PASIÓN POR LA AVENTURA
TRAVEL
“Just before sunset, the clouds gave way and we all sat staring in awe from the comfort of our open tents at what had just been revealed to us”
Kissing the walls of Roraima. accurately portray the landscape for their hit movie “Up”. In short, here I was, about to visit one of the most fascinating natural wonders in the world that had been a passion for many an explorer and naturalist and I knew nothing about it. The first day was an enjoyable stroll through the grassy flatlands of the Gran Sabana. Despite having heavy backpacks on, we joked and frolicked merrily along like hobbits leaving The Shire, with Mount Roraima peering down at us from a distance like Mount Doom. The only real challenges came when the Heavens opened (imagine torrential downpours for about 5 minutes, every half hour) or when we had to scramble over boulders and wade through fast-flowing rivers. Even though the day hadn’t been too arduous, we were nonetheless pleased to bed down. The following day the incline increased and the physical strain began to show. A four-hour gap between the front and back of the pack developed. I was hot on the heels of “Leeno – Eats Concrete For Breakfast – Deeno” our Pemon (local tribe guide) who regaled me with local myths and fascinated me with his ability to spot animals from a mile away and teaching me
BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS
The dense cloud cover obscured the 400 metre sheer drops.
the Spanish words for them. The horizon was pocked with “osos hormigueros” (that’s anteaters to you and me) whilst every so often colourful “serpientes” (snakes) would emerge from the undergrowth as we unwittingly trampled over their homes. We sat where we could find shelter for several hours as the rest of our gang caught up and numerous other groups returned from the summit. With nobody wanting to stray too far into the rain, it got cozy very quickly. At the foot of the mountain the air was so thick with moisture that up until this point, we couldn’t even see it. Just before sunset, the clouds gave way and we all sat staring in awe from the comfort of our open tents at what had just been revealed to us. At the same time, we were all a little nervous about the full day climb we had ahead of us. Think Icart steps…but steeper…all day. The next day’s hike proved tricky, occasionally dangerous but unquestionably invigorating. Indiana Jones would have been at home in this lush, dense jungle punctuated with mudslides, gnarled tree roots and machetewielding local guides. Due to the added danger of the steep incline, we approached the final ascent slowly so as to try to keep the group together. On the way, we took
time out to kiss the “Walls of Roraima” (as is the tradition when you reach them) and near the top we stopped to refresh ourselves at “The Tears Of Roraima” – a small but perilously positioned waterfall that served as the gateway to the summit. Two nights atop the mountain were spent shivering, stargazing and reflecting on the vast abyss that lay mere metres from us. Days were spent looking for the ‘ghosts of Roraima’ amidst the crystal-strewn rocky paths and even helicopter crash debris. We also spent a good deal of our time cursing the clouds that disappeared by night but spent the whole day enveloping our tepui home and preventing us from seeing Gran Sabana in all its glory. But folklore dictated that we kept cursing and conversation to a minimum so as not to disturb the spirits of Pemon ancestors whom stood vigil all around our camp, recognized in the spooky rock formations and various other animate forms. Needless to say, the journey back was a much quicker one but contrary to the uphill struggle towards the mountain, we didn’t want the return leg to end. The group had formed close bonds; our passion for adventure had united us forever. Although I had a heavy heart, there was plenty more to see…
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