On the morning of December 20, 1895, the church of Monserrate, in Bogotá, witnessed what many called "a miracle": an unprecedented event that would stun both the faithful who religiously attended the basilica and the visitors. more disbelievers.  

That day, before the eyes of everyone present, a man dared the unthinkable: cross the abyss that opens between the hills of Monserrate and Guadalupe walking on a tightrope.  

These two mountains —consecrated to the Fallen Lord and to the Virgin of Guadalupe— are the highest geographical points in Bogotá. They rise to more than 3,000 meters above sea level, and between them runs the San Francisco River along a cliff almost 1 kilometer deep. Undoubtedly, an imposing and terrifying scenario wherever you look at it.  

But not for Harry Warner. He, a young Canadian tightrope walker, dedicated himself to traveling the continent in search of the most beautiful and risky natural landscapes, exhibiting his athletic skills and challenging death in each acrobatics.  

To finance his trips, Warner hired local photographers, who recorded the feats of the tightrope walker with their cameras, and then sold the prints as postcards and very striking souvenirs among those attending the show. That was how, in November 1895, Warner arrived at the famous Salto del Tequendama waterfall, in the central mountain range of Colombia; there he would cross a tightrope and, with the proceeds from the sales of the photographs, he would pay for his trip to Bogotá.  

This image remains from that first feat, the work of photographer Henry Duperly, Kodak's first representative in Colombia and legend of national historiography: 

Not much is known about his time in Bogotá, apart from the date of the event and the stretch he covered. Some say that Harry Warner made the trek from Monserrate to Guadalupe blindfolded; others, that he rested standing on his hands on the rope; and others, more excited, that he dared to do several somersaults halfway.  

Be that as it may, the truth is that the event occurred. However, the acrobat Harry Warner was never heard from again in Colombia. The photographs taken in Bogotá could never be sold in their entirety, which led to a lawsuit between him and Duperly and, ultimately, his hasty departure from the country.  

At school Nueva Lengua We want our students to learn Spanish while living surprising experiences and fascinating adventures. And although we will not make you climb Monserrate on a tightrope, we do want you to get to know it and enjoy the spectacular view of it. You can go up on foot, by cable car or by funicular. 

It is the best viewpoint in the city, it has a beautiful Catholic basilica, and some very high-level restaurants.  

Do you dare to meet him?  

Check the tourist activities that we have for you in Bogotá, or write to us at info@nuevalengua.com for more information about our Spanish courses and cultural immersion In colombia. 

(View of the mountains of Bogotá from the Monserrate hill. In the background, the monument of the Immaculate Conception on the top of Guadalupe hill)