On an overcast night in Suesca, Colombia, three climbers huddle around a campfire. The cliff is one hundred yards away and covered with hanging moss and web-like green vines. The wall cast a shadow from the only street lamp in front of Campo Base, the climber’s campground. Ricardo, the campground manager, Freddy who runs the climbing store, and me, a Canadian on a South America climbing trip, watch as two owls swooped out of the tree and fly over our heads.

“How long have you lived here in Campo Base?” I ask Ricardo, whose face is lit up by the firelight. “I’ve been here for two years,” he says. The lone structure behind us houses the hostel rooms and Ricardo’s living quarters. It is surrounded by quiet rolling hills and lush green pastures full of cows, donkeys, and grazing horses. Overhead, stars peek through the clouds. There is no other house within a mile of here. Ricardo’s favourite dog lies at his feet and snuggles up for a pat. “Have you always been here by yourself? Well, besides the dogs,” I add. Ricardo has four dogs; a cream coloured lab, a golden retriever, and two pit bull-boxer puppies.

“When I first moved here I slept alone,” says Ricardo. “There were ghosts that haunted my room. Things would move across the room on their own, and I would hear voices when no one was there,” he recounts. “One night was so bad, I had to leave the house and sleep in town. It calmed down when I got the dogs,” Ricardo says. “I feel safe and the ghosts are gone.” He leans forward and pushes a log deeper into the fire’s flames.

“I also had a ghost in my house when I first moved to Suesca,” says Freddy. “I would get woken up in the middle of the night by screaming and banging on my door. I went to the door and opened it, but no one was there. It only got better when I moved into a house farther up the hill.” Freddy is strong and stout, you wouldn’t believe he would be afraid of anything.

These were the first of many weird tales I was to hear about the Suesca area. Tales of ghosts, supernatural drumming, and flying witches are the norm on a Friday night. Colombia is a country full of legends and myths, and Suesca, just 45 kilometres north of Bogotá, has its fair share. Suesca is a popular weekend destination for climbers of all levels. It is the best area in Colombia for both traditional and sport climbing, and boasts over 400 routes from 5.4 to 5.14. The walls are up to 125 metres high and follow the railway tracks and a small river.