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{{short description|Mountain in Brazil, Guyana and Venezuela}} {{Infobox mountain | name = Mount Roraima | photo = Roraima3 (79).JPG | photo_caption = Mount Roraima as seen from the Venezuelan side | map = South America#Brazil#Guyana#Venezuela | map_caption = Location in South America | location = Border region between Brazil ([[Roraima]]), Guyana ([[Cuyuni-Mazaruni]]) and Venezuela ([[Bolívar (state)|Bolívar]]) | label_position = left | elevation_m = 2810 | elevation_ref = {{R|"Peakbagger1"}} | prominence_m = 2338 | prominence_ref = {{R|"Peakbagger1"}} | listing = {{ubl|[[List of countries by highest point|Country high point]]|[[Ultra prominent peak]]}} | range = [[Pacaraima Mountains]], [[Guayana Highlands]] | coordinates = {{coord|5|08|36|N|60|45|45|W|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | coordinates_ref = | type = [[Plateau]] | first_ascent = 1884, led by Sir [[Everard im Thurn]] and accompanied by Harry Inniss Perkins and several natives{{R|"NYTimes1"|"ImThurn1"|page2=497}}{{efn| For all around wore rocks and pinnacles of rocks of seemingly impossibly fantastic forms, standing in apparently impossibly fantastic ways — nay, placed one on or next to the other in positions seeming to defy every law of gravity — rocks in groups, rocks standing singly, rocks in terraces, rocks as columns, rocks as walls and rocks as pyramids, rocks ridiculous at every point with countless apparent caricatures of the faces and forms of men and animals, apparent caricatures of umbrellas, tortoises, churches, cannons, and of innumerable other most incongruous and unexpected objects.<ref name = ImThurn1/> }}{{efn| Lord Aberdare said that Mr. Perkins, who accompanied {{nobr|Mr. im Thurn}} in the ascent of the mountain, had fared little better, inasmuch as he also had been severely attacked by fever since his return, and though present that evening, was still too weak to read his notes.<ref name= NYTimes1/> }} | easiest_route = [[Hiking|Hiking path]] | map_size = 200 | country = {{ubl|{{BRA}}|{{GUY}}|{{VEN}}}} }} '''Mount Roraima''' ({{langx|es|Monte Roraima; Tepuy Roraima; Cerro Roraima}}; {{langx|pt|Monte Roraima}}) is the highest of the [[Pacaraima Mountains|Pacaraima chain]] of [[tepui]]s (table-top mountain) or [[plateau]]x in [[South America]].{{R|"Swan1"|page1=156}}{{efn| "Mount Roraima is the point where the boundaries of Venezuela, Brazil and British Guiana actually meet, and a stone stands on its summit, placed there by the International Commission {{nobr|in 1931." — Michael Swan (1957)<ref name=Swan1/>}} }} It is located at the junction of [[Brazil]], [[Guyana]] and [[Venezuela]]. A characteristic large flat-topped mountain surrounded by cliffs {{cvt|400|–|1,000|m|sigfig=2}} high. The highest point of Mount Roraima is located on the southern edge of the cliff at an elevation of {{cvt|2,810|m|sigfig=3}} in Venezuela,{{efn|[[Maverick Rock]], a rock formation on the plateau.}} and another protrusion at an elevation of {{cvt|2,772|m|sigfig=4}} at the junction of the three countries in the north of the plateau is the highest point in Guyana. The name Mount Roraima came from the native [[Pemon]] people. ''Roroi'' in the Pemon language means "blue-green", and ''ma'' means "great".<ref>{{cite web |title=The meaning behind the name 'Mount Roraima' |url= https://explorationjunkie.com/mount-roraima-venezuela/ |website= Explorationjunkie.com |date=7 December 2019 |access-date=7 December 2019}}</ref> Leaching caused by intense rainfall has shaped the peculiar topography of the summit, and the geographical isolation of Mount Roraima has made it home to much endemic flora and fauna. Western exploration of Mount Roraima did not begin until the 19th century, when it was first climbed by a British expedition in 1884. Yet despite subsequent expeditions, its flora and geology remain largely unknown. The privileged setting and relatively easy access and climbing conditions on the south side of the cliffs make Mount Roraima a popular destination for hikers.