclimatization and gives the party an easy day before a first summit day.
Day 8:Proceed with heavy backpacks across rougher terrain (there are cairns marking a reasonable route), to gain a distinct col at about 4940 meter of elevation. Next descend, as the route follows a very narrow valley. This descent has three distinct steps. First, down to a tiny lake/pond. Next, down to a second pond, then a somewhat longer descent to a distinct meadow/pasture. This marks the lowest point on this route. Continue right and cross several morraines while climbing to the final campsite, located at about 4580 meter of elevation.
Day 9:From camp, one can look up the valley and see the lower end of the main glacier that flows down from Pico Cristobal Colon and Pico Bolivar. The key is to access this glacier (or rather another branch of it), high up on the right hand side. We initially went up to the north col on the left hand side, a route that led to nowhere.
Day 10, Summit day:Proceed up passing the small lake that lies slightly higher in the valley, then on good slabs of smooth rock to about 4700 meter of elevation. Turn right, cross the small stream and pick a good route directly uphill until you find the glacier at about 5080 meter near location N10.84626, W073.69374.
Ascend this glacier with an overall aim to pass near, but north (left) of the big rock pyramid above. That is, you will pass near (to the right of) a very much smaller rock feature that extends from the glacier.
From here, find a way onto the main (more level) glacier below Pico Colon and Pico Bolivar. There are lots of (large) crevasses and the best route may change from year to year. This glacier completely covers the large north-west couloir that separates the two peaks as it climbs more steeply to the pass (col) between the two summits. Proceed up this couloir until it ends in a steeper headwall that forms the last obstacle before the col. Climb the headwall directly up to a point on the main crest that will be on the Colon side (left) of the lowest col. This stretch is about 50 meter. Depending on the snow/ice conditions, it may need to be protected.
Once on the main ridge, the route to the summit of Cristobal Colon is straightforward. (Do this after climbing Bolivar if time permits.) Turn right and walk down to the lowest col. Climb the east ridge of Bolivar, most likely staying a bit left of the ridge line.
A careful look at my picture of this ridge should be helpful.
Any party should (on returning) consider a stop at the high (4890 lake) camp near the lake, then attempt an ascent of the very nice Pico Simons (Day 11).
Day 12:Descent. One may without much trouble, assuming that mules are coordinated to carry most of the load from the 4890 camp/lake, descend back down to the 3670m camp (Day 5), in one day.
Day 13:From the 3670m camp, one easily walks down another 2000+ vertical meter to reach the Mamarongo village.
Day 14:From Mamarongo, one can walk out to the road, proceed to Palmor and onwards to Santa Marta, arriving there in the evening.

Resources:

• Images
  • Me, starting down the headwall.