Hike The Tepui In Venezuela
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Loading... - Jackson Campbell
- 21 Oct 2022
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Hike The Tepui in Venezuela’s Canaima National Park
Remember the kid’s movie about a disgruntled old man who transforms his house into an airship bound for South America? If you’ve seen “Up”, then you’ve seen the Tepui. A series of vertical landmasses rising up through the Amazonian clouds in Venezuela’s Canaima National Park. In recent years, more and more plucky adventurers are heading to Venezuela to attempt to hike the Tepui. Here, they can visit Angel Falls, the world’s highest waterfall, and the crown Jewel of Venezuelan hiking attractions.
What Are The Tepui?
The Tepui tabletop mountains, or ‘mesas,’ are the remnants of an ancient South American supercontinent named ‘Gondwana‘. Over tens of millions of years, rivers formed and washed away enormous chunks of earth. As a result, vertical landmasses formed upon which sprouted a natural terrain utterly unlike any on earth.
A Real-Life Jurassic Park
In 1884 British explorers Everard IM Thum and Harry Perkins became the first Europeans to hike the Tepui. After that, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle heard tales of their high-altitude trek through mesmerizing, misty cloud forest. Consequently, he was inspired to write “The Lost World,” from which Jurassic Park took its cue.
To Hike the Tepui is a Biologists Dream
There is a huge difference in altitude and temperature between the sea level jungle and the Tepui platforms. Moreover, vertical rock walls and millions of years separate the two areas. Consequently, perfectly isolated ecological islands have emerged that contain all manner of undiscovered plant and animal life. Anyone hiking the Tepui won’t run into the dinosaurs of Conan Doyle’s imagination. However, the Tepui are still home to countless strange beasts, many of which don’t even have names. Read More…
