VENEZUELA: SHEER DRAMA by Sarah Elliott

Adrian Warren/ardea.com

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â&#x2020;&#x2019; VENEZUELA

Sheer drama Shrouded in mist and mystery, Roraima rises from Venezuelaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plateau, challenging trekkers to scale its vertical sides. Sarah Neale braves the heat, the jungle and the sandflies to enter the original Lost World

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Sabana begins; a vast, raised tract of arid, undulating grassland that stretches all the way to the Brazilian border. Amid the tufty grasses and beneath the relentless equatorial sun, seven tepui rise stubbornly from the plains; mighty Mount Roraima is the final stop. Leaving the smooth tarmac of the Trans Amazonian Highway at San Francisco de Yuruaní, our group of ten (eight trekkers and two guides) drove the last 28km along a dusty red track to the tiny village of Paraitepui, home to a community of Pemón porters and jumping-off point for the six-day Roraima trek. The last few embers of sun were just a glow on the skyline as we reached a huddle of simple huts on an embankment. On the opposite horizon, the brooding hulks of Kukenán and Roraima loitered like angry teenagers. “It doesn’t look so bad from here,” I said, hoping to sound brave. Emilio pointed at the silhouette of the mountain. “See the shape of a car in the mountain’s profile?” I strained my eyes to pick out a tiny toy car in the middle

“It doesn’t look so bad from here,” I said, hoping to sound brave Opposite: It’s an everchanging landscape on the Roraima trek – from arid plateau to lush jungle filled with sinister, carnivorous plants

Roraima is one of Venezuela’s highest tepuis (table-top mountains), and has its own share of disturbing legends, from tales of early explorers disappearing in the mists to the notion that UFOs frequent the summit. Add to this a menagerie of cantankerous dinosaurs from Conan Doyle’s classic novel The Lost World, believed to be based on Roraima, and my mental picture was complete. So I did the only reasonable thing to do, in Venezuela, in this type of situation: I poured myself another drink. We had travelled for two bottomnumbing days from the cloying heat of industrial Puerto Ordaz, past gritty goldmining towns, political rallies, fruitladen stalls and surly military check posts. Finally, the road had begun to rise through leafy jungle to emerge in Canaima National Park – at 30,000 sq km, one of the largest national parks in the world. Here, the plateau of the Gran

of the distant table-top. “That’s the highest point on the tepui – 2,810m. Base camp is directly below that, at the bottom of the wall. It’s two days’ walk from here to base camp – most people manage that. Then you tackle the wall.” I smiled weakly and poured myself another rum.

Day one Meeting the enemy I opened the hut door at 5am and wandered, bleary eyed, out onto the plateau. In the distance, cloud funnelled between the two mountains but the flat summits were crystal clear. Whatever terrors lurked on the top would be enjoying a good view, perhaps pondering which trekker would make the tastiest snack. I hurried inside to pack. Two hours later, our guides had assembled a group of ten porters to load up the stoves, supplies, tents and

a rather ungainly loo seat with four aluminium legs. Long, silver-tipped grasses swayed as we descended from Paraitepui on a narrow track lined with knobbly termite nests. By 10am the fierce sun began to sap my energy and I’d already finished my two litres of water. After four sweaty hours we arrived at the Kukenán River camp, and dunked our puffy limbs in the water. A squadron of puri-puri – tenacious biting flies that lay in wait at every watering spot and are impervious to DEET – launched their first attack.

Day two The easy bit Beating the heat with an early start seemed like a great plan, but by 8am – as the sun seared though factor 30 suncream and blistered the back of my hands – I began to wonder if a few hours extra sleep might have been a better idea. The first hour had passed like a dream; the smell of cloves and wild oregano drifted across the path, sunlight glittered on Kukenán’s waterfall and even the persistent puri-puri seemed to be giving us a break. Now the path began to rise. Lizards scuttled over the rocky track and vultures circled menacingly overhead. We plodded onwards and upwards. The heat was insufferable and there was no shade on the open plains. Were we getting closer? My perspective was blurred by the haze of heat and monotony of insipid yellow grasses. All at once, clouds gathered on the top of Roraima and spilled over the plains, covering us in soothing, shady mist. Two hours later I arrived at the last big ridge of the day. Fixing my eyes on the uneven ground, I willed myself forward. This was the easy bit, after all. Reaching the brow of the hill, I collapsed on the nearest rock to drain my water bottle. And that was when I looked up and saw the wall. Not the distant table mountain romantically cloaked in clouds and skirted by verdant jungle. But a big, vertical, black rockface that was towering above me. A narrow ribbon of green teetered diagonally across the bare cliff face. Surely this wasn’t the path I’d be scrambling up tomorrow? I scanned back and forth. It was the only path. We nibbled plates of pasta nervously that evening. Beyond the candlelight of the shack at base camp, it was pitch >

