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Part II: Trekking to Roraima Tepuy (Going to Roraima)

Mega Travel Year 2010 and early 2011. Part II: Trekking to Roraima Tepuy (Going to Roraima)

Monday 12/20/2010. First Day Trek to Roraima, Santa Elena in 4x4 Paraitepuy and then hike to Rio Tek

First morning in Santa Elena de Uairén ... Blondy corduroy again brighten our awakening. After what would be the last shower for several days in shower, good shower at an inn crown Bs 70 a night is not jejeje mega-bath was time to assemble the bag was going to accompany me in the back and forth of Tepuy, which was very heavy from the start, but what's done is done more to give to all energies.

View from Roraima Paraitepuy

In the parking lot of the inn and were nearly all ready group, was to come up with some boys of the USA that agreement are to teach here in the country and others in Puerto La Cruz. Only had to wait at Van Long to go to Paraitepuy.

After a while, relaxed type when I'm on these adventures I'm used to the Venezuelan tardiness had been tied for the bags on the roof of the Long Van and it was time to leave. Travel to Paraitepuy for me it was repeated and sitting back in Van Long uncomfortable half was nothing special, but was good an opportunity to get to know some new buddies in Puerto La Cruz ...

Start

Boo and I, just before the Trek

rarely do, not my usual, but I did a few exercises to stretch muscles and was time. As I did not want to wait more time, I told the Pelu that I would start at once and we were on track for RIEF giving my pace and go enjoy the scenery, really was not rushed and was not a competition, the idea was to enjoy the full experience, the environment, nature, photos, and great company;)

Within 10 minutes of walking, and presented what the guides call "The Test" . A first steep hill that led to know the capabilities of browsers and predicted strength for the future, as one was beginning the journey, as "The Test" house a bit, but nothing special (or at least for me), served to keep warm: D

From Paraitepuy to Rio Tek

The route of the first day had two choices of arrival or to Rio Kukenan or to Rio Tek, everything would depend on the passage of the group and the number of groups in the area. This walk was to go through pure savannah hills interspersed having always face the Roraima and Kukenan never be stopped during the journey with some cloudiness, by then the diverse colors of the savannah dazzled us, like diversity land: they had areas a species of grass, some gravel roads, some stretches of morichales, the intersection of two or three very small forests with streams that allow refilling which made the trip fun.

so I put it in first to get to Rio Tek of our group, this was the nearest camp. I left just before crossing the River Pelu waiting to see if we were to go to Rio Kukenan ... the wait was like 45 minutes sitting on the bank of river stones. Porfin the Pelu me that we stayed there in Rio Tek (I wanted to continue to get a little ahead as it was early and was actually physically well- with all the time and have been waiting to come to Rio Kukenan-but when you walk in a group unilateral decisions must be saved. So I proceeded to give me my first bath in the vicinity of Tepuyes, my first bath overlooking the Roraima;)

Coming to Rio Tek

Now set up camp, and almost nothing of the team was mine, we took the light of day to assemble it all in stride and see how was the thing-tent, insulation, sleeping bag, etc-and I am yet to see daylight for a while the Tepuyes and then talk with the porters and help prepare dinner. After dinner the nature gave us a gift ... a spectacular full moon appeared just behind the Roraima! that show.

Kukenan

View from the Tent at Sunset

full moon appearing behind the Roraima

Tuesday 21/12/2010. Second Day Trek to Roraima, Del Rio Tek Camp to Base Camp

How in the world have the luxury of waking up, opening the closure of the tent, open your eyes and the first thing you see is the Roraima Kukenan and illuminated by the first rays of morning sun ...

Kukenan

View from the Tent at Dawn

routine was beginning to pick up camp in less than 20 min boo and I were ready to leave for first course breakfast to have the necessary energy for the walk. The second day consisted mainly rise 6 hours increases from mild to medium with a pair of heavy promotion, it was also to go through a couple of rivers and the Tek Kukenan where patience was a virtue most needed, because they had to remove their shoes and socks to put water shoes to cross rivers, which in some level water reaches to the waist to the bottom of boulders and slippery, and to complete the challenge again put socks and shoes dry. In this trek clothing that gets wet, it is virtually impossible to dry in the rest of the tour unless clothing "cool weather" or "dry fit" and socks and shoes are the most precious belongings to completely dry.

