Cerro de Monserrate
- Cerro de Monserrate
- 3223 m
- Primary factor 113 m
- Bogota, Colombia
- Location: North 4.60731, West 74.05437 (GPS on the summit)
- Difficulty: YDS class 1
- Climbed January 17. 2012 and December 2. 2017.
Cerro de Monserrate
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How to get there:
This is the city mountain of Bogota. From the city centre (close to
the hills), one can readily see the funicular tracks as well as the
cable-way that serves the mountain. Walk up to the lower station.
This is the trailhead.
Route description:
When facing uphill near the lower station, walk left along an
obvious and wide path. This walk-way leads all the way to the top.
Sometimes steps are made, or the trail is just uphill. There are
regular interval signs informing the hiker of her/his progress.
Near the upper end, the trail traverses more horizontally to
the right. The trail exits below, but near the church.
From here, just follow the natural uphill path that passes through
a commerciaal area, then more open space. You will see the fenced
in area where a few communication masts are located. There is normally
an abundaance of police around. It is likely best to ask permission
to climb/pass the fence in order to reach the highest point.
(A few friends did this and got an OK from the police.)
It seems like the fence has been built somewhat higher since our first
visit.
Comments:
I was visiting this mountain after climbing Ritacuba Blanca together with
my friend Åke Dahlen. We took the rope-way up and soon the
weather detoriated and we had rain.
There were nobody outside of the buildings or higher up
on the mountain. It was an easy task to visit the highest point, then
return to shelter under a roof further down the slope.
I was back in 2017, this time with my son Pål Jørgen and
Stig Anton. We were in transit to Santa Marta, but took the opportunity
to improve our acclimatization by having two days in Bogota. Thus, in a more
proper fashion, we walked from the dpowntown area up to the lower station,
then long the trail/walk-way to the summit. We had sunshine and the mountain
seemed crowded with local police. The fence around the communication masts
had changed, at last in a few places, possibly bit more challenging to climb now.
However, the lower (outer) fence was still in place. Since I had already
been there and since we this time did a proper 500 meter vertical climb, there
was no strong incentive to cross the fence.
Rather, we walked downslope passing the church and located a small
restaurant where we took lunch.
Returning down the same trail on foot, we
felt that the mountain had been properly visited.
