{
  "id": 16675729,
  "title": "Colombia’s Highest Road Reaches 4,149 Meters",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/colombias-highest-road-reaches-4-149-meters",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-26T23:31:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Colombia One",
    "slug": "colombia-one",
    "url": "https://colombiaone.com/2026/10/26/highest-road-colombia/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Colombia's highest road climbs over 4,100 meters above sea level, but conflicting measurements create uncertainty around its official status. The road links the towns of Murillo, in Tolima, with Manizales, in Caldas, passing the high-altitude paramo region near El Sifon. This rugged landscape stores and releases water for millions of Colombians.\n\nThe controversy arises over which exact road holds the national record. Caracol magazine reports measurements of both 4,149 and 4,100 meters for the Murillo–Manizales route, while El Tiempo identifies a different road at 3,860 meters. Cycling guides also reference even higher passes, such as one near Sierra Nevada del Cocuy at around 4,240 meters.\n\nThese discrepancies arise from varying definitions of what constitutes a \"road\" and whether paved or unpaved routes are included in the measurements. The Murillo–Manizales route is described by Caracol as a popular tourist corridor, with a manager of the highway concession stating it reaches 4,100 meters near El Sifon.\n\nColombia's highest road is still considerably lower than the world's highest road, Umling La in India's Ladakh region, which sits at 5,798 meters. However, Colombia's road still presents challenges for travelers due to its high altitude. The air pressure at this elevation is significantly lower than at sea level, so visitors may require time to acclimatize to the reduced oxygen levels. Despite being lower than the world record holder, Colombia's road still reaches a sufficient altitude to cause altitude effects for many travelers.",
  "summary": "Colombia’s highest road reportedly reaches 4,149 meters above sea level on the route connecting Murillo, in Tolima, with Manizales, in Caldas. Near a point known as El Sifon, the road crosses a cold, high-altitude landscape of paramo, a mountain ecosystem of wetlands and grasses that stores and releases water for millions of Colombians. The route […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Colombia's highest road reaches 4,149 meters above sea level.",
    "Discrepancies in measurements create uncertainty over its official status.",
    "Road presents altitude challenges for travelers due to low air pressure."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}