Even though El Penon (aka El Penol) is only about an hour outside central Medellin, I didn’t make it there. It’s always good to leave something unseen to make return trips worthwhile. In the meantime, this video did a great job of showing me the views I missed.
El Penon de Guatape (Spanish for “The Guatape Rock”) wrongly called El Peñol Stone (Spanish La Piedra de El Peñol, is a monolithic formation located at the town and municipality of Guatape 1 km inside the city limits (86 km northeast of Medellin) in Antioquia, Colombia. The stone rises from the bottom of the hydroelectric dam of Peñol-Guatape. 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 a height of 2,135 m M.S.L. with an average temperature of 18 degrees Celsius. The “Peñon” has 185 m3 of rock mass and it is 385 m long, with an approximate weight of 10,000,000 tons. It has some rock breaks, one of which was used for the construction of the 644 stairs that can be used to go to the top.
The wide Antioquian rock base, called “batólito Antioqueño”, and the “Peñon” were formed 70 million years ago.
The Tahamies Indians, former habitants of this region, worshiped the rock and called it on their language “mojarrá” o “mujará” (rock or stone). This rock is located in the country area called “La Piedra”, just 5 minutes from Guatape Town, and can be reached by an excellent road.
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]
On the top of the rock was found a new species of plant, subsequently named “Pitcairma Heterophila” by a German scientist.
On the top of the rock was built a viewing spot, where it is possible to acquire handcraft products, mail cards, 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”
Music: Nine Inch Nails – La mer
This is not “wrongly called El Peñol Stone” since it’s actually located in El Peñol, the village just before Guatape… actually both Guatape en El Peñol debated that it’s on their land… the “GI” written on the rock is actually the start of “Gu..atape”but when El penol villager saw that, they had them stop since there’s still debating if it’s in “El Peñol” land or Guatape…