A little background info: Mt. Roraima is believed to be one of the Earth's oldest land formations. At 9,219 ft. above sea level, it is the tallest of all the tepuis that are scattered throughout the region. The indigenous "Pemon" (in quotes because, as it turns out, Pemon is a misnomer) population in La Gran Sabana area views the tepuis as sacred formations, and calls Roraima "the mother of water." Much of the plant and wildlife we came across can only be found in the unique ecosystem found atop Roraima. The indigenous population continues to maintain jurisdiction over the area and is in charge of organizing the hikes up Roraima, although some outsiders insist on taking the risk of doing the hike on their own (not a good idea!). The best time to do this hike is during the dry season (December-March), but even then you cannot expect to stay dry atop "the mother of water."
Day One - Off We Go! Our adventure to Roraima began Sunday a.m. leaving from Maturin with Cesar, and Sunny's gang following behind. We drove the whole day, stopping in small towns along the way and checking out all the touristy stops (La Piedra de La Virgen, the Eiffel Bridge) I was already familiar with from our trip last year. By late afternoon we had arrived in La Gran Sabana, a wonderful feeling to go all day and finally reach the open landscape of the savanna. Our first goal was to make it as far as possible to the little village of Paraitepui by the end of the night. The first attempt we realized that Cesar's car wasn't quite rugged enough to take on the dirt road to Paraitepui, so we all piled into Sunny's car for the last two hour stretch of the drive. It was probably almost 10 p.m. by the time we arrived in Paraitepui, but were quickly greeted by the locals with whom Cesar immediately began making arrangements for the hike. Meanwhile we admired the Milky Way and prepped a light dinner.
Day Two - Happy Trails. Full of energy, we set off on the trail first thing in the morning with our guide/porter Jose and another porter, Mauricio, who made the trip perfect by helping out in every way possible. These guys had done the trip several times before, so they made everything seem easy. We went during what is probably the hottest time of the year, but were lucky to see such amazingly clear views of Roraima the whole day. Under the hot savanna sun, we made our way to the first campsite at Rio Tek. There was not a cloud in the sky the entire time, so we were glad when we came across the occasional shady stream. The sun really took a toll on us all that first stretch, so it was nice to set up camp and stargaze - I had never really seen the sky like that before.
Day Three - Destination: Base Camp. We started the day crossing two rivers (Rio Tek and Rio Kukenan) without even getting our boots wet. In normal conditions we would have to use a rope to help us make it across in waist-deep water so we were lucky in that aspect that it was so dry. At the same time, the sun really took a beating on all of us. The trail seemed to go on forever that day.... we kept thinking, "Oh, it's just over this next hill" but it always seemed that there was just another hill over that one. Definitely happy when we finally made it to base camp and had a nice rest at the outer edge of the rain forest area.
Day Four - The Ascent. Anxious to get to the top, this was the most energized day of hiking for me. We traded in the blistering hot savanna trail for a cooler, yet humid trek through the rain forest canopy where I enjoyed seeing new plants, which only seemed to get stranger as we neared the top. The only catch: it was nearly all incline. This was the part when we had to scale up the side of Roraima. There were several times as I approached the vertical wall when it seemed like the only way up would be elevator (wouldn't that be nice!). It is quite intimidating when you reach "the wall" and look up and all you can see is wall wall wall (1,300 ft. of it), disappearing into the mist atop. Thanks to "the ramp," however, Roraima is one of the only tepuis that can be ascended without technical climbing gear. After about three hours of hiking we reached the point where we could see what is known as "El Paso de Las Lagrimas" a.k.a. Tears Pass, appropriately named for two reasons. First because when you look at the steep incline you want to cry, and second, when it is wet enough atop Roraima, moisture spills over the edge here and drips on you as you pass below. There was no turning back at this point however, and we pushed on knowing that the Flying Turtle was atop to greet us. There were big smiles as we reached the top in perfect timing. We were lucky enough to find a vacant "hotel" (cave-like area which offers protection from the harsh wind and cold found atop) and settle in for the evening. Looking around we could see the contrast of the savanna and rain forest far below against the strange formations and wildlife on top.
Day Five - Exploring Roraima. While it would take weeks to really explore all the landmarks on the 40 square kilometers of Roraima, I think we saw quite a bit in the one day that we had. Sunny, Cesar and I chose to make our way, with the guidance of Jose of course, to the Triple Point where Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana meet, while the others stayed back and explored around the campsite. Our three hour trek to the Triple Point included lots of rain, mist, and a bumpy terrain (easy to get lost in), but it gave us a good idea of what it's really like in this other-worldly environment. We saw strange rock formations along the way, many of which have been given creative names (the monkey eating ice cream, lizards, giraffes, etc.), and passed through the Crystal Valley. On our way back we passed by a sinkhole, which would have been an enticing place to jump in an take a swim if it wasn't so cold that day. It was an 8hr+ hike, making it the longest day of hiking so far, but worth it to see why people say it's like a different planet up there. No wonder it's been the inspiration for so many stories, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World, and even Disney's UP!
Day Six - The Descent. After an entire night of rain, the descent along Tears Pass was exactly as I had imagined it - full of tears. I don't think anyone made it through without completely soaking their boots. This stretch was the highlight of the trip for Cesar and Sunny, but the only part I enjoyed about it was looking up at it after I had made it through safe and sound. Phew! The rest of the day was a true test on our knees, with nothing but slippery downhill terrain, raining on and off throughout the day. It was amazing to see how the little bit of rain we had gotten within a 24 hour period had really woken things up in the rain forest - plants and flowers bigger and more beautiful and a waterfall that appeared overnight. Our original plan was to make it all the way to Rio Tek by night, but things went a little more slowly than anticipated and we decided to keep it safe and stay at the base camp for the night.
Day Seven - The Long Stretch. The decision to stay at base camp the night before meant that we would have to cover all that we had done in days one and two in order to reach Paraitepui by night. Fortunately the weather was a little more forgiving on this stretch than it had been on the way up, so we were protected by just enough cloud cover. You could see the change in water level as we crossed over Rio Kukenan as the water was knee-deep, which was actually refreshing after going so many days without a nice bath. We spent the entire day hiking, with a good break mid-day for lunch. This day took the most determination to make it through, but the promise of a nice meal, shower and comfy bed helped. Cesar and I arrived in Paraitepui just in time before dark, muscles unwilling to go any further! We were greeted with watermelon and bananas for appetizers, and finished the night off with a nice meal - an omelet for me and meat and spaghetti for the rest.
Day Eight - On the road again! Swollen and exhausted, we all piled back in the car to headed back to Maturin. We stopped for Cesar's car along the way and enjoyed the most delicious breakfast (eggs scrambled with tomato and onion, bread and cheese). I don't know if it was because I hadn't had such a great meal in a while, or if was really that good. After a long day in the car, it was nice to return to the modern comforts of a warm shower and cool place to rest.
After almost a week since our hike ended, I think we are all still recovering. We estimated over 100km. (62 miles) covered on our hike, with heavy packs on our backs most the way. With all the weather conditions factored in, I know my body really took a beating, but that's just part of the experience! We were lucky to make the trip in the time given, but if I were to do it again I would add at least another day to the trip, leaving more time to rest and simply enjoy the natural surroundings. With lots of great pictures and stories, I am happy and grateful for what we accomplished. Who knows what our next adventure will be!
(There's lots more I could write about the trip, but I just thought I'd include the basics. Let me know if you have any more questions!)
