Cerro Marahuaca

Cerro Marahuaca, also spelled Marahuaka (Ye'kuana: Madawaka ), is a tepui in Amazonas state, Venezuela. It has an elevation of 2832 m above sea level and is the second-highest mountain of the entire Guayana Shield (after the Cerro de la Neblina complex). Cerro Marahuaca shares a common base with the much larger Cerro Duida and together they form the Duida–Marahuaca Massif. Both tepuis are located entirely within the bounds of Duida–Marahuaca National Park.



Cerro Marahuaca actually consists of two summit plateaus, the slightly larger northern one going by the Yekwana Amerindian name Fufha or Huha (3.78111°N, -65.49194°W). The southern plateau (3.65111°N, -65.41694°W) is known by two local names; its northwestern edge is called Fuif or Fhuif, whereas its southeastern portion is called Atahua'shiho or Atawa Shisho. A massive ridge known as Cerro Petaca rises to at least 2700 m just west of these two plateaus. In 1973, the Italian expeditioner Walter Bonatti attempted to climb Cerro Marahuaca without success. The first recorded ascent of Cerro Marahuaca dates back to 1984 on its Southwest face by Venezuelan climbers Luis Enrique (Kike) Arnal, Ramón Blanco, Manuel Guariguata and José Luis Pereyra.

Cerro Marahuaca has a total summit area of 121 sqkm and an estimated slope area of 325 sqkm.

Flora and fauna
Several frog species are only known from the summit of Cerro Marahuaca, including Pristimantis marahuaka, Metaphryniscus sosai, and Myersiohyla inparquesi.