Panorama of the Rocas de Suesca, with the Virgin on her ledge — The Rocas de Suesca, Cundinamarca. Panorama from the site's 2013 header.

Suesca and its Rocks

In 1995 we came to know the small town of Suesca, in Cundinamarca, and from that first day to this one we still keep returning. We have climbed rock, ridden bicycles, run cross country, ridden horses, paddled the river and rappelled, among many other adventure sports. But above all, Suesca is for us a place where we have met many and diverse friends, and where we have been happy.

This site is a way of giving thanks, and of promoting a place we always like to come back to: so that whoever arrives for the first time finds here the essentials for getting to know it.

«Suesca is a place where we have met many and diverse friends, and where we have been happy.»
— From the original suesca.com "About", 2013

The Rocks

The Rocas de Suesca are a band of sandstone about two kilometres long that runs beside the Bogotá River and the old railway line, one kilometre before the town and some 60 km north of Bogotá, at about 2,600 metres. On one of its best-known ledges stands the image of the Virgin, visible from the access path and an emblem of the park. The name Suesca is Muisca, read by tradition as "Rock of the Birds".

The climbing

Suesca is one of Colombia's oldest and best-loved climbing parks: hundreds of sport and traditional routes of every grade, spread across zones along the band, from technical slabs to roofs and cracks. It is the school of generations of Colombian climbers and the home crag of Bogotá's weekend climbers.

Safety. Rock climbing is a high-risk sport: done wrong it can cause serious injury and even death. In 2003, suesca.com kept count of the park's accident-free weeks; the idea still holds: know your gear, check your knots, and climb within your level.

A bit of history

Climbing at the Rocks goes back decades, and the park has grown with its community: in 2003, this same domain was the portal of the Fundación Rocas de Suesca, with news, routes, a photo gallery and the record of the first ascents. Suesca.com has been online since 2001, in one form or another. Today it is a Spanish-language climbing news hub that does not let go of its home: the Rocks.

Practical facts

Routes: more than 400 documented (some sources say more than 500), from 5.6 to 5.13c, split roughly evenly between sport and traditional.
Access today: much of the cliff is within the El Turpial Nature Reserve, with a fee and registration. Budget between COP 10,000 and 15,000 per day and confirm at the entrance; the detail is in the Practical guide.
Getting there: bus from Portal del Norte in Bogotá, about an hour to the entrance of the Rocks. The full route is in Getting there.
Sleeping: camping in front of Mañana Gris, Campo Base by the rail line and hostels at the entrance; the town is about 2 km away.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to climb at the Rocas de Suesca?

The entrance fee to the El Turpial Nature Reserve shows as COP 15,000 in recent listings, and fees on private land have been reported between COP 7,000 and 10,000 per day. As fees change, the practical thing is to budget between COP 10,000 and 15,000 per climbing day and confirm when you arrive. The Practical guide has the breakdown by zone.

How do I get to the Rocks from Bogotá?

By intercity bus from Portal del Norte, about an hour, asking for the "entrance to the Rocks" stop. By car it is about 60 km up the Autopista Norte. Full directions are in Getting there.

Can I climb in Suesca without a guide?

Yes. No published permit or mandatory insurance for independent climbers has been found. Beginners can take courses and outings with local schools, which include insurance: Suescalada, El Refugio and Colombia Oculta, among others.

Where can I sleep near the Rocks?

The marked camping area is in front of the Mañana Gris sector (about COP 20,000 per person per night, according to COLPARQUES), and Campo Base is by the rail line. At the entrance there are climbers' hostels such as Caminos de Suesca and Torre Alta, and the town, about 2 km away, has hotels and country houses.

What gear do I need to climb in Suesca?

Suesca's style is old school: stiff grades, high first bolts and run-outs. A 60 m rope, a helmet always, and trad gear even if the plan is sport. The Practical guide goes into detail.

From the archive: climbing at the Rocks

Photographs from the years of the first suesca.com, recovered from the site's archive:

Climbers on the sandstone slabs of the Rocas de Suesca — The sandstone slabs, Suesca's classic climbing.

The Virgin of Suesca on her ledge in the wall of the Rocks — The Virgin on her ledge, seen from the access meadow.

Climber with helmet under a rock roof in Suesca — Under one of the wall's great roofs.

Climber on a roof at the Rocks with the valley behind — The roof with the valley behind: a Suesca postcard.

Climber with his helmet by the railway line in Suesca — Helmet in hand by the rail line.

This is only a sample: the full archive gathers all the photographs of the original site — the Rocks, the climbing, the people, the high mountains and the gear of the era.