Description:
An extraordinary adventure reaching deep territory virtually unknown to the outside world. Outstanding highlights are Angel Falls, the world's highest waterfall, and an ascent of the table-mountain of Roraima.
Activites:
Trekking, Eco-Tours
Itinerary:
Day 1:
Arrival in Caracas
Day 2:
Breakfast and briefing in Hotel Montpark at 9:30 am. We will take a city tour on the way to the airport to catch the one-hour flight to Puerto Ordaz. Drive by bus for seven hours to the Gran Sabana.
We will pass through the gold producing area around El Dorado to Kawe. This is our first night to campout.
Day 3:
Early breakfast and one-hour drive to San Francisco de Yuruani where we change to 4WD vehicles for the 25 km path to Peraitepui (1 hour). Begin trek. it is a four-hour hike through beautiful landscape. Camp at Tek River.
Day 4:
Continue hike up to Roraima Base Camp. This hike takes about 4 hours. After crossing the Tek and Kukenan rivers the route is uphill with little shade with the sheer walls rising 600 meters above us. Camp next to a stream with the walls looming impressively above us.
Day 5:
Summit day (3 hours scrambling over some slippery rocks on a steep slippery trail) Welcome to Roraima. Camp in tents under rock overhangs. Eerie rock sculptures, lunar landscape and endemic species of plants.
Day 6:
Summit exploration. Optional hike to triple frontier. (Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana) Hike for 7 hours round trip to see the Crystal Valley, the sinkhole and many other natural wonders. For those wanting a more relaxing day, we organize a shorter nature hike to see many of the natural phenomena, in a much lesser scale, encountered on the triple frontier hike.
Day 7:
Descend the “ Tepui ” by the same route we used to ascend. Camp in the Tek River. (5 hours) Using one day to accomplish what we took two days to climb is quite possible due to the gradual nature of the trail from Base Camp to the Tek River.
Day 8:
Return to the Taurepan (sub group of the Pemon tribe) Indian village of Peraitepui de Roraima . (4 hours) Board the waiting 4wd vehicles and drive to Santa Elena de Guairen (2 hours). Arrive at the hotel with showers and beds! This is a quiet frontier town with bars and restaurants and a great place to celebrate and relax.
Day 9:
Flight to the Kamaracoto Indian village of Kamarata . Wet season option to overfly Angel Falls - in the dry season (Jan to June) the over flight is included. There is an optional visit to the cave at Kavac if time permits. Then board the motorized dug out canoes for the 3-hour descent of the Akanan River to Iwana Meru. Sleep in open sided Indian huts in hammocks with mosquito netting next to a beautiful rapids and fresh virgin scenery of Tepuis and savannah.
Day 10:
Boat to the Carrao River to Arenal camp (5 hours). Follow Ruth Robertson’s exact footsteps (she led the first expedition in 1949). There is beautiful river scenery, we carry equipment around rapids. Campsite of Indian huts surrounded by jungle. Bathing in the river, listening to the toucans and macaws , sleeping in hammocks emulates the journeys of the early South American explorers.
Day 11:
Boat to Angel Falls. It will take 3 –6 hours depending on the river level. The 70-meter difference between the mouth of the Churun river and our camp site make this an exciting day of rapids, narrow jungle river, 3000-foot-walls above us and finally our arrival at our beautiful camp site with a nearby vantage point of the 947-meter highest falls in the world. Hike for 1 hour through jungle up to Alexander Laime’s lookout for a closer view. Only 28mm lens can get all the falls in from here.
Day 12:
Boat to Canaima. The trip takes 3 hours. There is an optional visit to Salto Sapo where we walk behind the thundering curtain of water. Arrival in Canaima port. Bid farewell to our master boatmen and friendly attentive assistants. Walk for 40 minutes to our hut.
Day 13:
Charter flight to Puerto Ordaz (45 minutes) for scheduled flight (1 hour) to the Caracas Miquitea Airport and drive 2 - 3 hours to Chichirivichi de la Costa. We will stay at a lovely inn with a swimming pool 5 minutes from the beach.
Day 14:
Transfer to airport in plenty of time for your return trip.