Mount Roraima
Mount Roraima is a tabletop mountain (tepui) straddling the borders of Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil. Its sheer cliffs, flat summit plateau, and unique ecosystem inspired Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel The Lost World and continue to challenge adventurers and scientists with endemic flora and fauna found nowhere else on Earth.
- Height – Approximately 2,810 m (9,220 ft).
- Location – Gran Sabana region, primarily in southeastern Venezuela.
- Geology – Precambrian quartzite sandstone estimated at 1.7–2 billion years old.
- Summit Ecosystem – Home to carnivorous plants, endemic frogs, and tepui-specific insects.
- Cultural Significance – Sacred to the indigenous Pemon and Akawaio peoples.
Classic Route
• Multi-day trek through jungle to basecamp
• Ascend via 1,000-m rock face or traverse less steep eastern slopes
• Navigate summit plateaus of misty rock pinnacles and sinkholes
Learn More
• Wikipedia: Mount Roraima
• Adventure Diaries: /glossary/mount-roraima/
Mount Roraima (Spanish: Monte Roraima; Tepuy Roraima; Cerro Roraima; Portuguese: Monte Roraima) is the highest of the Pacaraima chain of tepuis (table-top mountain) or plateaux in South America. It is located at the junction of Brazil, Guyana and Venezuela. A characteristic large flat-topped mountain surrounded by cliffs 400–1,000 m (1,300–3,300 ft) high. The highest point of Mount Roraima is located on the southern edge of the cliff at an elevation of 2,810 m (9,220 ft) in Venezuela, and another protrusion at an elevation of 2,772 m (9,094 ft) 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".
| Mount Roraima | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Mount Roraima as seen from the Venezuelan side | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,810 m (9,220 ft) |
| Prominence | 2,338 m (7,671 ft) |
| Listing | |
| Coordinates | 5°08′36″N 60°45′45″W / 5.14333°N 60.76250°W |
| Geography | |
  Mount Roraima Location in South America  Mount Roraima Mount Roraima (Brazil)  Mount Roraima Mount Roraima (Guyana) .jpg) Mount Roraima Mount Roraima (Venezuela) | |
| Location | Border region between Brazil (Roraima), Guyana (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Venezuela (Bolívar) |
| Countries | |
| Parent range | Pacaraima Mountains, Guayana Highlands |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Plateau |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1884, led by Sir Everard im Thurn and accompanied by Harry Inniss Perkins and several natives |
| Easiest route | Hiking path |
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.