Pico Pan de Azúcar
Encyclopedia
The Pico Pan de Azúcar, at 4680 meters above sea level
, is the ninth highest mountain of Venezuela
, and the third highest of the Sierra de la Culata range in the Mérida State. Its name, which translates as "Bread of Sugar", is due to the sandy slopes of the mountain, which resembles "Pan dulce", a kind of bread sprinkled with sugar eaten in the country. The summit offers a scenic view, including Lake Maracaibo
, Sierra Nevada de Mérida
and the surrounding mountains of the Sierra de la Culata.
, the capital city of the state. The mountain, along with other mountains surrounds a high altitude valley around 4300 meters above sea level, which is the birth of the Mucujún river
, an engineer working as leader of an Expedition commissioned for surveying the western of Venezuela, climbed the mountain, however, Jahn named the mountain "Tucaní" and on the other hand named "Pan de Azúcar" another neighbor mountain now known as Pan de Sal.
, from October to March. The principal access is through the "La Culata" settlement. The normal route is through the South ridge.
Meters above sea level
Meters above sea Level is a standard metric measurement of the elevation of a location in reference to historic mean sea level; the determination of what actually constitutes mean sea level over time however, may be determined by other parameters, such as the effects of climate history and climate...
, is the ninth highest mountain of Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, and the third highest of the Sierra de la Culata range in the Mérida State. Its name, which translates as "Bread of Sugar", is due to the sandy slopes of the mountain, which resembles "Pan dulce", a kind of bread sprinkled with sugar eaten in the country. The summit offers a scenic view, including Lake Maracaibo
Lake Maracaibo
Lake Maracaibo is a large brackish bay in Venezuela at . It is connected to the Gulf of Venezuela by Tablazo Strait at the northern end, and fed by numerous rivers, the largest being the Catatumbo. It is commonly considered a lake rather than a bay or lagoon, and at 13,210 km² it would be the...
, Sierra Nevada de Mérida
Sierra Nevada de Mérida
The Sierra Nevada de Mérida is the highest mountain range in the largest massif in Venezuela, the Cordillera de Mérida, which in turn is part of the northern extent of the Cordillera de los Andes...
and the surrounding mountains of the Sierra de la Culata.
Location
Pico Pan de Azúcar is located 27.7 kilometers to the Northeast of Mérida, MéridaMérida, Mérida
Santiago de los Caballeros de Mérida, Venezuela, is the capital of the municipality of Libertador and the state of Mérida, and is one of the principal cities of the Venezuelan Andes...
, the capital city of the state. The mountain, along with other mountains surrounds a high altitude valley around 4300 meters above sea level, which is the birth of the Mucujún river
History
The first ascent, made by the German explorer Wilhem Sievers, dates from 1885. In 1910, Alfredo JahnAlfredo Jahn
Dr. Alfredo Jahn Hartman was a Venezuelan civil engineer, botanist and geographer. Jahn was a member of the Academy of History, the Academy of Physical Sciences, Mathematics and Naturalist of Venezuela and the Venezuelan Society of Natural Sciences and achieved the Order of the Liberator. He was...
, an engineer working as leader of an Expedition commissioned for surveying the western of Venezuela, climbed the mountain, however, Jahn named the mountain "Tucaní" and on the other hand named "Pan de Azúcar" another neighbor mountain now known as Pan de Sal.
Climbing
Pan de Azúcar is one of the most climbed mountains in the Mérida state, due to its accessibility and fast approximation. It is best climbed during the dry seasonDry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
, from October to March. The principal access is through the "La Culata" settlement. The normal route is through the South ridge.