Walk, walk, walk, always going up, hours I was still in savannah environment that was increasingly left behind to alternate with mountain environment. The official stop of the day was what they call military camp, where we were having a lunch to continue the journey to our final base camp that day.

Way Base Camp Behind the Roraima

must be very well prepared mentally for this challenge, the endless trek climbs always exhausted, but the mind is the power of the body and achieve connection with nature and the environment gave me the strength to never slacken his pace. Besides the goal of a long trek in front of it (literally), the Roraima is always ahead of you, closer with every step you take. Sometimes you walk the floor looking to identify the road and not think about anything, but when you look up and find the immensity of the Tepuyes is an energy absorbed by the body and allows you to continue the task and forget almost completely exhausted.

In my case the "suffering" of the walk really was given by the heavy backpack, I felt every step as inlaid backpack straps on my shoulders, when it was the first rest stop in my mind was and take off for a moment the bag over, and in doing so many times my shoulders yet I felt this backpack, it was as if the weight was there even though my eyes stared at the backpack on the floor ... in Other times I stopped just a few seconds to wait to boo a bit and I put my trunk in a horizontal position with straight legs to not feel the weight of the bag on my shoulders, and that to simply stand with the weight of the bag was extra tired, but ultimately it was a challenge for me all the way to achieving that weight load ... it was like training for future projects ...

Rest Stop

With only a few meters to the military camp there are two options to get there: walk around a mountain to make the climb less steep and a little longer or else go the shortest Pile steep up the mountain, so I went for the second option to shorten the path and continue training for what was missing. Once in boot camp I could rest for a little over half an hour and eat something to recover energy.

As carriers and it only remained almost nothing to base camp, about 3 hills and then turn left ... but we all know how accurate these indications of "scouts" sites lol, for my part, almost always ignored and then travel not to disappoint. Besides the simple fact you see the wall coming Tepuy and is an indicator that does not require additional interpretation, which to some looked extremely distant times and distant and had to lift his head to finish behold, the top of Roraima.

LGS fall behind

was time to turn left, it's confusing for the first time since the direction of the walk was not in a straight line to the Roraima, which provides encouragement as the closest distance between two points is a straight line: D, but not many minutes passed when suddenly they could see the base camp. And for the first time in what way the weather went from rain gave us, just getting the site started to drizzle so we rushed to set up our camp so that belongings do not get wet or the tent, we got the mission! ! and as the rain slowed to asearnos went to the river a bit.

View of Roraima from the base camp

The river camp raelmente base is a freezer, about 2 degrees centigrade. The good news is that drinking this water is a delight for me one of the most pure and crystal clear water of the world, after traveling more than 800 meters Tepuy stones and get my hands mega filtered by nature and frost is indescribable . When I decided to put my feet in ice water that you could feel bones ached and I had a feeling that you were sticking knives in the skin, is the coldest water in which I bathed, I confess, no I could dive completely in those ice floes, it was also a creek that had no depth or length, so the more complicated was the case. Similarly I could take a quick bath for 5 min drive from the camp, and I had to change clothes quickly because he did minutes was drizzle was turning into rain, and then after a while began to fall so that here we call a Palo de Agua (lol) so we took refuge in the place where the cook had a frame of sticks with tarps to cover and to some extent protected us from the rain.

There we fell the night, between conversing and cooking. After a while we enjoy our meal of the day while we watched the rain yet, and had at least a couple of hours raining and I was concerned about conditions of my tent, and handbags, so I ordered a poncho paid to go to review the camp, several of the group also had said that everything was flooded, which had water in their tents and some bags were wet, S. My pleasant surprise was that in reaching my tent was in perfect condition, thanks to the experience of camping tent put in a very small hill that I had made a channel for water and everything is dry and new: D, so I went back to the kitchen and after a while when the sky is tired of dropping water was time to rest, the daily working hours were demanding, so that at night it was customary to sleep early to get a good rest-between what can be practically sleeping on the floor on a sleeping bag insulation and a hit-and up from 6:00 am to pick up and start walking all day.