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Mount Roraima |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |url= http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/509565/Mount-Roraima |access-date=2012-02-06}}</ref> ==Geography== Mount Roraima is located in the northern part of South America, the Pacarema Mountains in the eastern part of the Guyana Plateau, Brazil in the east accounting for 5% of its area, Guyana in the north accounting for 10%, and Venezuela in the south and west accounting for 85%.<ref name= "peakbagger"/><ref name= "lagransabana">{{cite web |title= Roraima Tepuy |publisher=La Gran Sabana y Canaima |url= http://www.lagransabana.com/roraima.htm | website = lagransabana.com |access-date= 2022-03-21 |archive-date= 2012-04-23 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120423122612/http://www.lagransabana.com/roraima.htm }}</ref> Access to Mount Roraima from the Venezuelan side is close to the road and relatively easy; however, for both Brazil and Guyana the area is completely isolated and can only be reached by a few days of forest hikes or small local airstrip.<ref name="PNUD"/><ref name= "Caraurín">{{cite book |title=Caraurín, Venezuela; Brazil; Guyana |publisher= U.S. National Imagery and Mapping Agency| via= lib.utexas.edu |date= November 1994 |url= http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/jog/latin_america/txu-oclc-224388568-nb20-12.jpg |access-date=2022-03-21 |archive-date=2016-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303194335/http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/jog/latin_america/txu-oclc-224388568-nb20-12.jpg}}</ref><ref name= "climbing">{{cite news |title= New route in remote Guyana |website= Climbing.com |author= MacDonald, Dougald |lang=en |url= http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/cuttingtheline/ |access-date= 2012-04-24 |archive-date= 2012-01-19 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120119131322/http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/cuttingtheline/}}</ref> Mount Roraima is a flat-topped mountain, typical of the [[Guiana Shield|Guyana Shield]],<ref name="inparques Ambiente">{{cite web |title=Ambiente Natural |publisher= Instituto Nacional de Parques| website= inparques.gob.ve | location = Venezuela |url= http://www.inparques.gob.ve/index.php?parques=view&codigo=pn_0006&sec=3 |access-date=2012-04-24 |archive-date=2020-06-17 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200617131515/http://www.inparques.gob.ve/index.php?parques=view&codigo=pn_0006&sec=3}}</ref> with an elevation of about {{cvt|1,200|m|sigfig=2}} in the southeast and only about {{cvt|600|m|sigfig=2}} in the northwest.<ref name="peakbagger">{{cite web |title=Monte Roraima, Venezuela |website=Peakbagger.com |lang=en |url= http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=8684 |access-date=2012-04-24 |archive-date=2017-09-19 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170919234719/http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=8684 }}</ref> The south, southeast, east, northeast and northwest faces are all formed by straight cliffs up to about {{cvt|1,000|m|sigfig=2}} high. At the southern end of the mountain, part of the cliff has collapsed, forming a natural boulder.<ref name= "peakbagger"/><ref name= "geopoesia"/><ref name= "inparques Ambiente"/><ref name= "Elms"/> The base of the cliff is surrounded by steep slopes to the south and east, and the north and west sides form river valleys leading to the summit.<ref name="Caraurín"/><ref name="geopoesia">{{cite web |title=Карта Рораймы, Венесуэла |year=1952 |website=geopoesia.ru | language = ru |url= http://www.geopoesia.ru/ru/map/roraima/basic/main.html |access-date= 2012-04-24 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140117004926/http://www.geopoesia.ru/ru/map/roraima/basic/main.html |archive-date= 2014-01-17}}</ref> The top of Mount Roraima has a length of more than {{cvt|10|km|sigfig=2}}, a maximum width of {{cvt|5|km|sigfig=2}}, an area of about {{cvt|33|–|50|sqkm|sigfig=2}}, an elevation of more than {{cvt|2,200|m|sigfig=2}}, and an average elevation of {{cvt|2,600|–|2,700|m|sigfig=2}}.<ref name="peakbagger"/><ref name= "theseoultimes"/><ref name="Audy"/> The plateau is a pseudo-[[karst]] surface etched by heavy rainfall.<ref name="geopoesia"/> The highest point is {{cvt|2,810|m|sigfig=4}} above sea level, located at the southern end of the plateau and the highest point in the state of [[Bolívar (state)|Bolívar]],<ref name="peakbagger"/><ref name="PNUD"/><ref name="Audy"/> {{cvt|8.25|km|sigfig=3}} north of the summit is another high point with an elevation of {{cvt|2,772|m|sigfig=2}}, which is the highest point in Guyana.