Peñol de los Muertos

And it occurred that men with faces of greed

Overthrew and erased our villages

Imposing their way of life by force.

Liberty is a gift that is born with life,

It justifies its existence.

Without it, Mother Earth reclaims us.

And to her breast we return conscious

We have fought for life, the race, for our presence.

--U’wa history

In the mid-18th century, dusted raised by horse hoof began whirling through this valley. The infamous Spaniards were approaching. Cacique Güaicaní knew what this meant for the U’wa people. They had to make a choice. Either live physically enslaved by these white invaders, dying of hunger and their plagues—or to live spiritually in freedom, returning to Mother Earth. An untold multitude chose to leap from El Peñol de los Muertos. Others fled deep into the mountains and to the plains on the other side, thus preserving U’wa culture to this day. Their struggle, however, continues against those men with faces of greed, now lusting after black gold, petroleum. In 1996 and 2003, U’wa threatened to once more leap from El Peñol is Occidental Petroleum exploited resources in U’wa territory.

Location:
By road, about 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) , direction of the Park
Guican , Colombia

Hiking Types:
Hike, Day trip, Historical site

Getting There
The path from Güicán begins at the end of Carrera 4, past Calle 1. It is a steep 30-40 minutes uphill, then flat and a last steep rise to the top. Total hike there takes approximately two hours. Or you can walk out of town on Carrera 5, in the direction

Price Description: Free.

Relative price: Free

Open Hours from:Dawn

Open Hours to:Dusk

Travel Skills: None

You Need to Bring: Bring along water, food (a picnic would be nice), sun screen, a sweater and hat.

The Camino Deshecho and the rock paintings, the Aguas Termales and El Chorrerón, and the Monumento a la Dignidad; Parque Nacional Natural El Cocuy.

Currencies accepted
Colombian Peso

By Lorraine Caputo

Upon re-declaring her independence at age 29, Lorraine Caputo packed her trusty Rocinante (so her knapsack's called) and began traipsing throughout...

Created: 30 Jun 2008

Updated: 30 Jun 2008

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