Angel Falls is located in southeastern Venezuela in the Guayana highlands forming part of the Canaima National Park. It is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world and is also the world's highest waterfall. The total drop of 3,212 feet is more than fifteen times longer than the descent of Niagara Falls. It does not flow over the top of a cliff, but instead the water gathers underground and erupts from several crevices located three hundred feet below the top of the mountain. The Native Americans call the falls 'Devil's Mountain' because the area is regularly a victim of fierce thunderstorms and strange cloud formations, which, much of the time, hide the falls from view.
The falls are named after Jimmy Angel, a barnstorming bush pilot from Missouri who has become a modern legend. Jimmy Angel first saw the falls in 1933 while searching for a valuable ore bed. He returned in 1937 with his wife, Gustavo Heny and Heny's gardener, and landed on top of the tepui. His Falamingo monoplane settled down into the marshy ground atop Auyan-tepui and remained there for 33 years before being lifted out by a helicopter. Jimmy Angel and his three companions managed to descend the tepui and make their way back to civilization in 11 days.
Jimmy Angel's plane sits in the Aviation Museum in Maracay; the one you may be able to glimpse on top of the tepui is a replica.
There are two ways to see the Angel Falls. One of them is from the air in a small airplane. The other is through an excursion that starts with a 3 and a half hour navigation upstream the Carrao River, and then the Churun river. From there, a one hour walk through the jungle takes you to the base of the falls.
Daily flights to the falls can be made via Puerto Ordaz connect Canaima airstrip with the major cities of Venezuela. The airstrip is a short jeep-train ride from nearby Lodges.
A minimum of two days-one night is necessary to have the opportunity to fly-by the falls - weather permitting, of course. It is better to stay two nights and have more time to visit the surrounding area including Sapo Falls (half day, Yuri Falls (half day) and Orquidea Island (full day), and double your chances to be able to see the falls.
Much of the information you might still encounter on the Falls says that commercial flights will fly-by on landing and take off, but this is a myth. Perhaps on a clear day you might glimpse the falls, but you can not count on seeing them on landing and take off.
No comments:
Post a Comment