Description: This is an interesting viewpoint which I always wanted to have. It’s showing the location of the ancient mines of Somondoco, in the Boyacá department. So on this trip I decided to cross the Rio Rucio (flowing down that mountain) and find a viewpoint from the opposite hill to face the mines. The day I was there, there was mist and clouds everywhere so I had to be a bit patient before I could have a clear view and see the mining areas, easily spotted thanks to the excavated black material – the infamous black shale. The area we are looking has about 10 ‘cortes’ (tunnels), still operated today by a private company. There are more tunnels on the other flanks of the mountain. All these tunnels communicate with vertical shafts, a situation which sometimes causes problems between the mine owners.

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