In Base Camp

Wednesday 12/22/2010. Third Day Trek to Roraima base camp to the summit of Roraima Tepuy

The day before I asked several opinions to Pelu pemones and what was left of the trail and that coupled with my reading and previous research me gave better sense of the way toward the top. In short the trip came given by: a steep initial sting had a short break to start a second sting even more tilted-up with hands and feet, at the end with another break of forest, from then on up the road was always clear that amidst the jungle, if estimated, is the forest itself when you walk through the savannah while covering the whole basis of Tepuy and it seems that the Roraima this bundle up your child and resting on a thousand olive trees ... at some point would a stream and for the first time would be next to "The Wall" of Tepuy: D and then on the last trip to the summit: "The Ramp" where they go "Tears" and climb rocks large to reach the top ... all in an average of 6 hours of travel.

Salto Kukenan

Thank God for every morning you gave me in this journey, it's hard to describe the feeling of opening the tent and look out after one night rain run and watch the majesty of the waterfalls of Tepuyes-Kukenan and Roraima, "is a peace and tranquility that stifles the soul ...

After collecting camp just in front could see the first spades of travel in the jungle that surrounds it, really if you do not see that part mentally and suppression jejeje enter into despair, for my part I got was a huge desire to let them raise them running back and was pretty much what I did, I started with an intensity accelerated the first part of the trek and every break I could connect with the energies of Tepuyes while waiting for the boo reach me. This time it stops a few minutes were far more often and after a cloudy morning gave us the opportunity to spot the imposing mountains, the sky is clouded to help us in our advanced on sea level, so the look up you could not see when there was look down and you could not see how high they were, perfect location to dedicate walking and climbing the jungle.

Via The Wall

one could hear water running, actually after leaving the base camp were few streams not practically nil that were available in the way, so hurry over to reach the coveted crystal clear water that emanates from the Tepuy, my occupation was to take off the backpack more comfortable to drink water and recharge the camelbag, when a group of fellow beckons me to look at my right and upward. Wao! had reached "The Wall" had a couple of meters Tepuy wall!, yeah! that between white and pink stone that he had seen two days in my walk and was in front of my eyes again filled me with good vibes and after eating some sugar continued the journey to "El Mirador" where it was necessary to put the plastic for "The Step of Tears." Going on the veranda I could not see because they are all cloudy LGS as discussed above, so the stop was short and good news: just up the "La Rampa" and we would summit to Roraima.

First Time More

Wall

rise gets steeper and the road full of rocks. After the lookout is a short descent to take the ramp. A few meters from start to rise you are with two waterfalls called Tears falling just filling with water the rocks that make the road and making it more dangerous than it normally is and remember that we left up to the roadside and thus a gap to LGS, which on this occasion not see anything in the clouds, an issue that was favorable to decouple the group of vertigo and the prospect of high-, going Tears must change the modus operandi of the rise , now would be step by step and breath by breath, every stride is climbing a stone of more than 40 cm. This occurs for about an hour drive, we are in the middle of the ramp, but it really seems much longer, a lot of concentration and be very aware of the road. At this stage of the trek my body was not tired or exhausted, on the contrary had an energy estimate could not be there, it was as if the mountain to give you that last boost you need to do, go up but never see the edge, but stones and more stones. Suddenly the rocks shows a way to bust, is The Guardian of Roraima ... and within 5 minutes almost in disbelief you realize that you came! 're Roraima's summit! and comes amid the sharp breath and wheezing peace, serenity, harmony and where your eyes do not have to stare, trying to see everything at once without being able to distinguish anything in particular, you turn on your center sighting this vastness, there you can digest, you are among the most ancient of the world! everything is immutable, does not change, you do not hear nothing but the sudden breeze ...

Turning Tears

Once on top, the idea was to wait for all the group arrived at all hours boo and I left early to be at our ease, to take pictures, rest whenever we wanted, among other things. So we had to wait about an hour for everyone to do summit, as did a sculpture Tepuy rocks: D, visit the turtle flying and we sheltered from the cold and fog from ancient rocks.

The Flying Turtle

ahead still had to slaughter, we had to get to our hotel, they call him the rock formations and caves where the warring Roraima adventurers make their camps on top of Tepuy-the Pelu squared to stay in the Hotel Guácharo, who was one of the largest for the group was comfortable and yet was one of the most distant, which seemed to me excellent and gave us the opportunity to walk more on the Roraima: D, and to put the icing on the Hotel Guácharo was a few meters from the edge of Tepuy so we offered a gulf overlooking LGS and Kukenan! what more could ask for;)

Stone Sculpture Made by My

Walking on the Tepuy lasted about an hour, and as usual to get the first thing was deciding where to set up camp. We got a perfect place for us, apart from the rest of the group to enjoy the surroundings to perfection;) was in the VIP wing of the Hotel Guácharo of Roraima jejeje.