Previous spread: Adrian Warren/ardea.com; Sarah Neale

“I

want to die.” Our trekking guide’s characteristic smile melted away and he pulled hard on his cigarette. I followed Emilio’s eyes upwards, tracing a sandstone wall that rose vertically from the dense jungle, then disappeared into a mass of slate-coloured clouds. Somewhere high above, a river reached the edge of a lofty plateau. Water tumbled blindly through the clouds down one of the world’s highest waterfalls and splattered on the vegetation beneath. “If a Pemón Indian was defeated at war he would bring his wife and children to the top of this plateau and jump. So the Pemón named it Kukenán – literally ‘I want to die’. I took a big gulp of rum and Coke. In fact, the only time the indigenous population ever ventured to the top of Kukenán was to die, owing to their belief that powerful mischievous spirits haunted its summit. I wasn’t here to climb Kukenán. I was here to climb its big brother, who lurked behind in the evening gloom.

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< black and eerily silent. A lonely firefly flickered in the gloom and I wandered out to get a better look. High above, a bright light radiated out from the plateau, as if a tepui techno party was about to take place on the summit. I waited for the first basey boom. Nothing. The light intensified and suddenly the halo of the moon peeped over the edge of the plateau, covering everything in a bright, bluish light. “Full moon tomorrow night,” said Ricardo, the second-in-command. Perfect for pterodactyl spotting, I thought, snuggling into my sleeping bag.

DAY THREE The final push

Top right: It’s just got to be done – scramble to the edge and peer down the sheer walls to the jungle below Bottom right: Natural plunge pools oﬀer the chance for a bracing dip

After a night filled with strange dreams about dehydration and dinosaurs, I took a peek outside my tent. The wall stared defiantly back at me. “It’s only four hours’ climb,” Emilio coaxed, “all in shade! Walk at your own pace.” Loitering at the back, the first hour passed quickly as we chatted about the maelstrom of Venezuela’s politics. Conversation slowed as the path steepened and I focused on the narrow gully of gloopy red clay ahead, struggling to find footholds amongst the tangled tree roots. “You’re lucky it’s not the rainy season,” Emilio smiled. Onwards we clambered, past carnivorous pitcher plants, purple orchids with plump, waxy leaves, and tendrils of wiry red moss draped across vast branches. Through the gaps in the vegetation I glimpsed folds of velvet jungle below. Above, the impenetrable tepui wall stood like a leviathan iron curtain.

“Ready for the final push?” he asked, handing me a guava biscuit. We’d picked our way up and down the wall for almost three hours, and now the steepest section – the ‘ramp’ – lay ahead. This bank of scree tucked under a waterfall was the final obstacle to the top of Roraima. Plump drops of water battered my forehead as I stumbled over the rocks, retracing my steps to negotiate large boulders. The vegetation thinned, trees disappeared, replaced by curious mosses shaped like cotton wool and spiky dandelion-yellow flowers. Pausing to take a picture, I almost squashed a tiny black frog, gnarly and glistening in the morning sun. “Hola chica, keep going – you’re almost there!” Ricardo had bounded up the slope like a hyperactive mountain goat and was now waving down from a rocky ledge above. I wheezed onwards. After another 100m the rubble flattened out and I glimpsed the bright Gore-Tex of my group. I grinned, made the last few wobbly steps, and gazed over the landscape beyond: The Lost World. My mental picture of a lush, tropical biosphere shattered into a thousand pieces. Ahead lay a maze of grubby rock; stark, barren and apparently bereft of life. Hell, we’d made it, and that was the main thing. And it looked unlikely that death-by-dinosaur was going to be a problem. We posed for a group photo before settling on a sun-drenched rock to celebrate with salami sandwiches and orange squash. As we munched, tiny sparrow-like birds swooped nimbly to retrieve

