Auyantepui is also called the house of the Devil. The Pemon Indians who live in the area have named it and vowed that they would never venture there. Auyantepui is the largest tepuy of the Bolivar State and home to the world’s highest waterfall, Angel Falls. The tour includes 8 days and 7 nights of high impact trekking.
Your Itinerary:
Day 1: Ciudad Bolivar - Canaima NP - Angel Falls - Uraven-Guayacara
We will leave Ciudad Bolivar at around 9 o’clock in the morning in a small Cessna airplane (Cessna, Piper). We will fly mainly to the south. The “Cerro Bolivar”, one of the largest iron ore deposits in the world will be below us like a red wound in the surrounding green. Soon after will appear the outskirts of the largest man-made lake in the world, the “Guri Lake”.
After passing a few small tepuis we will enter the Canaima National Park. In front of us rises the imposing northern wall of our goal: “Auyantepui”. Weather permitting, we will continue alongside the eastern wall of the tepui until “Devil’s canyon” beckons on our right. The great canyon will seem to swallow us as we follow the meanderings of the Churún River to Angel Falls, at 979 meters (3,212 ft.), the highest free falling waterfall on earth.
The flight through the Devil’s canyon will be a delight for people who enjoy flying. Coming out of the canyon we will again turn south until we finally reach the south-east corner of the tepui and turn west. Soon Kamarata is discernible to the left. We will leave Kavak on our right and descend to Uruyen, our destination.
We will land before lunchtime, so there will be time to take a swim before a light lunch. In the meantime luggage and food for 7 days will be split up among the Indian porters. We will start the trek to “Guayacara” (the camp) on the first terrace of the mountain. Along the way from the “Low Sabana” to the summit we will encounter various distinctive changes in plant life. We will come back to Camp “Guayacara” around 5 p.m., where we will stay for the night.
2-3 hours flight; 3-4 hours hiking. L/ D.
Day 2: High Sabana - El Penon
After breakfast we will make our way across a typical “High Sabana.” Along the way, changes in the flora will already be noticeable. Before the sun gets too hot we will reach the shady and silent sanctuary of the “Middle Rainforest”. We will stay in the shade until we reach the second terrace, where the vegetation will change quite dramatically. For a short while we will be exposed to the sun before entering yet another type of flora: the so called “Cloud Forest”. There, we will encounter the first members of the endemic tepui flora. We will also meet tangled, slippery roots making the trek a bit difficult. We arrive back at our night's camp, “El Peñon”, between 3:00 and 4:00p.m., where we will set up for the night. 6-7 hours hiking. B/ L/ D.
Day 3: El Penon - Auyantepui Summit - El Oso
In the morning at “El Peñon,” from a height of 1600 meters (5240 ft.), we look down into a sea of clouds. With the heat they will rise slowly to their normal location, which is more or less where we will enter the summit of Auyantepui, also called “El Libertador”. After a one-and-a-half hour walk we will arrive at “La Paloma,” where the wall will seem to disappear into the clouds. We will have a little rest then begin the ascent, mostly by using bouldering techniques.
There is no perfect way to describe the lush vegetation along this one hour trip through the ancestry of our planet. On top, a different landscape will await us. Near the abyss at “Pico Libertador,” weather permitting, we will have lunch. From there, after approximately three more hours, we will arrive at “El Oso,” our friendly rock overhang and home for three nights. There will be time for a bath at a beautiful cascade. We will set up camp for the night around 5:00p.m. 6-7 hour hiking. B/ L/ D.
Day 4: El Oso - Orchid Island
This morning we will relax. We will be able to wash our clothes and hopefully dry them. We may bathe in a waterfall which is about 15 minutes from El Oso. On this little sortie everybody can hone his skill to discern the little stone cairns marking the path. After lunch and a little siesta it will be orchid time. We won’t have to walk far. There will also be time to explain tepui flora in detail. The day will include dinner and “Tepui Brew.” 3 hours hiking. B/ L/ D.
Day 5: Campo Lecho/Churún River - El Oso
After an early breakfast we will be on our way to “Campo Lecho”, located behind the big bend in the “Churún River”. Walking through this desolate landscape, we will notice black rocks, small islands of plant life that reveal an astounding variety of mostly endemic vegetation. There will be no visible end to this elevated landscape. Up here all the rivers are called “Churún”. You will understand the reasons why as your guide tells you the Indian stories of the area.
We will turn away from the bleak plain to enter a green haven of rain forest, signaling the vicinity of the river. Soon we will arrive at the bend of “Churún,” in time for lunch. This place is charmed. We will swim and jump from rocks into the red, clear water from which you can even drink while swimming. Path permitting, we will continue to a place where the river disappears into the rocks for about 300 meters (900 ft.). It will appear again boiling out of the rock fissures. It will be time to start on the trek back. We will arrive at “El Oso” at around 4:00 p.m. 6-7 hours hiking. B/ L/ D.
Day 6: El Oso - El Penon - Guayacara
We will break camp as early as possible; on the way down we will only stop at El Peñon for lunch. The trip is long, but it is all downhill. Guayacara will welcome us at around 5:00 or 6:00 p.m.
7-8 hours hiking. B/ L/ D.
Day 7: Guayacara - Kavak
A leisurely breakfast will prepare us for the last stretch before civilization. In Kavak, which had known only from the air, cold drinks will be available. We will finally sit at tables after 7 days- a reward well deserved. 6 hours hiking. B/ L/ D.
Day 8: Kavak Cave - Ciudad Bolívar
While the planes make their way from Ciudad Bolivar, we will use the time to visit the famous “Cave of Kavak”. With cameras safely packed in plastic bags we will swim part of the way to a very impressive waterfall in a cave-like opening in this narrow canyon. When we return the planes might already be waiting, and we will say “farewell” to a unique “island in time.” 2 hours hiking. B/ L/ D.
Notes:
Airfare is included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- Pre-departure information
- All transfers and ground transportation
- Accommodations as indicated
- All meals and non-alcoholic beverages as indicated
- Bilingual guide
- Park entrance fees
- Camping equipment (as needed)
- First-aid kit
Price does not include:
- International flights or airport departure taxes
- Domestic flights (we can arrange them)
- Sleeping bag, other gear, or items of a personal nature
- Meals, alcoholic beverages, tours, or other services not listed on the itinerary
- Tips to local staff, nor any expenses incurred in preparing for the trip such as but not limited to non-refundable airline tickets or insurance or additional expenses encountered as a result of flight delays, cancellations, or missed connections.
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