The Los Nevados Alpine Course is a robust mountaineering curriculum designed to teach you a range of alpine climbing and mountaineering skills. Whether you are climbing glaciers, leading technical pitches on snow and ice, or undertaking crevasse rescues, this course will ensure you develop the skills necessary to successfully complete any of the above maneuvers. This mountaineering course in the Colombian mountains is especially suited for beginners, but applicable to intermediate mountaineers as well.
Over the course of 7 days, you’ll learn about equipment use and climbing knots, rappelling systems and fall breaking practices, mapping and navigation, risk management procedures and problem solving under pressure. Please be well acclimatized before beginning the course and prepared to leave from Salento, Colombia - a beautiful colonial town in the coffee region of Antioquia.
Customized options are rarely available, however, please contact us if you have any special requests. As with most expeditions, you can join as an individual or build the course into your group's adventure.
Arrive through your own transport to Salento. Spend the night at a hostel or hotel in town. Please book your own accommodations.
Meet your course group in the main square of Salento at 6:30 am.
Trek with the group to Nevado del Tolima at 4.000m (4 hours of walking). The mountaineering course begins. You'll learn about equipment use and care and climbing knots.
Start at 8:00 a.m. and practice falling, and climbing and descending by rope. You'll also learn about anchorages, and mapping.
Class begins at 8:00 a.m. Today's topics are rappelling systems, sliding knots, double rope handling, crossing with one and two partners, and assurance devices.
Attempt a summit of Nevado del Tolima, depending on weather conditions. You'll use everything you learned about climbing a glacier such as, classic rappelling systems and fall braking practices.
Trek back to Finca La Playa, about 4 hours. Here we'll practice first aid care such as, improvised stretchers and harnesses, risk management and solving possible mistakes.
Walk back to Valle del Cocora, about 7 hours of walking time.
7-day Alpine Course that includes the summit of Nevado del Tolima. Team size: 2 people minimum. Price: $889. 2 people confirmed!
7-day Alpine Course that includes the summit of Nevado del Tolima. Team size: 2 people minimum. Price: $889. 1 person confirmed!