<ref name="peakbagger Guyana">{{cite web |title=Mount Roraima-Guyana high point, Guyana / Venezuela |website= Peakbagger.com|lang=en |url=http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=8682 |access-date=2012-04-11}}</ref> In the northern part of the plateau is the landmark of the border between Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana, with an elevation of {{cvt|2,734|m|sigfig=4}}.<ref name= "peakbagger tripoint">{{cite web |title= Monte Roraima – triple-country Point, Brazil / Guyana / Venezuela |website= Peakbagger.com |lang= en |url= http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=8683 |access-date=2012-04-11}}</ref> Due to its height and proximity to the equator, Mount Roraima has a constant average annual temperature between {{cvt|20|–|22|C|sigfig=2}} and annual rainfall of more than {{cvt|1,500|mm|sigfig=2}}, with {{cvt|1,800|–|3,000|mm|sigfig=2}} in parts of the rainy season from April to November.<ref name="inparques General">{{cite web |title=Información General |publisher=Instituto Nacional de Parques | website = inparques.gob.ve | location = Venezuela| url= http://www.inparques.gob.ve/index.php?parques=view&codigo=pn_0006&sec=2 |access-date=2012-04-24}}</ref> The climatic conditions at the top of the mountain differ significantly from its base, the high cloudiness in the region is associated with the prevailing northeasterly and southeasterly winds, and the relative humidity of the air remains between 75% and 85%.<ref name= "PNUD"/><ref name= "theseoultimes"/><ref name="climate-charts">{{cite web |title=Santa Elena de Uairen, Venezuela: Climate, Global Warming, and Daylight Charts and Data |website= climate-charts.com| publisher = World Climate |lang=en |url=http://www.climate-charts.com/Locations/v/VN80462.php |access-date=2012-04-24 |archive-date=2011-09-25 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110925174757/http://climate-charts.com/Locations/v/VN80462.php }}</ref> ==Geology== Mount Roraima is composed of [[Proterozoic]] age [[sandstone]] formed about 1.7 to 2 billion years ago,<ref name="climbing"/><ref name="Elms"/><ref name= "theseoultimes"/><ref name= "summitpost"/> and hence amongst the oldest rocks on Earth. It contains a large amount of [[quartz]] deposits,<ref name= "PNUD"/><ref name="Elms">{{cite news | first=Lindsay | last=Elms |title= Mount Roraima: An Island Forgotten by Time| via= shaw.ca|url= http://members.shaw.ca/beyondnootka/articles/roraima.html |accessdate= 2022-03-21 |archive-date=2007-05-09 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070509092623/http://members.shaw.ca/beyondnootka/articles/roraima.html}}</ref><ref name= "theseoultimes"/><ref name= "summitpost"/> 98% are [[silica]] particles,<ref name="Audy">{{cite book |first1=Braňislav |last1=Šmída| first2=Marek | last2=Audy | first3= Lukáš | last3=Vlček |title=The speleological expedition Roraima 2003 Cueva Ojos de Cristal |page=20 |url= http://audy.speleo.cz/Roraima/Ojos/engl.html |access-date=2022-03-21 |archive-date=2022-01-09 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220109141018/http://audy.speleo.cz/Roraima/Ojos/engl.html}}</ref> forming white or pink crystals several centimeters long.<ref name="Elms"/><ref name="theseoultimes"/> These rocks sit on a [[granite]] and [[gneiss]] base and were originally covered by layers of [[Mesozoic]] clay, conglomerate, and [[diorite]], but have been exposed by erosion and by [[orogeny]] over the past 180 million years, eroded by precipitation to form strange shapes.<ref name= "PNUD"/><ref name="inparques Ambiente"/> The soil of the sandstone matrix is highly acidic, poor in nutrients, and very fine.<ref name="inparques Ambiente"/> Intense rainfall prevents the fixation of nutrients and particles, thereby preventing the formation of hilltop vegetation and soil.