Never reported before, this water fall of 115 meters could be the highest of Central America. It is located in an aloof forest of the “Sierra de las Minas”, between“AltaVerapaz,Izabal and Zacapa”. This is the chronicle of it’s discover.
At June of 2002,during the ascent of the “El Picudo” hill,in the “Sierra de las Minas”, we had notices of the possible existence of a waterfall in the region, thanks to Ovidio Agustín, a “Morán” village local, of “Río Hondo, Zacapa” and great know ledger of this mountains. He told us that when interning in hunting in the mountain for three or four days, he had saw, far away, a disappearing river. The most probable is that it precipitates down in a huge cleft, but he never dared to go to the border.
With this information, the group of mountaineers “Tzuul Tak’a” kept the anxiety of exploring the region and finding the suspected waterfall. As a matter of fact, since the year 2000 our activity had concentrated in this sierra, where we had escalated 28 hills and explored out other 8 waterfalls.
Finally, the expedition was planned for November 28th of 2005 with 3 mountaineers: Luis de la Vega, José Andrés Quintana and the author of this chronicle, Carlos Beteta. We were counting with 3 guide men as well: Misael Aldana, Henry Orellana and Kelvin Agustín, everybody “Morán” locals, who in spite of their region knowledge affirm that never had seen the waterfall.
At the beginning of the adventure
We began our journey to “Morán” at November 28th, where we spent that night. At 5:30 A.M. of Tuesday 29th we left by foot through a tight footpath which in moments it seemed to loose itself between pine forests, liquidambar, hay and brambles. We went through 5 rivers of clean and drinkable waters, shuffling lofty hillsides. We got to the Sierra top after 5 and a half walking hours. Hence, you can see at one side the “Motagua” river emptying in “Zacapa” and at the other side the “Polochic” river´s in “Izabal”. The jungle is very exuberant. Very few amount of light is filtered; even there is noon, yet.
The guide men told us that up to here only some hunter man gets adventured, seldom. This is a far off zone and there is not any defined footpath, the walk is slow and exhausting for the slipperiness and inclination of the field. And like this was not enough, it had rained and lots of mud had been formed. We passed other grown small rivers, going over the riverbed. In order of not being dragged by the current we held of moss covered rocks.
With our hands and feet we held of logs and roots at the edge of deep hillsides. About 2:00 P.M. we were exhausted and dehydrated. The guides recommendation was to camp in the only available place, which was not even plain, even it was close to a little flowing.
There were only space for two small tents, and some nylon and “pacaya” (some local plant) kind of tepee. I felt like falling down, and so were my partners. It was 2:30 P.M. but it was dark and the sky looked overcastted, like announcing what would happen later: The rain arrival. We had walked already for 7 hours and 47 minutes. The night went over with constant and fierce raining. The water came inside the tents and to heap it up, the doubt: Would we find something tomorrow?
Third day: The find
We began to follow the course of a small river, which suddenly was vanishing. This must be the one hunter “Agustín” meant. No doubts, it precipitates in a precipice which seems to be very deep. We can not get close until the shore, because it is a flanked throat by high and slippery rocks. You can not hear any sound of the spout when it falls down, but far away you can see the mountains. The altitude at this point is of 1405 meters over the sea level.
The current situation is that now we had to find a way to climb down the bottom of the cleft, to see the waterfall from down side, if there was any.
We bordered the cleft through the right side, opening a breach in the dense vegetation. We went climbing down through a slope with 55 degrees of inclination. We held of what we could: bushes, wood ropes and tree branches. We tied ourselves to avoid some fall down, since we knew the closest population were at not less than 10 hours by foot. Here is no cellular signal, nor could, in an emergency case, any helicopter land. And this for not to mention that the closest medical service was in “Río Hondo”, about 18 hours away. However, we were encouraged by the willing of seeing something never saw before, and suddenly we began to hear the characteristic sound of a great spout hitting against the rock. The emotion was getting stronger, but we still could not see anything.
