Pico 31 de Março
Encyclopedia
Pico 31 de Março is a mountain
on the Brazil
-Venezuela
border. At 2973 metres (9,754 ft) above sea level, it is Brazil's second highest mountain. It is part of the Pico da Neblina
massif
, and the latter peak, Brazil's highest summit, is only 687 m (2,254 ft) away. Pico 31 de Março can be considered a secondary summit of Pico da Neblina. Therefore, it is usually climbed by expeditions primarily aiming to reach the other peak. Pico 31 de Março is linked to Pico da Neblina by a col
that can be easily traversed in a short trek of about an hour.
instated in Brazil a few months earlier on that date, in a coup d'état which was then officially called the "March 31 Revolution." The peak was finally reached in the following year by another army expedition to Pico da Neblina. The name was not changed after Brazil returned to democratic rule in 1985. In spite of being the highest mountain in Venezuela
outside of the Andes, Venezuelans consider Pico 31 de Março to be part of Pico da Neblina (or rather Cerro de la Neblina, as it is called in Spanish), and do not assign it any special name.
, it is not a tepui
, as the typical and unique tabletop mountains of the Guiana Highlands are known. Neblina means "fog" in both Portuguese
and Spanish
. The mountains are contained in the Brazilian Pico da Neblina National Park
; their northern slopes are also protected in Venezuela's Serranía de la Neblina National Park. The twin parks, together with the neighbouring Parima-Tapirapecó National Park (Venezuela), form a protected area complex of about 80,000 km², possibly the largest national park system on tropical rainforests in the world.
, the elevation of Pico 31 de Março was thought to be 2,992 metres (9,816 feet), but a much more accurate measurement performed in 2004 with state-of-the-art GPS equipment by cartographer
Marco Aurélio de Almeida Lima, member of a Brazilian army expedition, puts it at 2,973 metres (9,754 feet). This is now officially recognised by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the federal government's official geographic survey and census agency, which jointly organised the expedition.http://www.ibge.gov.br/english/presidencia/noticias/noticia_impressao.php?id_noticia=215
overlying Precambrian
metamorphic rock
s. In contrast to the sharp tooth shape of its higher neighbour, Pico 31 de Março has a smoother shape and is sometimes difficult to be clearly distinguished from Pico da Neblina on photographs, depending on the angle and distance from which the photograph was taken. Due to its equatorial latitude, while it can be cold on top, sub-freezing temperatures and frost appear to be rare (no permanent measurements are undertaken), and there is no snow.
, but all climbers must take an accredited local guide. A four-day trek each way should be expected, three of which consisting of a jungle trek in the rainforest that can be as hard and challenging as the climb itself. Rescue is close to impossible in the area.
Onchocerciasis
or "river blindness," a parasitic
disease that can cause permanent blindness
and is transmitted by a black fly
, is endemic
in the area, albeit with a low incidence; malaria
and yellow fever
transmission are also possible. Therefore, climbers are advised not only to take the utmost precaution in avoiding insect bites, but also to discuss preventive and/or therapeutic strategies with their physicians.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
on the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
-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...
border. At 2973 metres (9,754 ft) above sea level, it is Brazil's second highest mountain. It is part of the Pico da Neblina
Pico da Neblina
Pico da Neblina is the highest mountain in Brazil, above sea level, in the Serra do Imeri, a section of the Guiana Highlands on the Brazil–Venezuela border. As determined by a border survey expedition in 1962, its summit lies just within Brazilian territory, at a horizontal distance of only from...
massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
, and the latter peak, Brazil's highest summit, is only 687 m (2,254 ft) away. Pico 31 de Março can be considered a secondary summit of Pico da Neblina. Therefore, it is usually climbed by expeditions primarily aiming to reach the other peak. Pico 31 de Março is linked to Pico da Neblina by a col
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
that can be easily traversed in a short trek of about an hour.
Discovery and naming
The peak was discovered in 1964, during the first attempt to climb Pico da Neblina, by a Brazilian army expedition. It received its name (meaning "March 31 Peak" in Portuguese) as a self-homage by the military regimeMilitary dictatorship
A military dictatorship is a form of government where in the political power resides with the military. It is similar but not identical to a stratocracy, a state ruled directly by the military....
instated in Brazil a few months earlier on that date, in a coup d'état which was then officially called the "March 31 Revolution." The peak was finally reached in the following year by another army expedition to Pico da Neblina. The name was not changed after Brazil returned to democratic rule in 1985. In spite of being the highest mountain in 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...
outside of the Andes, Venezuelans consider Pico 31 de Março to be part of Pico da Neblina (or rather Cerro de la Neblina, as it is called in Spanish), and do not assign it any special name.
Location
The Pico da Neblina massif is the highest point on the Guiana Shield, but unlike famous Monte RoraimaMonte Roraima
Mount Roraima is the highest of the Pakaraima chain of tepui plateau in South America. First described by the English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh in 1596, its summit area is defended by 400-metre-tall cliffs on all sides...