<ref name="PNUD"/><ref name="summitpost"/> The numerous caves and rifts in the interior of the plateau make Mount Roraima exhibit a pseudo-[[karst]] structure,<ref name="PNUD"/><ref name= "Carreño">{{cite journal |title=Notas sobre la exploración del sistema kárstico de Roraima Sur, Estado Bolívar |journal= Boletín de la Sociedad Venezolana de Espeleología | language = es |year=2004 |pages=8 |issn=0583-7731 |url=http://www2.scielo.org.ve/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0583-77312004000100006&lng=es&nrm=is |access-date=2022-03-21 |archive-date= 2014-01-17 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140117023638/http://www2.scielo.org.ve/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0583-77312004000100006&lng=es&nrm=is}}</ref> and these caves form a network over {{cvt|15|km|sigfig=2}} long, with a total height difference of {{cvt|73.21|m|sigfig=4}}.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gulden |first=Bob |author-link= Robert Gulden |date=2013-07-31 | website = cavebob.com |title=World's longest caves |url= http://www.caverbob.com/wlong.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509051326/http://www.caverbob.com/wlong.htm |archive-date=2021-05-09 |url-status=usurped |access-date=2022-03-21}}</ref> It contains the largest quartz cave in the world, discovered by the Oxford University Cave Club and the Venezuelan Speleological Society.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Crosby |first=Pip |title=OUCC-SVE Roraima expedition |url=http://www.oucc.org.uk/expeditions/expedition2005/roraima_2005/pips_article.htm |access-date=2024-04-29 |website= oucc.org.uk}}</ref><ref name="Carreño"/> These caves are formed by the infiltration of surface water, so the water level inside them depends largely on the precipitation on the surface of the plateau: prolonged drought can dry up waterways, and dry caves can also become underground rivers.<ref name= "Audy"/> The water that poured into it rushed into the crevices of the rock and flowed out in the form of waterfalls on the mountainside, creating many streams at the foot of the mountain.<ref name= "Elms"/> ==Ecology== Due to the late exploration of this part of South America and the discovery of new species every year, the flora and fauna here are largely unknown.<ref name="PNUD"/> The currently identified species are strongly endemic, especially the fauna, which also puts them at a high risk of extinction.<ref name="inparques Ambiente"/> The bottom of the cliff at the foot of the mountain is an evergreen rainforest composed of trees {{cvt|25|–|45|m|sigfig=2}} high, and some can reach {{cvt|60|m}}.<ref name="inparques Ambiente"/> Vegetation is dominated by [[Palmaceae|Arecaceae]] and [[Astragalus (plant)|Astragalus]].<ref name="PNUD">{{cite book |title=Canaima National Park Venezuela |year=2011 |publisher=Programme des Nations unies pour l'environnement |page=8 |url=http://www.unep-wcmc.org/world-heritage-information-sheets_271.html |access-date=2022-03-21 |archive-date=2013-12-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206220831/http://www.unep-wcmc.org/world-heritage-information-sheets_271.html }}</ref> The soils on the cliffs are more sandy, the climate is cooler, and the vegetation consists of [[bromeliad]]s very similar to the Andes.<ref name="PNUD"/> The vegetation on the plateau is still largely unknown and consists mainly of bare rocks, forests of trees and [[epiphytes]], and wet and dry savannas in the form of swamps.<ref name="PNUD"/> It is marked by numerous endemic species, especially carnivorous plants that capture insects, living in sandstone and leaching soils which lack the nitrates necessary for their development.<ref name="summitpost"/><ref name="Elms"/><ref name="inparques Ambiente"/> There are fewer species in the vicinity of streams and ravines, and the trees are {{cvt|8|–|15|m}} tall and have hard leaves that can adapt to harsh environmental conditions.<ref name="PNUD"/> The exposed rocks are occupied by [[lichen]]s, [[algae]] and [[cyanobacteria]].<ref name="Audy"/> Endemic flora includes plants like the [[Orectanthe sceptrum]],<ref>{{Citation |title=Orectanthe sceptrum |date=2017-11-11 |work=Wikipedia |url=https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Orectanthe_sceptrum&oldid=170901490 |access-date=2024-08-01 |language=de}}</ref> [[Sauvagesia imthurnii]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sauvagesia imthurniana |url=https://uk.inaturalist.org/taxa/1168270-Sauvagesia-imthurniana |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=iNaturalist United Kingdom |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[Celiantha imthurniana]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Celiantha imthurniana (Oliv.) Maguire {{!