A Rare Traverse of Colombia’s Santa Marta Giants

Photo Courtesy: Alpymon

The traverse was carried out by two rope teams. Teo Munoz and Jenny Contreras climbed together, while Edwin Ruiz guided Diana Arias on the second rope.

On December 28, the team summited Peak Simmonds (5,594m) before descending onto a glacier and bivouacking at 5,300 meters en route to the next objective.

The following day, they established camp on the col between Simón Bolívar Peak and Cristóbal Colón Peak. From there, they climbed Bolívar (5,650m) and continued south to the summit of Peak Santander (5,572m) before returning to the col.

On the third day, the team completed the traverse by summiting Colón, the final peak of the chain, before beginning their descent.

“This route offers a highly aesthetic connection between the main summits of the Santa Marta range,” wrote guide Edwin Ruiz, “but requires previous experience in high mountain terrain and skills on snow and ice.”

The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is one of the most unusual mountain ranges on Earth. It is the highest coastal range in the world, containing an extraordinary concentration of ecosystems – from tropical rainforest and deep valleys to alpine pastures and glaciated terrain.

Peaks Simón Bolívar and Cristóbal Colón are Colombia’s highest points, although their exact elevations remain debated. A 1939 survey estimated Colón at 5,775m and Bolívar at 5,773m, but continued snow and ice loss has introduced uncertainty.

According to Seattle-based climber Eric Gilbertson, who has spent decades summiting the highest peak in every country:

“The highest visible rock on each peak is two to three meters below the summits, so if the melt rate continues, it appears Bolívar will remain the country’s high point.”

The difference between the two summits, however, is just a couple of meters.

Access to the Santa Marta range is tightly regulated. The lower slopes are home to Indigenous communities, including the Arhuaco, who refer to the mountains as El Corazón del Mundo – The Heart of the World.

Munoz expressed gratitude for this collaboration:

“Utterly grateful to the Arhuaco brothers and sisters who made this possible.”

Climbers are only permitted to enter the range with approved local guides who work in agreement with the communities. These partnerships allow limited, respectful access while supporting local livelihoods and preserving traditional ways of life.

For decades, the region was also unsafe due to narcotrafficking and guerrilla activity. Today, local outfitters now offer carefully coordinated trips for small groups, with the climbing season running from December to March.

Traverses of the Santa Marta’s highest peaks remain extremely rare. This ascent highlights not only the alpine potential of Colombia’s mountains, but also a growing model of community-based, low-impact mountaineering in one of the planet’s most remarkable landscapes.

Source: Explorersweb