La Piedra (The Rock) stands out in the countryside of Colombia, a two hour drive from Medellin.

Near the small towns of Penol and Guatape the 695 foot high mostly granite (some quartz) giant rock is a symbol and an attraction.  Two thirds of the rock is underground, similar to an iceberg.  It is one of the 10 largest monoliths in the world.

First climbed 70 years ago, now it is a tourist attraction with hundreds climbing the stairs every day.

The rock is approximately 65 million years old, and was worshiped by the Tahami, an indigenous people that inhabited this region.

The rock also represents a challenge.  To scale the La Piedra it takes 708 steps to do so.  Straight up 708 steps.  And did I mention that this monolith is 7,000 feet above sea level.   My childhood friend Clip Kniffin and I ascended the rock a week ago.

After putting one foot in front of the other for 708 steps, we took a breather at the top of the rock.  Sitting and sucking a popsicle, we speculated whether we were the oldest to climb the rock, at least on that day.  We looked around and could find no one that was even close to our age.  But, then, we identified a gentleman that looked just our age.  Not being shy, I went up to him and asked him his age.  Surprisingly this gentleman, whom we thought looked like us, was just 60 years old.  “holy cow!”  I said to Clip, “can you believe that?   We are 20 years older than he is!“

Bottom line, we felt pretty good about the fact that we ascended the 708 stairs without “too much” trouble.

From the top of the rock you can see as far as Medellin, and you view the man-made 5,500 acre lake, offering outdoor sporting and boating activities galore.  The reservoir provides water for Medellin and the hydroelectric dam provides one third of the electricity for the entire country of Colombia.

Near the rock is the town of Guatape, which has to be the most colorful town in Colombia.  The houses and buildings are covered in a variety of different colors, adding to its already small-town charm.

In addition to the bright, bright paint, many buildings have zocalos or murals on them that are eye catching and reflect the cultural images of the community.  Every house is different.

Whenever I think about a rock in the future, I am sure that the first image that will come into my conscience will be La Piedra.