}} Plants of the World Online {{!}} Kew Science |url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:51128-2 |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=Plants of the World Online |language=en}}</ref> [[Pitcher plant|Roraima marsh pitchers]] ([[Heliamphora nutans]]), Gran Sabana sundew ([[Drosera felix]]),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Killerpflanzen - Killerpflanzen - Drosera felix |url=http://www.killerpflanzen.com/drosera_felix/ |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=www.killerpflanzen.com}}</ref> Roraima bladderworts ([[Utricularia quelchii]]), Roraima "azaleas" ([[Bejaria imthurnii]])<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bejaria imthurnii description |url=https://www.nybg.org/bsci/res/lut2/bejaria_imthurnii.html |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=www.nybg.org}}</ref> and many more.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Homepage of Vladimir Dinets - Mount Roraima, Part 7 |url=http://dinets.info/roraima7.htm |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=dinets.info}}</ref> The fauna at the foot of the mountain are composed of a variety of mammals, and this huge diversity is particularly prominent in the Amazon rainforest, such as [[sloths]], [[anteater]]s, [[tapir]]s, [[armadillo]]s, [[capybara]]s, [[opossum]]s, [[agouti]], [[weasel]]s, [[raccoon]]s, [[deer]], [[cougar]]s, and [[primates]] such as [[howler monkeys]] and [[Capuchin monkey|capuchin]]s. There are hundreds of species of birds, the most common of which include [[falcon]]s, [[parrot]]s, and [[owl]]s. Some hummingbirds are endemic to the region.<ref name="PNUD"/> Due to low mobility relative to other species, reptiles and amphibians show large differences between individuals found at the bottom and top of Mount Roraima.<ref name="PNUD"/> While species inhabiting forests at the foot of the plateau are common, such as [[green iguana]]s, [[pit viper]]s, [[coral snake]]s and [[Pythonidae|python]]s, those found at the top are even rarer.<ref name= "lagransabana"/> Cave fauna consists of many species of [[bat]]s, [[grasshopper]]s, [[spider]]s and [[centipede]]s,<ref name= "PNUD"/><ref name="Carreño"/><ref name="Audy"/> but this fragile subterranean ecosystem is being disturbed by surface hikers, organic matter produced by tourists, and explorers over the years. Pollutants such as fuel are washed into the ground by rainwater, which leads to the proliferation of microorganisms and causes ecological imbalance.<ref name="Carreño"/> Endemic species include rodents such as the Roraima climbing mouse ([[Rhipidomys macconnelli roraimae]])<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wilson |first=Don E. |last2=Reeder |first2=DeeAnn |date=2005-12-31 |title=Rhipidomys macconnelli De Winton 1900 |url=https://zenodo.org/records/11325694 |doi=10.5281/zenodo.11325694}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Campos |first=Bruno Augusto Torres Parahyba |last2=Percequillo |first2=Alexandre Reis |last3=Miranda |first3=Gustavo |last4=Langguth |first4=Alfredo |date=2022-05-31 |title=Two new species of Rhipidomys (Rodentia: Sigmodontinae) from Eastern Brazil, with comments on the taxonomy of the genus |url=http://www.italian-journal-of-mammalogy.it/Two-new-species-of-Rhipidomys-Rodentia-Sigmodontinae-from-Eastern-Brazil-with-comments,149709,0,2.html |journal=Hystrix, the Italian Journal of Mammalogy |language=english |volume=33 |issue=2 |pages=139–157 |doi=10.4404/hystrix-00443-2021 |issn=0394-1914}}</ref> or the rarer [[Roraima mouse]] ([[Roraima mouse|Podoxymys roraimae]]),<ref name=":0" /> as well as many birds such as the [[Greater flowerpiercer]] ([[Greater flowerpiercer|Diglossa major]]) or the two subspecies of sparrow, the [[Zonotrichia capensis roraimae]]<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Zonotrichia capensis (Rufous-collared Sparrow) - Avibase |url=https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?avibaseid=A7280FF0F3B5EC81 |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=avibase.bsc-eoc.org}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> and the [[Zonotrichia capensis macconelli]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> One of the most well known endemic species is the [[Oreophrynella quelchii|Roraima toad]] ([[Oreophrynella quelchii]]).