Parque Nacional Natural El Cocuy Camping Ritacuba Blanco

Ritacuba Blanco sits at the edge of Colombia’s glacial zone, serving as the primary staging area for climbers attempting the country’s highest accessible peaks. The campground offers basic facilities with stone wind barriers, pit toilets, and a covered cooking area that becomes essential when Andean weather turns hostile. Capacity runs about 20 tents, but the thin air and brutal cold above treeline keep crowds manageable except during dry season weekends.

Access requires a grueling 6-hour hike from the park entrance at Güicán, gaining over 2,000 meters of elevation through páramo and rocky terrain. Weather shifts fast — morning sun can turn to afternoon snow squalls within minutes. Water sources are glacier-fed streams that freeze solid at night. Most climbers stage here for dawn attempts on Ritacuba Blanco summit.

Colombia's highest base camp beneath glacial peaks