Pongo de Mainique
Encyclopedia
The Pongo de Mainique is a pongo
(canyon) in Peru
, being wide and long, with to high cliffs. It is considered the most dangerous whitewater pass on the Urubamba River
, which it divides between Upper and Lower Urubamba. It is a global biodiversity hotspot
. Its rapid
s were used for key scenes of Werner Herzog
's 1982 film Fitzcarraldo
.
(canyon) in Peru
, being 45 metres (49.2 yd) wide and 3 kilometres (2 mi) long, with 900 metres (2,952.8 ft) to 300 metres (984.3 ft) high cliffs. It is the only break in the entire Cordillera Vilcabamba Mountain Range. It also divides the Urubamba River
(a headwater of the Amazon River
) between Upper Urubamba and Lower Urubamba. It is considered the most dangerous whitewater
pass on the Urubamba; however, many boats traverse it, depending on seasonal river conditions. It is crossed by the Inca Bridge, ancient secret entrance to the Machu Picchu
.
It is a global biodiversity hotspot
; six square miles of rainforest around the canyon contains more species of life than any other similar-sized area on Earth.
The rapid
s of the Pongo de Mainique were used as a filming location for key scenes of Werner Herzog
's 1982 film Fitzcarraldo
starring Klaus Kinski
. >Source requiring two languages:
In a 2006 survey of "15 of the world's top travel writers" by The Observer
, Monty Python
actor and BBC travel documentarist Michael Palin
named it his "favourite place in the world".
– Click "Next page" for two more screens.
Pictures
– Pictures of the Pongo de Mainique (4th to 8th)
Pongo (geography)
A pongo is a type of canyon or narrow gorge along rivers in Peru, especially on the Marañón River and its affluents, in the Amazonas Region.See:...
(canyon) in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, being wide and long, with to high cliffs. It is considered the most dangerous whitewater pass on the Urubamba River
Urubamba River
The Urubamba River is a river in Peru. A partially navigable headwater of the Amazon River, it rises in the Andes to the south-east of Cuzco near the Puno Region border, where it is called the Vilcanota River . In the Sacred Valley, between Písac and Ollantaytambo, it is also called the Wilcamayu...
, which it divides between Upper and Lower Urubamba. It is a global biodiversity hotspot
Biodiversity hotspot
A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans.The concept of biodiversity hotspots was originated by Norman Myers in two articles in “The Environmentalist” , revised after thorough analysis by Myers and others in...
. Its rapid
Rapid
A rapid is a section of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. A rapid is a hydrological feature between a run and a cascade. A rapid is characterised by the river becoming shallower and having some rocks exposed above the...
s were used for key scenes of Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog Stipetić , known as Werner Herzog, is a German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and opera director.He is often considered as one of the greatest figures of the New German Cinema, along with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Margarethe von Trotta, Volker Schlöndorff, Werner...
's 1982 film Fitzcarraldo
Fitzcarraldo
Fitzcarraldo is a 1982 film written and directed by Werner Herzog and starring Klaus Kinski as the title character. It portrays would-be rubber baron Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald, an Irishman known as Fitzcarraldo in Peru, who has to pull a steamship over a steep hill in order to access a rich rubber...
.
Overview
The Pongo de Mainique is a pongoPongo (geography)
A pongo is a type of canyon or narrow gorge along rivers in Peru, especially on the Marañón River and its affluents, in the Amazonas Region.See:...
(canyon) in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, being 45 metres (49.2 yd) wide and 3 kilometres (2 mi) long, with 900 metres (2,952.8 ft) to 300 metres (984.3 ft) high cliffs. It is the only break in the entire Cordillera Vilcabamba Mountain Range. It also divides the Urubamba River
Urubamba River
The Urubamba River is a river in Peru. A partially navigable headwater of the Amazon River, it rises in the Andes to the south-east of Cuzco near the Puno Region border, where it is called the Vilcanota River . In the Sacred Valley, between Písac and Ollantaytambo, it is also called the Wilcamayu...
(a headwater of the Amazon River
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
) between Upper Urubamba and Lower Urubamba. It is considered the most dangerous whitewater
Whitewater
Whitewater is formed in a rapid, when a river's gradient increases enough to disturb its laminar flow and create turbulence, i.e. form a bubbly, or aerated and unstable current; the frothy water appears white...
pass on the Urubamba; however, many boats traverse it, depending on seasonal river conditions. It is crossed by the Inca Bridge, ancient secret entrance to the Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is a pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for...
.
It is a global biodiversity hotspot
Biodiversity hotspot
A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans.The concept of biodiversity hotspots was originated by Norman Myers in two articles in “The Environmentalist” , revised after thorough analysis by Myers and others in...
; six square miles of rainforest around the canyon contains more species of life than any other similar-sized area on Earth.
The rapid
Rapid
A rapid is a section of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. A rapid is a hydrological feature between a run and a cascade. A rapid is characterised by the river becoming shallower and having some rocks exposed above the...
s of the Pongo de Mainique were used as a filming location for key scenes of Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog Stipetić , known as Werner Herzog, is a German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and opera director.He is often considered as one of the greatest figures of the New German Cinema, along with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Margarethe von Trotta, Volker Schlöndorff, Werner...
's 1982 film Fitzcarraldo
Fitzcarraldo
Fitzcarraldo is a 1982 film written and directed by Werner Herzog and starring Klaus Kinski as the title character. It portrays would-be rubber baron Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald, an Irishman known as Fitzcarraldo in Peru, who has to pull a steamship over a steep hill in order to access a rich rubber...
starring Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski, born Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski , was a German actor. He appeared in more than 130 films, and is perhaps best-remembered as a leading role actor in Werner Herzog films: Aguirre, the Wrath of God , Nosferatu the Vampyre , Woyzeck , Fitzcarraldo and Cobra Verde .-Early...
. >Source requiring two languages:
In a 2006 survey of "15 of the world's top travel writers" by The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
, Monty Python
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
actor and BBC travel documentarist Michael Palin
Michael Palin
Michael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries....
named it his "favourite place in the world".
External links
Pictures and text– Click "Next page" for two more screens.
Pictures
– Pictures of the Pongo de Mainique (4th to 8th)