Everything about Angel Falls totally explained
Angel Falls (indigenous name:
Kerepakupai merú) is the world's highest free-falling
waterfall at 979 m (3,212 ft), with a clear drop of 807 m (2,468 ft). It is located in the
Canaima National Park, in the
Gran Sabana region of
Bolivar State,
Venezuela at . The height of the falls is so great that before getting anywhere near the ground, the water is buffeted by the strong winds and turned into mist.
The base of the falls feeds into the Kerep river (alternately known as the Rio Gauya) which flows into the
Churun River, a tributary of the Carrao River. In the indigenous
Pemon language Angel Falls is called
Kerepakupai merú meaning "waterfall of the deepest place".
The falls are sometimes referred to as
Churun-meru, an error, since that name corresponds to another waterfall in the
Canaima National Park. Churun in the
Pemon language means "thunder".
Sir
Walter Raleigh is sometimes said to have discovered Angel Falls, but these claims are considered "far-fetched"
(External Link
). They were sighted in 1912 by the Venezuelan explorer
Ernesto Sanchez La Cruz, but he didn't publicize his discovery. They were not known to the outside world until the American aviator
James "Jimmie" Crawford Angel flew over them on
16 November 1933 on a flight while he was searching for a valuable ore bed.
Returning on
9 October 1937, Angel tried to land his Flamingo monoplane "El Rio Caroni" atop Auyan-tepui but the plane was damaged when the wheels sunk into the marshy ground and he and his three companions, including his wife Marie, were forced to descend the tepui on foot. It took them 11 days to make their way back to civilization but news of their adventure spread and the waterfall was named "Angel Falls" in his honour.
Angel's plane remained on top of the tepuy for 33 years before being lifted out by helicopter. It was restored at the Aviation Museum in
Maracay and now sits outdoors on the green in front of the airport at
Ciudad Bolivar exposed to the elements. It is the original. The one visible on the top of the tepui is a replica.
The first recorded human to reach the river that feeds the falls was the
Latvian explorer
Aleksandrs Laime, also known as
Alejandro Laime to the native Pemon tribe. He made the ascent of Auyan-tepui in 1955. He also reached Angel's plane on the same trip, 18 years after the crash landing. He gave the name of the river after one of the most
beautiful rivers in
Latvia, the river Gauja. While the indigenous name of the falls is rarely used anymore, the Pemon given name of the river, Kerep, is still widely used.
Laime also was the the first to clear a trail that leads from the Churun river to the base of the falls. On the way, there's a viewpoint commonly used to capture the falls in photographs. It is named "Mirador Laime" ("Laime's Viewpoint" in
Spanish) in his honor. This trail is used now mostly for
tourists, to lead them from the Isla Raton camp to the small clearing.
The official height of the falls was determined by a
National Geographic Society survey carried out by American journalist Ruth Robertson in
1949.
A book by Luke Dickinson,
Angels Four, chronicles the first successful climb up the face of
Auyantepui to the top of the falls.
Angel Falls is one of Venezuela's top tourist attractions but even today a trip to the falls isn't a simple affair.
The falls are located in an isolated jungle region of Venezuela and a flight from
Caracas or
Ciudad Bolivar is required to reach Canaima camp, the starting point for river trips to the base of the falls.
It is also possible to purchase a package that includes an aerial flyby of the falls. The falls can't be seen on cloudy days, and there's no guarantee visitors will see them.
River trips generally take place from June to December when the rivers are deep enough for the wooden curiaras used by the
Pemon Indian guides. During the dry season (December to March) there's less water than is seen in some photos, but it's also more likely that the top won't be clouded.
Further Information
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