Vía Normal

Vía Normal is an out-and-back trail, 0.5 miles each way (1.0 miles round trip) in Arauca, Colombia, inside Parque Nacional Natural El Cocuy. It runs between about 15,210 ft and 15,730 ft above sea level, with roughly 160 ft of climbing one way. It is difficult alpine terrain with exposed scrambling, for experienced mountaineers only. The nearest town is Güicán, about 12 miles southeast of the trailhead. Peaks within about 3 miles include Cerros de la Plaza, Piedra del Diamante and Mirador del Amanecer. El Chorro is within about 3 miles. For camping, Campamento oficial and Playa Blanca are within about 6 miles. There are 5 other mapped trails within about 3 miles, so you can combine or extend the outing. Distances, elevations and the route shape here come from OpenStreetMap and the Copernicus 90 m elevation model. Trails, access rules and conditions change, so check locally before you go.