Roraima approach

The Monte Roraima is located on the border between Brazil, Venezuela and Engl. Guyana. But the only possibility for ascent is from the Venezuelan side, where a track starts at the tiny indigenous village Paraytepui. Here we left our Landrover and shouldered our backpacks. We carefully devided our tents, sleeping bags, equipment and food between our backpacks, which, at the end, each weighted 20kg.

It didn’t really feel very heavy at the beginning, and we confidently started walking the small trail, which winded between moderate hills, covered in low grass and vegetation. The high towering Roraima, with its 3.000 meters of hight, looming in the distance. After about 10 to 15 minutes novelty was gone, and we felt our shoulders crumble under the weight. Gravity was mercyless doing its thing. After about half an hour things started to look much worse! And after 45 minutes we wanted to drop the bags, lay down and die - lone explorers, rotting forgotten in the wilderness!!!

Instead we kept our thoughts to ourselves. Each one of us too determined to be the one to give up. Or maybe even just too proud to be the first to complain… We started to motivate ourselves and keep our morale up. Soon we fell into a stubborn walking mode, in indian row, each one stepping into the others footsteps, rarely looking up or sideways. And, after 2 hours of ordeal we gave our sore backs a little rest.

We would have to keep the rhythm up for 4 more hours to reach the first camp, were we would spend the night. From there we would track a moderate ascent to the second base camp, at the foot of the menacing walls of the Roraima, which rise 1000 meters, vertically up into the sky. An impressive view from any angle.

But the Roraima was still very distant indeed. And before reaching the base camp to get some well deserved sleep, we would have to cross the Kukenam River… carry our tired bones over slippery rocks and through rushing, ice cold water… Ah! The wilderness, what a joy!!!