El Peñón de Guatapé
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| El Peñón de Guatapé | |
|---|---|
 Peñón de Guatapé | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 200 m (660 ft) |
| Coordinates | 6°15′N 75°15′W / 6.250°N 75.250°W |
| Geography | |
| Location | Antioquia, Colombia |
| Parent range | Andes |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Granite dome |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | Prehistoric |
El Peñón de Guatapé (Spanish for "The Guatapé Rock"),[1] wrongly called El Peñol Stone (Spanish La Piedra de El Peñol), is a monolithic formation located at the town and municipality of Guatapé, 1 km inside the city limits (86 km northeast of Medellín) in Antioquia, Colombia. The stone rises from the bottom of the hydroelectric dam of Peñol-Guatapé. This monolith was spotted as a border landmark between country farms and the two cities.
At its highest part, on the rear (southeast side), it has an elevation of 2,135 metres (7,005 ft) over sea level. with an average temperature of 18 °C (64 °F). The "Peñón" has 185 cubic metres (6,500 cu ft) of rock mass and it is 385 metres (1,263 ft) long, with an approximate weight of 10,000,000 tonnes (11,000,000 tons). It has some rock breaks, one of which was used for the construction of the 649 stairs that can be used to go to the top.
The wide Antioquian rock base, called "batlolito antioqueño", and the "Peñón" were formed 70 million years ago.
The Tahamies Indians, former inhabitants of this region, worshipped the rock and called it on their language "mojarrá" or "mujará" (rock or stone). This rock is located in the country area called "La Piedra", just 5 minutes from Guatapé Town, and can be reached by road.
On the northern face of the stone are there painted large white letters, "G", and an incomplete "U" (only the single vertical stroke was completed). Guatapé and El Peñol had long disputed ownership of the rock, and the residents of Guatapé decided to settle the matter by painting the town's name on the rock in huge white letters. It did not take long for the residents of El Peñol to notice the work, and a large mob was assembled to stop it. Only the "G" and part of the "U" were completed.
The rock was climbed on July 1954. History tells that it was climbed by a group of friends, at the invitation of a local priest. Luis Villegas, Pedro Nel Ramírez and Ramón Díaz climbed the rock in a five-day endeavour, using sticks that were fixed against the rock's wall.[2]
A new species of plant was found on the top of the rock, subsequently named Pitcairma heterophila by a German scientist.
A viewing spot was built on top of the rock, where it is possible to acquire handicrafts, postcards, and other local goods. It is possible to see the 500 km shore-perimeter dam.
In the 1940s, the Colombian government declared it a "National Monument".[3]
References
- ^ Official Guatapé Site http://www.guatape-antioquia.gov.co
- ^ Author, Alvaro Idarraga (2006). "El Zócalo", Guatapé: Museo Histórico de Guatapé.
- ^ Guatapé's Major Office
