Elevation 2,135 m | First ascent Prehistoric Prominence 220 m Parent range Andes | |
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Similar El Totumo, Monserrate, Nevado del Ruiz, Nevado del Tolima, Cerro Bravo | ||
The Rock of Guatapé (Spanish: El Peñón de Guatapé), also known as the Stone of El Peñol (Spanish: La Piedra Del Peñol), or simply La Piedra or El Peñol, is a monolithic formation in Colombia. It is located in the town and municipality of Guatapé, Antioquia. The town of El Peñol, which borders Guatapé, has also historically claimed the rock as their own, and thus the stone is sometimes referred to as the "Stone of El Peñol" instead of the "Rock of Guatapé".
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History
The Tahamies Indians, former inhabitants of this region, worshiped the rock and called it in their language "mojarrá" or "mujará" (meaning rock or stone).
On the northern face of the stone there are 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 first climbed officially on July 1954. In 2006, Luis Villegas, Pedro Nel Ramirez, and Ramón Díaz climbed the rock in a five-day endeavor, using sticks that were fixed against the rock's wall.
A new species of plant was found on the top of the rock, subsequently named Pitcairnia heterophylla 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. There are 740 steps to the uppermost step atop the building at the summit, a fact reinforced by yellow numbers also seen in the climb up the stairs.
In the 1940s, the Colombian government declared it a "National Monument".
Composition
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 "Peñol" has 22 cubic megametres (7.8×1020 cu ft) of rock mass and it is 385 metres (1,263 ft) long, with an approximate weight of 66 million tonnes (65,000,000 long tons; 73,000,000 short tons). It has some rock breaks, one of which was used for the construction of the 650 stairs that can be used to go to the top.
The Stone of Peñol is composed of quartz, feldspar and mica.