Day 4: RORAIMA TREK / BASE CAMP / SUMMIT
This will be our most difficult day. In the morning we will enjoy our first sunrise view of Tepui Roraima, contemplating its Indian name, which means Great, Ever Fruitful, and Mother of Streams. The names seem appropriate because its waters feed into three vital river systems, the Amazon, Orinoco and Essequibo. After breakfast, we will head for the Roraima base camp at the foot of the Tepui (10 km) for a lunch stop. First, we will ford the River Tek and continue along the River Kukenan. This is a bigger river, 40 m wide, and the level of water affects the crossing. Along the long incline that leads to the base of Roraima’s vertical 600 m cliffs, the terrain is a series of long ridges radiating out from the Tepui. Grasslands dominate the terrain, except in the deep ravines where rainforest patches have escaped the Indian’s fires. About halfway to the "base camp" we will enter a broad sloping area of black, lichen-covered boulders where we might spot trodipurus lizards and Chestnut-collared Sparrows. Its about a 2 hour walk to arrive to the Military Camp and then an hour later, we will reach our lunch spot, which is not far from the base of Roraima. The base camp sits at (1,800 m). After lunch, we ascend a 50-100 ft wide ramp that runs from right to left along the cliff face allowing the only easy access to Roraima’s summit. In 1884, the British explorer, Everard Im Thurn discovered this route. Cloud forest surrounds the vertical wall and is inhabited by an abundance of lovely orchids, lush ferns, palms, woody shrubs and delicate flowers. En route, we will be treated with the surprise of a thin, ribbon-like waterfall, which falls from the crest. There are opportunities to refill water bottle from some of the freshest water on the planet. Upon arrival at the summit, we will be rewarded with a stunning vista of the savannah floor rolling out gracefully below us. We will set up camp on the tepui’s top (2,800 m) below a rock ledge that prevents the strong winds and cold temperatures (5 degrees Celsius) from reaching us during the evening. The locals call these natural caves -- hotels. We will spend a few hours exploring the foreign landscape of black rock near the campsite. After dinner, we can enjoy the nighttime sky. The stars are brilliant with the absence of human-produced light. The Southern Cross, as well as the familiar Northern Hemisphere stars and constellations, will be our companions for the evening.
Overnight Camp (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)