Sandflies vs termites Sarah Neale; Sinclair Stammers/Science Photo Library

Your skin is the battleground – let the fight commence… What’s the most treacherous creature on the Roraima trek – a bone-crushing anaconda? A venomous tarantula? Or a Tyrannosaurus rex? Nope, it’s the humble sandfly, or puri puri. These tenacious little terrors will torment you at night, bite you as you bathe and leave behind pinprick red blisters that itch like hell. DEET and other repellents seem to do little to

deter them, especially if you are cursed with sweet European blood. So you might as well try the indigenous solution – warrior termite sauce. What have you got to lose? The industrious, iron-jawed insects are harvested from the numerous termite mounds that dot the savannah and are then boiled up by the bucketload and blended with chillies. Locals

swear that if you slather this fiery condiment on your supper – as liberally as you dare – you’ll remain blissfully bite free. Pick up a bottle en route at San Francisco de Yuruaní for BS.F8 (£2). And remember to add plenty of toilet paper to your shopping list – this stuﬀ is seriously hot.

our lunchtime crumbs and a huge torpedo-like bug motored noisily between brightly coloured flowers. Hotel Sucre was an hour’s walk across the plateau. In Pemón terms, the word ‘hotel’ is, well, generous. It really means ‘overhanging rock’. Beneath one of the larger formations, the porters had erected our homes on a narrow ledge, sheltered from wind and rain. “Tents ahead, loo to the right. Plastic bags provided – what we carry up, we carry back down,” announced Emilio. Later that night, I ducked under the rocky arch and came face to face with the awkward contraption that had whistled past me on a porter’s back: a solitary toilet seat propped up on four legs, close to the edge of the raised outcrop. Above me, a shooting star danced across the clear sky like a firework; below the icy lunar hue illuminated a magical rocky moonscape. It was the best loo view I’d ever seen.

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Day four The wonderfully weird By morning, thick fog had transformed the landscape into a spooky scene more reminiscent of Tolkien’s misty marshes than Conan Doyle’s Lost World. A ladder of slippery rocks, like the scales of a sleeping stegosaurus, led out of camp. In less than 50m, all traces of the tents had disappeared, replaced by a dizzy, disorientating mist. It would be easy to get lost up here but our guides picked a path through valleys filled with glittering quartz, past hanging gardens of endemic plants, to a colossal canyon that cuts 200m down into the heart of the mountain and is inhabited by ‘blind’ birds that navigate the dark gorge by sonar. We swam in the ‘Jacuzzis’, a set of sinkholes filled with crystal clear, freezing water. We sat by the window of Guyana, waiting for the mists to unravel and reveal magnificent vistas below.

And we consoled ourselves with chocolate and speculated about what the views might have been like. Far from the bleak no-man’s-land that I first perceived, Roraima was an adventure playground of the weird, the wonderful and the other-worldly. As I lay on the edge, under the sheet of mist, staring into the abyss, I held my breath and listened. Not a sound. Up here, we were utterly alone.

Day five Down time And then the crunch came: “It’s two hard days walking to get down.” Emilio’s ‘pep talk’ was tempered by pillowy pockets of fried dough squashed full of jam and cheese. Sadly though, where adrenalin and curiosity will get you up the mountain, only sheer bloody-mindedness and plenty of sugary snacks will get you down. The cloud loitered like an unwanted >

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James Sparshatt/Corbis

‘The only time locals ventured to the top was to die,

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believing mischievous spirits haunted the summitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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< guest as we trudged out. Feet skudded across the rocks, knees buckled on the scree on the ramp and jungle creepers wrapped themselves around our ankles at every opportunity. It took two painful hours to get back down to base camp, and a further three to reach the Tek River camp. That evening, I counted my puri-puri bites to take my mind oﬀ the ache in my thighs. I gave up after I reached 100.