Embedded note:
Ø The Tzuul Tak’a group (name of the hill and valley god, according to the “q’eqchi’” culture) has 12 years of existence and have had up to 9 members.
Ø Currently they have climbed the 38 Guatemala volcanoes, 219 hills (175 of these they were the first mountaineers in climb them up).
Ø They have explored 35 waterfalls, 13 caverns, 35 lakes and lagoons.
After 2 hours and 35 minutes through the road since the beginning of the camping,
We reached the bottom of the precipice and we were in front of the white marvel: a cascade of incomparable beauty, never reported before. The altimeter pointed 1265 meters, which indicates that this would not only be the highest Guatemala waterfall, but probably the highest in whole Central America, with 115 meters of height. The 19 hours of effective walking were worth of it (taking in count the long way back).
That nature marvel was nameless, for its existence had never known before and in some exciting moment we baptized it under the name of the group: Tzuul Tak’a.
We began the come back and got to the camping about 3:00 P.M. We ate and lay down early. Fortunately that night did not rain. About 8:41 A.M. of the next day we began the descent.
We made a second expedition in February of 2006. In that occasion, the altimeter pointed 125 meters of height. The difference respect the first calculation could have varied due to the weather that makes vary the barometric pressure. In the other hand, the GPS measure pointed 118 meters of height, thus we chose to stick to the first datum: Its height is not less than 115 meters.
A far off spectacle
The Tzuul Tak’a waterfall is formed for the “Picudo” break down, which is born barely about 2 kilometers (a little more than a mile) up side fed by small rivers. The caudal is not much, but it is big enough to make a visible and defined waterfall. The white spout changes its shape due gusts of wind.
In front of it, we discussed about the possibility of undiscovered cascades in Guatemala. Even there could be others even higher, however, the increasing deforestation threatens with disappearing them forever. So far we admire the spectacle of Tzuul Tak’a and we think in the great effort there will be needed to go out of this very far off place. However we kept for ourselves the happy sensation of having found something truly unique.
Note:
La Sierra de las Minas
Ø Very mentioned, but very few known. This is the second most important mountain system in Guatemala. It contains about 100 miles, distributed between “El Progreso, Baja Verapaz, Alta Verapaz, Zacapa and Izabal”.
Ø It is the most important Guatemala’ s biosphere for its far off forests that provides habitat to diverse species.
Ø The place where the Tzuul Tak’a waterfall was found is located in “El Estor, Izabal”, however to get there is need to go through “Zacapa and Alta Verapaz”.
The water flight
This is the list of the Guatemala’s 10 highest waterfalls:
The “Tzuul Tak’a” mountain crew proposes the next as the highest altitude cascades in Guatemala. So far, there was considerated the “Salto de Chilascó, Baja Verapaz” as the highest. Here is shown that there are other 3 higher than this one, which does not lessens neither its allure nor its value as a touristic destiny.
NAME, COUNCIL (“MUNICIPIO”), PROVINCE (DEPARTMENT), HEIGHT
1. Tzuul Tak’a, El Estor, Izabal. 115 meters.
2. Pajaj, Soloma, Huehuetenango. 100 meters.
3. (No name), of the “Don Domingo” river, Teculután, Zacapa, 90 meters.
4. El Santuario, Chuvá, Quetzaltenango. 80 meters.
5. Salto de Tucurú, San Miguel Tucurú, Alta Verapaz, 70 meters.
6. Salto de Chilascó, San Jerónimo, Baja Verapaz, 70 meters.
7. Santa Rosalía I and II, Teculután, Zacapa. 65 and 60 meters respectively.
8. Santa Avelina, San Juan Cotzal, Quiché, 60 meters.
9. Salto de Granados, Granados, Baja Verapaz, 40 meters.
10. Chorro de Cunén, Cunén, Quiché, 35 meters.
Written by: Carlos Beteta
Translated by: Daniel Sandoval
