Pico Simmonds

Last updated
Pico Simmonds
Pico Simmonds.jpg
West aspect, centered
(Pico Simón Bolívar to right)
Highest point
Elevation 5,596 m (18,360 ft) [1]
Prominence 236 m (774 ft) [1]
Parent peak Pico Cristóbal Colón [1]
Isolation 1.6 km (0.99 mi) [1]
Coordinates 10°50′26″N73°42′20″W / 10.840546°N 73.705617°W / 10.840546; -73.705617 [1]
Geography
Colombia relief location map.jpg
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Pico Simmonds
Location in Colombia
Country Colombia
Department Magdalena Department
Protected areaSierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Natural Park
Parent range Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta [1]
Climbing
Easiest route Northwest Ridge [2]

Pico Simmonds is a mountain in northern Colombia.

Description

Pico Simmonds is a 5,596-meter-elevation (18,360-foot) summit in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta range. It ranks as the third-highest peak of the range, and the third-highest in the country. [1] [2] The peak is within Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Natural Park, Colombia's second oldest national park, established in 1964. Precipitation runoff from the mountain's northwest slope drains to the Tucurinca River, the northeast slope drains to the Palomino River, and the south slope drains to the Aracataca River. Topographic relief is significant as the north slope rises 1,200 meters (3,937 feet) in two kilometers (1.24 miles). The nearest higher peak is Pico Simón Bolívar, 1.6 kilometers (one mile) to the east-southeast. [1] In 1976, Philip de Gruyter and Tom Simpson climbed Pico Simmonds as part of a traverse of the range. [3] On January 23, 2023, Alex Torres and Sergio Garcia Gomez climbed the peak via the North Ridge. [4]

Contents

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Pico Simmonds is located in a tundra climate zone. [5] Here in the tierra fría, air coming off the Caribbean Sea is forced upward by the mountains (orographic lift), causing moisture to drop in the form of rain and snow. This climate supports the Simmonds Glacier on the northwest slope of the peak. The months of December through April offer the most favorable weather for visiting this area. [6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Pico Simmonds". peakvisor.com. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  2. 1 2 John Biggar, Venezuela and Colombia: The Andes - A Guide for Climbers and Skiers, Publisher Andes, 2021, ISBN   9781916902503
  3. ↑ South America, Colombia, Traverse of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Pico Simmons, Philip de Gruyter, 1976, Americanalpineclub.org, Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  4. ↑ Pico Cristóbal Colón and Pico Simmonds, New Routes from the North, Alex Torres, 2025, Americanalpineclub.org, Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  5. ↑ Peel, M.C.; Finlayson, B.L. & McMahon, T.A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification" (PDF). Hydrology and Earth System Sciences . 11 (5): 1633–1644. Bibcode:2007HESS...11.1633P. doi: 10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 . Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-12-02. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
  6. ↑ Climate in Santa Marta (Colombia), Climatestotravel.com, Retrieved September 25, 2025.
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