As early, went for a lap of appreciation around the camp and continue to learn a little more than Tepuy had to take every minute of the trip: D. After a while the night fell and the group was gathered in the kitchen area talking and I particularly like I'm a very active person, I first went to explore as far as the human body could reach the cave where we were staying guácharo;) and then I started to try repair of the kitchen Pelu not lit up and we had only one burner to cook up there: S, the final disarmament entire kitchen with one of the porters but nothing that could make it turn, we had the tools necessary to complete the repair : (, so there is no other than cooking with a lighter just so that slowed the process. After a while we have our main meal of the day and almost directly to our rooms to rest, the day was not all easy ... but very productive and rewarding, had achieved the goal, the summit in Roraima!

Guácharo

My Camp VIP Hotel

Thursday 12/23/2010. Fourth Day Trek to Roraima, Del Hotel Guácharo to Walk the Roraima Tepuy

I got up very early as a child on Christmas day, but still missing a couple of days for Christmas literal lol, but still there regardless of all Christmas day was: D. What was the purpose of getting up, for nothing more and nothing less than going to peer into the abyss and see if it was clear to delight the eye.

Amidst this immensity

Once again thanks to the Gods of Tepuy for allowing me delight in the wonder that was in front of me ... it was a sunny morning for a few minutes which allowed me to appreciate the valley of LGS, the edge of Roraima, the Kukenan and Cascada-by-night rain, and an incredible rainbow on a faint ray of sun, realizing it could be seen coming from below, yes! for the first time in his life was in the presence of a rainbow that came under my "always see the rainbow high in the sky! this time I saw below me, which was doing its way to meet and exceed, too much magic board that landscape aphrodisiac.

Within minutes the weather did his stuff as always in these locations and we visited the fog removing any trace of existing landscape, just as it was time to wash, eat breakfast and prepare for the walk on the Tepuy ...

Roraima, LGS, Kukenan and Cascada, El Arco Iris and my Boo ...

First we had to go back a long way down the same road the previous day, for at some point make a detour to turn to the first rock formations of particular forms, above all, Roraima rock, but everything is different to where you see rock formations you can see plenty of shapes, sizes, characteristics. As you walk you exercising the neck of both flip everywhere lol.

That day we visited a thousand things at the Top of Tepuy, to name a few went to the Valley of the quartz crystals, I found a perfect double-ended, that after we admire and photograph it again on the floor with pain of our souls, the alien, the bust of Fidel Castro, some hotels, some gaps incredible, windows, guyana valley, pits, hot tubs (when we reach this point it started to rain so we could not swim in them ), Cathedral Falls (Where we took a bath under the waterfall, our only bathroom "decent" throughout our stay in the Tepuy, under water completely frozen).

The walk lasted almost all day, and although it seems that things are close, nothing is further from reality, an opportunity to boo and I spotted a gap to visit and start our quick trip to harness that was clear, but every time we tried to rush more and more over the road became more and more abrupt and also felt that we went to nothing, until you reach a point where the cracks between the stones became mini depths of several meters which makes it impossible happened: S

Climbing Rock Formations

When we reached the Jacuzzis, the climate changed drastically, virtually everything and began clouded to drizzle, then putting the plastic it was time to return to the camp, of course still had a little over an hour walk to the back, but this time it was under these conditions so they could extend the deal. At one point the group split up so that I stayed alone in the walk in the rain, until at one point I decided boo stopping to wait for more coming back with a few, and the cold, rain, wind, fog and afternoon every time recovering its territory since the end we made it back to camp. The first change clothes wet, but the best of the whole affair was the buddy Leo (one of the porters) who was waiting for us in the camp with a boiling noodle soup which we returned a little body heat and energy for hold until the real meal.

After dinner alone in our area VIP, the time was right to enjoy the night, weather and more so the site where we were. As we took our bottle of Tequila Jose Cuervo, which had been loaded from Caracas, lemons, salt and shoots! and between the moonlight, the gentle breeze and pleasant conversation fog enjoy our delicious drinks, and then fell asleep under a bundle up your child dream of thousands of sensations, smells, colors and perspective ...

Roraima Laguna

Read the Descent of academic Trek: Part II: Trekking to Roraima Tepuy (lowering of Roraima)