Climbing Roraima for Semana Santa

Roraima is on a whole bunch of “must see before you die” lists. I’ve never been suckered into feeling like my current life adventure is inadequate by reading those lists and I don’t plan my trips around them, but I’m happy this trip happened to be to one of those places. It’s perhaps the most fino cambur place in the country.

Five of us went: myself, Sean Feller, Nadjib, Michael Anderson and Jacob, my cousin who was visiting from Portland, OR.

Roraima is an epic journey.

Here’s the short hand version: hour flight to Puerto Ordaz, stay the night —- 8 hour car ride to Santa Elena with an obese and garrulous evangelical pastor as the driver, stay the night —- day trip around the Gran Sabana, a good way to ease into the trip, another night in Sta. Elena —- hour drive to the trailhead, 13.5 km hike to Rio Kukenan campsite, bathe naked in the river singing camp songs, sleep like a rock —- 12 km in 5 hours to hike to the top, quick nap, walk around stunned by the landscape, sleep little —- morning and early afternoon in the cave reading and shooting the shit while the rains came down, afternoon hike to the edge, insanely beautiful views, sleep little —- 18 km day hike to the triple border of Guyana, Venezuela and Brazil, bathe in a frigid river, sleep little — daybreak helicopter ride down the mountain to Santa Elena, arrive to a cooler full of beer, day trip to Brazil border town for churrascaria lunch, discoteca party night, sleep very little —- 6 hour hungover car ride to Puerto Ordaz with a blue-collar Venezuelan blow-hard as the driver, catch up on sleep —- flight home, avoid thinking about work the next day.

There are several tour companies in the area but on the suggestion of a friend we went with Kamadac Tours. They were super honest and responsible. They were flexible with our itinerary and dietary requests, and ate the extra cost when the total didn’t match their quote. They set us up with a veteran guide (we were his 404th trip) who really added to the awesomeness of the trek.

Below are a selection of photos from my camera. Nadjib and Anderson took many more (and higher quality) photos, but these will give you a sense of the majesty of the place.