El Peñol (monolith)
| El Peñón de Guatapé | |
|---|---|
_2017-04-10.jpg)
Peñón de Guatapé
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,135 m (7,005 ft) |
| Coordinates | 6°13′12″N 75°10′46″W / 6.22000°N 75.17944°WCoordinates: 6°13′12″N 75°10′46″W / 6.22000°N 75.17944°W |
| Geography | |
| Parent range | Andes |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Granite dome |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | Prehistoric |
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 landmark inselberg 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 monolith is sometimes referred to as the "Stone of El Peñol" instead of the "Rock of Guatapé".
The landform is a grantic rock remanant that has resisted weathering and erosion, likely as result of being less fractured than the surrounding bedrock. Peñón de Guatapé is an outcrop of the Antioquia Batholith.
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, named Pitcairnia heterophylla by a German scientist, was found on the top of the rock.
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.
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Wikipedia