A clear blue-sky frames breathtaking views of the La Baja valley from the apron in front of the twin exploration tunnels at Minea’s Soto Norte gold project in Santander, Colombia, and the original Ventana mine that operated for about 30 years before being bought by Ventana Gold in 2006. “You see up there where the forest gives way to shrubs and grasses?” asks senior geologist Alfonso Palacio pointing far into the distance. “That is the paramo. We bring two or three community visits a week to the project and it is very important for people to see where the paramo is and that we are not anywhere near it."