, it is not a tepui
Tepui
A tepui , or tepuy, is a table-top mountain or mesa found in the Guiana Highlands of South America, especially in Venezuela. The word tepui means "house of the gods" in the native tongue of the Pemon, the indigenous people who inhabit the Gran Sabana....
, as the typical and unique tabletop mountains of the Guiana Highlands are known. Neblina means "fog" in both Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. The mountains are contained in the Brazilian Pico da Neblina National Park
Pico da Neblina National Park
Pico da Neblina National Park is a national park in the north of Brazil, bordering on Venezuela. The latter country also has an adjoining national park, called Neblina as well. The Brazilian national park was created in 1979, and it is one of the country's largest national parks, with...
; their northern slopes are also protected in Venezuela's Serranía de la Neblina National Park. The twin parks, together with the neighbouring Parima-Tapirapecó National Park (Venezuela), form a protected area complex of about 80,000 km², possibly the largest national park system on tropical rainforests in the world.
Elevation measurements
For 39 years, based on a never before contested measurement performed in 1965 by topographer José Ambrósio de Miranda Pombo, using a theodoliteTheodolite
A theodolite is a precision instrument for measuring angles in the horizontal and vertical planes. Theodolites are mainly used for surveying applications, and have been adapted for specialized purposes in fields like metrology and rocket launch technology...
, the elevation of Pico 31 de Março was thought to be 2,992 metres (9,816 feet), but a much more accurate measurement performed in 2004 with state-of-the-art GPS equipment by cartographer
Cartography
Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.The fundamental problems of traditional cartography are to:*Set the map's...
Marco Aurélio de Almeida Lima, member of a Brazilian army expedition, puts it at 2,973 metres (9,754 feet). This is now officially recognised by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the federal government's official geographic survey and census agency, which jointly organised the expedition.http://www.ibge.gov.br/english/presidencia/noticias/noticia_impressao.php?id_noticia=215
Geology and topography
The Pico da Neblina massif is a glaciated tor composed of a tilted block of sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
overlying Precambrian
Precambrian
The Precambrian is the name which describes the large span of time in Earth's history before the current Phanerozoic Eon, and is a Supereon divided into several eons of the geologic time scale...
metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The protolith is subjected to heat and pressure causing profound physical and/or chemical change...
s. In contrast to the sharp tooth shape of its higher neighbour, Pico 31 de Março has a smoother shape and is sometimes difficult to be clearly distinguished from Pico da Neblina on photographs, depending on the angle and distance from which the photograph was taken. Due to its equatorial latitude, while it can be cold on top, sub-freezing temperatures and frost appear to be rare (no permanent measurements are undertaken), and there is no snow.
Access
Due to its location in a national park in a border area that is also part of Yanomami territory, access to the area is restricted and depends on a special permit by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA). The permit can be obtained at IBAMA's office in São Gabriel da CachoeiraSão Gabriel da Cachoeira
São Gabriel da Cachoeira is a city and a Municipality located on the Northern shores of the Rio Negro River, in the region of Cabeça do Cachorro, Amazonas state, Brazil. Between 1952 and 1966, it was officially called Uaupés, after the nearby Vaupés River. Most of its inhabitants are indigenous...
, but all climbers must take an accredited local guide. A four-day trek each way should be expected, three of which consisting of a jungle trek in the rainforest that can be as hard and challenging as the climb itself. Rescue is close to impossible in the area.
Onchocerciasis
Onchocerciasis
Onchocerciasis , also known as river blindness and Robles' disease, is a parasitic disease caused by infection by Onchocerca volvulus, a nematode . Onchocerciasis is the world's second-leading infectious cause of blindness. It is not the nematode, but its endosymbiont, Wolbachia pipientis, that...
or "river blindness," a parasitic
Parasitism
Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between organisms of different species where one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host. Traditionally parasite referred to organisms with lifestages that needed more than one host . These are now called macroparasites...
disease that can cause permanent blindness
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
and is transmitted by a black fly
Black fly
A black fly is any member of the family Simuliidae of the Culicomorpha infraorder. They are related to the Ceratopogonidae, Chironomidae, and Thaumaleidae. There are over 1,800 known species of black flies . Most species belong to the immense genus Simulium...
, is endemic
Endemic (epidemiology)
In epidemiology, an infection is said to be endemic in a population when that infection is maintained in the population without the need for external inputs. For example, chickenpox is endemic in the UK, but malaria is not...
in the area, albeit with a low incidence; malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
and yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
transmission are also possible. Therefore, climbers are advised not only to take the utmost precaution in avoiding insect bites, but also to discuss preventive and/or therapeutic strategies with their physicians.
External links
- Best article of the 31 de March Peak, with the full article detailing the expedition, maps, tracklogs, camps, logistics and many photos (clubedosaventureiros.com)
- Picasa gallery of photographs from two Brazilian private expeditions to Pico da Neblina, maintained by Orlei S. Jr. of the Brazilian Mundo Vertical mountaineering site, where some pictures also show Pico 31 de Março as a rounded secondary peak. There is also a picture of Pico da Neblina taken from the top of 31 de Março, showing how close the two peaks are.
- "Pico 31 de Março" Peakbagger