"Tepuy" is an indigenous Pemon (Venezuelan origin) word, meaning the house of the gods.
Like steppe wolves the tepuyes stand out with their individuality, avoid being part of a common formation, they have remained erect for four million years.
They are the oldest geological structures on the planet, from the Archaic. The best known of the 115 tepuys distributed among Brazil, Guyana and Venezuela are; Autanatepuy, Auyan-tepuy, Neblinatepuy, Ptaritepuy, Sarisariñama tepuy, Kukenan-tepuy, Acopán-tepuy.
Climbing Kukenan tepuy is prohibited since 1997, it is considered sacred by the indigenous people, some insist, that you should not look at it, one can see it only indirectly. The Sarisariñama dazzles geologists due to it’s almost perfectly circular sinks. The Acopán with it’s 2112 meters, was first climbed in 2002, it is a great irresistible rock that attracts climbers from all over the world.
Irrespective of cultural contrast, the old guys tepuyes, join with ones spirit, generate intrigue and integrate with ones aura, involving the origin of life, whether through our faith or science.
The most visited of all the tepuis is Roraima tepuy, included in the wish lists and favourite destinations of a large number of travellers. Roraima receives about 3,000 visits annually.
Roraima "the mother of all waters" or "Great teal" as they call her (native language), has a large inventory of tourist attractions, that make your hiking trail extraordinary.
Chronologically:
Camp Paraitepuy, starting point of the excursion is 22 km from Roraima.
Paraitepuy is an indigenous population of approximately 250 inhabitants.
Tök River Camp
Kukenán Camp
Military camp
Base camp
The ramp
Step of tears
Summit and first viewpoint
The Maverick
Hotels: Guacharo, Sucre, Principal, Arenal, San Francisco, Indio, Basilio.
Window
The grotto of the guácharos
The valley of the crystals
The jacuzzis with a quartz background.
The hole
Triple point or tripoint
Hotel Gruta do Quati
Viewpoints around the Hotel Gruta Do Quati
The Prow
How to get there?
You can reach Roraima from Venezuela or Brazil. Currently the safest way to arrive is through Brazil. Look for the details below.
How to get there from Venezuela?
From the International Airport Simón Bolivar (CCS-Venezuela) you must take a flight to the city of Puerto Ordaz (PZO), once you are there, you will have to jump into a car and have a road trip.From Puerto Ordaz you have two options: 1) You can go by Bus on your own, just need to buy a ticket from Puerto Ordaz to Santa Elena de Üairen (Closest City to Tepuy Roraima) or ..
- Contact a local tourism agency that will organize the trip for you. Usually the agency would pick you up at the airport (Puerto Ordaz) and take you by land in their private vehicles to Santa Elena de Üairen, where the tour starts. From there you get transfered to the indigenous community of Paraitepuy, a community located in the foothills of the Tepuy. The trip by land from Puerto Ordaz to Santa Elena de Üairen is approximately 10 hours and the journey from Santa Elena to Paraitepuy lasts around 1 hour. You could also make the route independently to the community of San Francisco de Paraitepuy from where the trekking to Roraima begins, but from there it is mandatory to hike with a local guide. No one can do the tour alone.
How to get there from Brazil?
The route would be very similar, the best choice is to hire a travel agency and get the guidance of professionals.
The advantages of arriving from Brazil?
It is the safest way at the moment. In Brazil you must arrive from the international airport, and make the corresponding connections to the city of Boa Vista.
From Boa Vista you will cross the Brazilian border in the hired vehicles, directly to the indigenous community of Paraitepuy, where the trekking to Roraima begins.
Roraima is not the end of the road but the beginning!
It is a purifying experience, beyond the marvellous landscapes, the feeling of reunion with the origin of our being, a sensation that never leaves and like the essence of the Tepuy, it lasts through time. That's why, once being at the top, one feels the need to attend the call of Roraima and return.
People who were once strangers, become friends and sometimes the tepuy brings them together in a new spiritual way. On the road to Roraima stress is abandoned and the worries are left behind. The emptiness generated by routine and daily life is filled with positive energy as a result of the conquest of each section of the excursion.
Confidence, plenitude, peace, harmony are themselves part of the Roraima Tepuy experience. Personally during my visit to Roraima, I have discovered the path in me, that moved me so much, that with each step that of the trip, it became more transcendental, more spiritual. At one point it was no longer important to reach the top and from there I felt like the road filled me with peace, tranquillity and lots of energy. Energy to never stop walking.