VENEZUELA'S LOST WORLDS: ANGEL FALLS and the TEPUIS

ANGEL FALLS: View the splendor of Angel Falls from a chartered Cessna, or lumber by in a classic DC-3. The world's highest waterfall is a thrill to view from the air.

ANGEL FALLS: Having seen the falls from the air, you'll want to get up close and personal with it, traveling upriver in a dugout canoe, known locally as a curiara, to Ratoncito Camp, where an hour's hike brings you to a viewpoint near the base of the towering cascade. Most visitors make this river trip in the wet season; when the river levels are right, the trip can be made in a day from Canaima. But for a more challenging and exhiliarating trip, in which the excursionists must help the boatmen get the curiara through shallows and rapids, early in the dry season is the time to go. A trip in December, when the water is low can take 2-3 days, but in addition to being a lot of fun in the water, you can get lucky and have the falls all to yourselves.

AUYANTEPUI: The largest of all the tepuis, the giant flat-topped mountain from which Angel Falls drops, looms behind Kavak Camp, the usual starting point for an Auyantepui trek. To reach the top, trekkers spend 2-3 days ascending through a series of three sets of tall cliffs, guided by Pemón Indians. The final ascent is through a great cleft in the 1000-foot tall cliff guarding Auyantepui's mysterious and rugged top.

RORAIMA: Even more famous and higher than Auyantepui is Roraima. This tepui is a more popular climb than its larger cousin, and features many scenic wonders such as the Valley of the Crystals.

RUTAHSA ADVENTURES can arrange tepui treks and visits to Angel Falls for independent travelers. We arrange the custom trip of your design using reliable independent Venezuelan operators; you pay for your in-country trip services directly to the Venezuelan operators, and save! We charge only a small service charge for making the arrangements. Contact us at: rfinch@tntech.edu

"We want to thank you for everything and let you know that it was all perfect. Everything went as scheduled and exceeded our expectations.... We were continually amazed by the culture and beauty of the country....we loved Venezuela and all the people we met." --Brooke Hutchens and Steve Bushey, who went on a Rutahsa-arranged Angel Falls trip, July 1999.


Photos on this website by Janie and Ric Finch, @copyrighted.