Wading through, and to, waterfalls

Last week we went on a hike with Javi, who also happens to be my local bicycle buddy. Javi has lived in the area for many years and knows where the hidden spots are that foreigners rarely see. We met in Envigado, a suburb south of Medellin, where Javi picked us up in his car and we sped up the mountain. Apparently this area was off-limits during Pablo Escobar's time. The jail that was built especially for Escobar is located in the hills above our hike. However, with Pablo gone, the region has been opened up again.
 
We start at the end of a quickly disintegrating paved road, parking at a small convenience store/house. We traverse the mountain's contours, slowly descending to the river that drains in the valley below. Finally, the dirt path we were following disappeared, being replaced by the river itself. What followed was about an hour of moving up the riverbed, seraching out the best path over small cascades, boulders, and (up to) thigh-deep pools. The carrot at the top was a beautiful waterfall, cascading from perhaps 150 feet above.

We finished the hike by climbing up above the waterfall and looping back to the car on cowpaths and eroded dirt roads. Along the way we were met with a beautiful panoramic view of Medellin. (Click on the image to see a larger version in Flickr.)