DAY SIX Mission accomplished

Emilio Perez/www.lastrefuge.co.uk; Sarah Neale

“One more day,” said Alison, my tentmate. As the slowest two members of the group, we were finding the descent the toughest. The sun was already cranking up to full power as we set oﬀ on the four-hour trek a little after 7am. It took us nearer six. As we limped back up the hill to Paraitepui, the only thing that kept me going was the promise of a cold beer and a soft bed. I lent on my walking pole and looked back. Roraima had already disappeared into the clouds, but Kukenán protruded defiantly through the gloom. Water from the night’s rainstorm tumbled from its

video footage

falls into jungle-clad foothills that formed a wide, inverted arch at the base of the mountain, like a wry smile. “Leaving so soon?” it grinned. My thighs screamed. My knees wobbled. Every inch of flesh was covered in angry, itchy bites, and my sunburnt ears were as leathery as a pterodactyl’s toes. But a strange euphoria mingled with the pain – I’d made it across those scorching plains and up that damn ramp. I’d had a taste of that pure, inhospitable tableland; an unexpected Eden bathed in moonlight, draped in clouds, isolated from the heartache and hullabaloo that consumes the world around it. Roraima was undoubtedly tough, and could probably be treacherous, but – dinosaurs and demons aside – the top of the tepui was a wilderness like nowhere else on earth. I squinted back at Kukenán and smiled. “Maybe next time.” ▪

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Read about the author’s trip to Angel Falls at www.wanderlust.co.uk/ destinations

A beginners’ guide to tepuis What are they? Tepuis are the remaining pieces of an ancient sandstone jigsaw that once covered the north-eastern tip of South America. They are some of the world’s oldest rock formations.

How were they formed? Laid down as sediment 1.6 billion years ago, the rock was cemented by heat and

pressure before subsequent tectonic movement fractured the surface, exposing it to erosion. Over time, much of the plateau weathered away, leaving 115 sentinel tepuis – stubborn hunks of the toughest quartzite and sandstone, isolated from each other and the ground below.

Endemic plants Plants huddle together in dense clumps, including insect-eating pitcher plants, bromeliads and orchids

Hidden animals Lizards and small mammals lurk deep in the foliage

Where are they found? Dotted across south east Venezuela, Brazil, Guyana and Suriname.

How big are they? Between 1,000m and 3,000m high.

Can I climb them? While they are treasure troves of endemic fauna and flora, the inhospitable terrain and minimal tourist

infrastructure means that most tepuis are oﬀ-limits to travellers. Apart from Roraima, the only other exception is Auyantepui, the largest tepui and home to Angel Falls. The summit trek doesn’t oﬀer views of the falls (the world’s highest), though – take a Cessna flight or dugout canoe trip to see them.

What’s on top? Not dinosaurs, sadly. Shallow, nutrient-poor soil makes the top of a tepui a tough environment for plants (see below), let alone giant, hungry lizards. Frogs and small mammals manage to eke out a meagre living; otherwise a bevy of insects and spiders prevail.

Trees and shrubs The heather-like Bonnetia roraimae shrub is common on the summit and can grow over 3m tall Rock ‘hotels’ Overhangs make ideal spots for campers

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Footnotes L.S up er

VITALBismarck STATISTICS

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Fares start at £520; flight time is around 14 hours.

Montreal

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and warm layers. Drybags and a rucksack cover will help to keep your kit dry if the weather turns bad, and a torch is essential for those late night loo trips. BERMUDA

