When explorers from the Royal Geographical Society and the Geographical Society of Paris came across a chain of granite mountains in the late nineteenth century they were lucky to have survived the currents of the Ynirida River, the rainy season and dengue fever.
Centuries later, the Cerros de Mavecuri remain a remote and mysterious place for those exploring the Guainia basin, flanked in the east by the larger Orinoco and Rio Negro rivers. A fast ride by boat from the capital of the Guainía department, Puerto Inirida, Cerros de Mavecuri receives few visitors, despite the fact that the highest rock formation is almost twice that of Ayres Rock in Australia, and one of the world’s most visited natural attractions. As one of the gateways to the Guyana Shield, which extends from the Chiribiquete plateau to the imposing Tepuys in Venezuela, the Cerros de Mavecuri should only be scaled by experienced climbers, as there are no steps leading to the three summits. Yet the banks of the Inirida are a quiet spot to bask in the glow of the afternoon light and the shadow cast of the majestic Mavecuri.