<ref name=":0" /> ==Exploration== European discovery was in 1595, during a Spanish and British race to colonize this part of South America. The English poet, army officer and explorer [[Walter Raleigh]] described it as an immeasurable "crystal mountain" gushing countless waterfalls.<ref name="theseoultimes">{{cite news |language=en |url=http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=830 |title=An unearthly plateau in Venezuela |newspaper=The Seoul Times |author=Dana Kennedy |date=2012-04-12 |access-date=2022-03-21 |archive-date=2022-01-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109141021/https://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=%2FST%2Fdb%2Fread.php%3Fidx%3D830 }}</ref><ref name="lagransabana"/> The first expedition to Mount Roraima took place in 1838, when German scientist and explorer [[Robert Hermann Schomburgk]] observed it during a Royal Geographical Society-funded expedition to explore [[British Guiana]] (1835–1839). In 1840, the British government commissioned him to establish the boundaries between British Guiana and Venezuela. When he returned to the area in 1844 to study the local flora, he reported that the peak seemed inaccessible due to its towering cliffs.<ref name="Elms"/><ref name="lagransabana"/> In 1864, German naturalist and botanist [[Carl Ferdinand Appun]] and British geologist [[Charles Barrington Brown]] arrived at the southeastern tip of Mount Roraima for observation and proposed to go up the mountain by hot air balloon.<ref name="lagransabana"/> Although its vertical cliffs make access very difficult, Mount Roraima was the first large mesa to be climbed in the Guyana Plateau.<ref name="PNUD"/><ref name="summitpost"/> [[Henry Whitely (ornithologist)|Henry Whiteley]], who studied the birds of the area, observed that the summit could be reached from the south with the help of ropes and ladders.<ref name="lagransabana"/> [[Everard im Thurn]] and Harry Perkins led an expedition sponsored by the Royal Geographical Society that culminated on December 18, 1884, when the team met local people known as the Pemón who could have climbed to the top of Mount Roraima prior to their expedition. The explorers still believed the top of the cliff to be previously unknown to humans.<ref name="Elms"/> Soon, many expeditions made up of botanists, zoologists and geologists made multiple expeditions to Mount Roraima to study the mostly unknown flora and fauna and special geological conditions of the area.<ref name="summitpost"/><ref name="Carreño"/> ==Climbing== Mount Roraima and Mount Aoyan are the only flat-topped mountains in the [[Canaima National Park]] that can be climbed by hikers, with a monthly quota of 200 people.<ref name="PNUD"/><ref name="Audy"/> Its ascent takes three to five days in total,<ref name="peakbagger"/><ref name="Elms"/> the summit route is on a natural slope on the southwestern cliffs of Mount Roraima,<ref name="geopoesia"/><ref name="theseoultimes"/><ref name="summitpost">{{cite web |lang=en |url=http://www.summitpost.org/monte-roraima/151790 |title=Monte Roraima |website=Summitpost |date=2012-04-12 |access-date=2022-03-21 |archive-date=2022-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220208082213/https://www.summitpost.org/monte-roraima/151790 }}</ref> it does not require any special equipment or training, so it is chosen by almost all hikers,<ref name="theseoultimes"/><ref name="summitpost"/> the only difficulty is that some streams and small waterfalls may become difficult to pass under heavy rain.<ref name="Elms"/><ref name="summitpost"/> However, the length of the trail requires climbers to spend one night at the base camp at the foot of the cliff at an elevation of about 2,000 meters, and another night at the summit, taking several days to explore the plateau and two days to descend.<ref name="Elms"/><ref name="theseoultimes"/> The best time to climb Mount Roraima is in the dry season, however, when the sun is very strong and the temperature is high, it can make the road to the mountain difficult.