takes them. Locals will tell you comfortable mid-rangeColumbia hotel is Cape Fear that Venezuela is teetering on the yours for less than £20. Things get Atlanta brink of civil war, but the situation The more pricey if you want to explore Further reading Dallas Jackson Coloratrip do Montgomery The author travelled with has been the same for some years the interior as you’ll need to Venezuela (Lonely Planet, 2007) Savannah VenezuelaAustin specialists Geodyssey so take this with a pinch of salt. Do budget for fl ights, 4WD hire and South America Handbook 2007 Tallahassee Houston Baton Rouge Chihuahua (020 7281 7788, www.geodyssey. New Orleans exercise caution, especially in the guides. Food is cheapJacksonville – good (Footprint, 2006) San co.uk) on its 13-day Trek to the Lost cities, and check both local quality bakeries supply great The Lost World (Headline Review, pper Antonio nyon Mississippi Delta Orlando World itinerary, also visiting Angel opinion and the Foreign Office breakfasts, and you’ll struggle new edition 2007; first published Tampa Falls. The trip costs from £1,225 website (www.fco.gov.uk) for the to spend more than £5 on lunch 1912), the classic adventure by Torreón A T L A N T I C including internal flights and latest on the security situation. or dinner. Alcohol can quickly Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Monterrey Miami transfers, accommodation, guide, inflate costs. GULF OF MEXICO BA H AtoMpack AS most meals, tents and porters for What Bottle of beer: Bs.F5 (£1) Further info M E X I C O the trek, but excluding Both the Gran Sabana and tepuis Bottle of water: Bs.F2 (50p) Last Refuge (01934 712556, HAVANA Varadero Tampico international flights. are exposed so make sure you pack www.lastrefuge.co.uk) is a good Cup of tea/coffee: Bs.F2 (50p) jara VERACRUZ source of maps and info. ▪ Leon Trinidad C U B A high-factor suncream (50+), a PUERTO When to go wide-brimmed hat and a good Mérida Food & drink RICO Teotihuacán Jarabocoa Samaná Santiago de Cuba Roraima can be visited year round, hydrationHAITI system. Cover up Yucatan Arepas Losfrom Haitises NP Tulum are a national favourite – FLY CLIMATE-NEUTRAL MICHOACÁN MEXICO CITY Peninsula Mount SANTO PORT-AU-PRINCE but during the rainy months (June the sun and those puridense disks of white maize flour ANTIGUA AND Picotenacious Duarte DOMINGO London to Caracas (return) BARBUDA to August) the summit is often puri with long, light, loose layers, that come baked or fried with Acapulco KINGSTON Palenque D O Mrepellent. INICAN generates 2.11 tonnes of CO2. Sancloud. Cristóbel Oaxaca JAMAICA obscured by The dry season and pack good insect a variety of fi llings and sit heavy on ST. KITTS de las Casas R E P U B L IC BELIZE Offset your emissions for DOMINICA (November to April) is bestSemuc forTikal Nights on the summit can be cold the stomach. Pabellon criollo is a AND NEVIS The Bay Islands Champey Lívingston £15.81 at www.wanderlust. Todos you Santosshould trekking although still (down to 5°C or lower) so bring a robust plate of shredded beef, often Quetzaltenango HONDURAS C A R I B B E A N S E A Lake Atitlán Copán co.uk/offset La Mosquitia Yojoa be prepared for adverse decent sleeping bag, sleeping mat accompanied by plantanos Antigua weather: ruins Lake ST. LUCIA Gracias GUATEMALA GUATEMALA TEGUCIGALPA the top of the tepuiMonterrico can be bitterly Suchitoto (cooking bananas), caraotas negras Cerro Verde NP El Imposible cold, subject to heavy rainNP SAN (black beans) and rice. Orinoco SALVADOR Leon NICARAGUA 0 200 km EL SALVADOR (especially at night) or strong sun riverGranada fish are a delicacy, but best MANAGUA Aruba Ruta de Flores Lake Nicaragua The Corn Islands Volcán Masaya OCEAN Ometepe Island at any time. enjoyed close to the Curaçao Tenorio NP Guanacaste CARACAS source. Volcán Arenal Maracaibo Portobello Nicoya Peninsula Jacó Tortuguero TRINIDAD & Panama Panamá Viejo Valencia Getting there Coff ee drinking is an Lake SAN JOSÉ Canal TOBAGO COSTA RICA San Blás Maracaibo Barquisimeto Delta del Manuel via Antonio NPart form; a zingy Several airlines fly into Caracas PANAMA Islands Corcovado NP PANAMA Orinoco Osa Peninsula Azuero Gulf of Darién Sierra Nevada NP Orinoco Europe or America. Iberia (0870 negrito (espresso) will Ciudad Peninsula Panama Ciudad Guayana 609 0500, www.iberia.com) flies kick start your day, Bolívar Galibi Nat Angel Canaima NP from Heathrow via Madrid and but ask for it ‘sin Salut Falls Cabo Corrientes Kukenán Brownsberg Islands A N A B American Airlines (020 7365 0777 azucar’ (without SA Kourou NP Mount AN Voltaire GR San Francisco Roraima CAYEN www.aa.com) from Heathrow sugar) if you don’t share the Armenia Falls de Yuruaní AMAZONAS Saül COLOMBIA via Miami. nation’s sweet tooth. Buenaventura Orino Cali Awarradam Red

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Health & safety

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A m a z o n

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Macapá

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BRAZIL

Gulf of Guayaquil

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SURINAME

Nevado del Huila

San Agustín

11/3/08 18:21:20