Ritacuba Blanco, Mountain summit in Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, Colombia
Ritacuba Blanco is the highest peak of the Cordillera Oriental in the Colombian Andes, located within the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy national park in Boyacá Department. The mountain is permanently covered in glacier ice, which gives it a white silhouette that stands out against the surrounding range.
The first recorded ascents of the peak were made by European and Colombian climbers in the mid-20th century, at a time when the glacier reached much further down the slopes. Since then, the ice has retreated considerably.
The U'wa people call this peak Ritak'uwa, a name that means "white rock" in their language. The mountain holds a sacred place in their oral traditions and is closely tied to their sense of the world.
The standard approach follows a northwest route and requires basic climbing gear along with enough time to acclimatize to the altitude before attempting the summit. Access conditions can change depending on the season, so checking in at the park entrance in El Cocuy or Güicán before setting out is a good idea.
Although the summit is permanently glaciated, it sits within the tropics, which surprises many visitors. The combination of near-equatorial location and permanent snow makes this one of the few tropical glaciers left in the world.
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