<ref name="theseoultimes"/><ref name="summitpost"/> ==Gallery== <gallery> File:Abismo com fim.jpg|The cliffs of Mount Roraima File:Triple Point, Mount Roraima.jpg|Tripoint marker where the borders of Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela meet on top of Mount Roraima File: Mount Roraima, Venezuela (12371474504).jpg|The Roraima Falls File:Panorámica del Tepuy Roraima.jpg|Mount Roraima and the falls as seen from the Venezuela side File:Schomburgk Twelve Views Roraima.jpg|''Roraima, A Remarkable Range of Sandstone Mountains in Guiana''. Painters [[Charles Bentley (painter)|Charles Bentley]] and Robert H. Schomburgk, engraver George Barnard. Published by Ackermann, 1840 File:BritGY p149 - RORAIMA.jpg|An illustration of Mount Roraima in ''Canoe and Camp Life in British Guiana'', 1876 </gallery> ==Notes== {{Notelist}} ==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name=NYTimes1>{{cite news |title=Mr. im Thurn's Achievement |date=May 22, 1885 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |location=New York, NY |issn=0362-4331 |oclc=1645522 |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1885/05/22/103016973.pdf |access-date=November 15, 2009 |page=3}}</ref> <ref name = "Peakbagger1">{{cite peakbagger|pid=8684|name=Monte Roraima, Venezuela}}</ref> <!-- <ref name = "Peakbagger2">{{cite peakbagger|pid=8682|name=Mount Roraima-Guyana High Point, Guyana/Venezuela}}</ref> --> <!-- <ref name = "Peakbagger3">{{cite peakbagger|pid=8684|name=Monte Roraima-Triple Country Point}}</ref> --> <ref name=Swan1>{{cite book |first1=Michael |last1=Swan |year=1957 |title=British Guiana |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f9MwAAAAIAAI |publisher=Her Majesty's Stationery Office |location=London, U.K. |oclc=253238145 }} </ref> <ref name=ImThurn1>{{cite journal |first1=Everard |last1=im Thurn |author1-link=Everard F. im Thurn |date=August 1885 |title=The ascent of Mount Roraima |series=New Monthly Series |volume=7 |issue=8 |pages=497–521 |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography |issn=0266-626X |oclc=51205375 |doi=10.2307/1800077 |jstor=1800077 |publisher=[[Blackwell Publishing]], on behalf of the [[Royal Geographical Society]], with the [[Institute of British Geographers]] |location=[[London]], U.K. |url=https://zenodo.org/records/1449394/files/article.pdf |access-date=November 14, 2009 |via=Google Books }}</ref> }} ==Further reading== {{refbegin|colwidth=25em|small=yes}} * {{cite journal |first1=R. |last1=Aubrecht |first2=T. |last2=Lánczos |first3=M. |last3=Gregor |first4=J. |last4=Schlögl |first5=B. |last5=Šmída |first6=P. |last6=Liščák |first7=C. |last7=Brewer-Carías |first8=L. |last8=Vlček |display-authors=6 |date=15 September 2011 |title=Sandstone caves on Venezuelan tepuis: Return to pseudokarst? |journal=Geomorphology |volume=132 |issue=3–4 |pages=351–365 |doi=10.1016/j.geomorph.2011.05.023 }} * {{cite journal |first1=R. |last1=Aubrecht |first2=T. |last2=Lánczos |first3=M. |last3=Gregor |first4=J. |last4=Schlögl |first5=B. |last5=Šmída |first6=P. |last6=Liščák |first7=C. |last7=Brewer-Carías |first8=L. |last8=Vlček |display-authors=6 |year=2013 |title=Reply to the comment on "Sandstone caves on Venezuelan tepuis: Return to pseudokarst?" |journal=Geomorphology |orig-date=30 November 2012 (online) |doi=10.1016/j.geomorph.2012.11.017 }} * {{cite journal |last=Brewer-Carías |first=C. |year=2012 |title=Roraima: Madre de todos los ríos |journal=Río Verde |volume=8 |pages=77–94 |lang=es |url=http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/files/extranet/docs/I_UBC/RORAIMA_Madre_de_todos_los_rios.pdf |url-status=dead |access-date=2013-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304025504/http://www6.plymouth.ac.uk/files/extranet/docs/I_UBC/RORAIMA_Madre_de_todos_los_rios.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-04 }} * {{cite journal |first1=K. |last1=Jaffe |first2=J. |last2=Lattke |first3=R. |last3=Perez-Hernández |date=January–June 1993 |title=Ants on the tepuies of the Guiana Shield: A zoogeographic study |journal=Ecotropicos |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=21–28 |url=http://ecotropicos.saber.ula.ve/db/ecotropicos/Edocs/vol6_n1/articulo3.pdf |url-status=dead <!-- presumed --> |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130617070003/http://ecotropicos.saber.ula.ve/db/ecotropicos/Edocs/vol6_n1/articulo3.pdf |archive-date=2013-06-17 }} * {{cite journal |first1=P.J.R. |last1=Kok |first2=R.D. |last2=MacCulloch |first3=D.B. |last3=Means |first4=K. |last4=Roelants |first5=I. |last5=van Bocxlaer |first6=F. |last6=Bossuyt |date=7 August 2012 |title=Low genetic diversity in tepui summit vertebrates |journal=Current Biology |volume=22 |issue=15 |pages=R589–R590 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2012.06.034 |url=http://download.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/PIIS0960982212007105.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605015619/http://download.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/PIIS0960982212007105.pdf |archive-date=2013-06-05 }} {{cite journal |title=supplementary information |journal=Current Biology |id=0960-9822 |url=http://download.cell.com/current-biology/mmcs/journals/0960-9822/PIIS0960982212007105.mmc1.pdf |access-date=15 February 2018 }}{{dead link|date=August 2023}} * {{cite journal |first1=R.D. |last1=MacCulloch |first2=A. |last2=Lathrop |first3=R.P. |last3=Reynolds |first4=J.C. |last4=Senaris |first5=G.E. |last5=Schneider |year=2007 |title=Herpetofauna of Mount Roraima, Guiana Shield region, northeastern South America |journal=Herpetological Review |volume=38 |pages=24-30}} * {{cite journal |first1=F. |last1=Sauro |first2=L. |last2=Piccini |first3=M. |last3=Mecchia |first4=J. |last4=de Waele |year=2013 |title=Comment on "Sandstone caves on Venezuelan tepuis: Return to pseudokarst?" by R. Aubrecht, T. Lánczos, M. Gregor, J. Schlögl, B. Smída, P. Liscák, Ch. Brewer-Carías, L. Vlcek (2011) |journal=Geomorphology |volume=132 |pages=351–365 |orig-date=29 November 2012 (online) |doi=10.1016/j.geomorph.2012.11.015 }} * {{cite book |last=Warren |first=A. |year=1973 |title=Roraima: Report of the 1970 British expedition to Mount Roraima in Guyana, South America |publisher=Seacourt Press |place=Oxford UK }} * {{cite book |last=Zahl |first=Paul A. |year=1940 |title=To the Lost World |publisher=George G. Harrap & Co. |place=London, UK }} {{refend}} ==External links== {{commons category}} * {{cite web |title=Mount Roraima information |website=mountroraima.net |url=http://www.mountroraima.net/ }} * {{cite web |title=Mount Roraima |website=SummitPost.org |url=http://www.summitpost.org/show/mountain_link.pl/mountain_id/2152 }} * {{cite news |title=Biological Exploration of the Cliffs |date=February 2004 |publisher=[[National Geographic Society]] |url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/02/0220_040220_tepuis.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040418231443/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/02/0220_040220_tepuis.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 18, 2004 }} * {{cite AV media |title=Dias de Tempestade |trans-title=Days of Storm |medium=28{{sup|m}} short documentary |website=Vimeo |language=pt |people=Brazilian climber Eliseu Frechou and his team |year=2010 |id=15300288 |url=https://vimeo.com/15300288 }} — shows a 2010 climb of Mount Roraima from the Guyana side * {{cite web |title=Mount Roraima guide |website=explorationjunkie.com |url=https://explorationjunkie.com/mount-roraima-venezuela/ }} * {{cite web |title=Mount Roraima interesting facts |year=2022 |website=ospreyexpeditions.com |url=https://ospreyexpeditions.com/mount-roraima-interesting-facts/ }} {{Tepuis}} {{Brazilian states highest points}} {{Authority control}}{{Highest points of South America}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Roraima}} [[Category:Guayana Highlands|Mount Roraima]] [[Category:Tepuis of Brazil]] [[Category:Tepuis of Guyana]] [[Category:Tepuis of Venezuela]] [[Category:Plateaus of South America|Mount Roraima]] [[Category:International mountains of South America]] [[Category:Highest points of Brazilian states]] [[Category:Highest points of countries]] [[Category:Landforms of Roraima|Mount Roraima]] [[Category:Border tripoints|Mount Roraima]] [[Category:Brazil–Venezuela border|Mount Roraima]] [[Category:Brazil–Guyana border|Mount Roraima]] [[Category:Guyana–Venezuela border|Mount Roraima]] [[Category:Climbing areas of Venezuela]] [[Category:Climbing areas of Brazil]]
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