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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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I believe either Joe Brown and/or Don Whillans did the first ascent. Perhaps Tom Patey went along. I remember reading about it in Mountain mag back in the early 1970s.
It sounds like a choss-filled crag. I can probably think of other climbs I'd rather do.
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shackboy
climber
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If you want info on stuff like this, the best place to check (besides Google) is typically the American Alpine Journal.
Roraima Tepui (Venezuela) AAJ 1999: 304, 2001: 270-271, 271
also, report and photos in the 2004 AAJ, pp 298-300.
Mark Synnott wrote an article about the trip in Climbing magazine, too, I think.
The AAJ Indexes are available online as free downloads, btw:
http://www.americanalpineclub.org/knowledge/aaj.asp
If you don't have the AAJs, hopefuly your local library or someone you know has them.
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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"Climb to the Lost World" by Hamish MacInnes. About the UK expedition to climb the steep face of it.
Largo's been, eh?
Has been in the AAJ's over the last several years. Some fellers in SLC here did a trip or three to it.
I believe its the tallest peak in Guyana, but, its typically approached from Venezuela. Has a hiking route to the top, which, takes a few days and is a popular backpacking gig.
Has been at least a couple of films done on the climbs. Recall seeing one in the last year or two at the Banff FF.
Here's some beta:
http://www.alpinist.com/climbing-notes/note/10072
http://www.multimediabenjamin.com/extra/roraima/
Anyhoo, kinda on my list to visit, peak bagger that I am...
Brian in SLC
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Rhodo-Router
Trad climber
Otto, NC
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I think fattrad is going down there for a government seminar put on by the Chavez people. Apparently he's had some kind of amazing conversion experience.
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lagr01
Sport climber
Venezuela
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Brian in SLC wrote:
"I believe its the tallest peak in Guyana, but, its typically approached from Venezuela. Has a hiking route to the top, which, takes a few days and is a popular backpacking gig."
Guayana is a region in southern Venezuela, diferent from Guyana the country. The Roraima is located in GuAyana, Venezuela.
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Guayana is a region in southern Venezuela, diferent from Guyana the country. The Roraima is located in GuAyana, Venezuela.
Guayana is a city and province in Venezuela. As well, the region in Venezuela where Roraima is located is the Guayana Highlands' Gran Sabana in the national park of Canaima in the Venezuelan state of Bolívar.
Border peak. And, as such, its still considered to be the tallest peak in Guyana the country.
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/gy.html#Geo
From the world fact book on Guyana, the country:
"highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m"
See also:
http://americasroof.com/world/south-america-highest.shtml
"Guyana Mount Roraima 9301"
See also:
http://outside.away.com/peaks/23peaks/factfile.html
"March 1993 -- Roraima in Guyana (9,092 feet). A mystical mountain plateau almost perpetually shrouded in mist. Near Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world. It is said to be the inspiration for Conan Doyle's novel Lost World."
See also:
http://www.guyana.org/Handbook/handbook.html
"The Highland Region: This region covers about two-thirds of the area of the country. There are four mountain ranges - the Imataka in the Northwest, the Pakaraima in the West, the Kanuku in the Southeast and the Akarai in the South. The mountains range in height from roughly 1,000 to 4,000 feet with several peaks above this level. The highest peak, Mount Roraima (9,091 feet), in the Pakaraima range, is at the point where the boundaries of Guyana, Venezuela and Brazil converge. The region is composed mainly of ancient pre-Cambrian rocks and is rich in minerals including gold and diamonds which have been exploited for over a hundred years."
Cheers,
Brian in SLC
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WBraun
climber
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Have ya ever climbed in the jungle? A lot of sh-it grows there on the walls. Be prepared for a far different experience from the norm.
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Werner, correct me if I am wrong but a lot of eh, sh-it, LIVES on those walls (and the approach to them). But I am a wussy, I prefer fairly solid and clean rock, preferably even when alpine climbing, with a minumum of eh, fauna, to step on.
That's right Brian, "Climb to the Lost World" by Hamish MacInnes. I remember the article. I just googled it and it was Hamish MacInnes, Joe Brown, Don Whillans and Mo Anthonie who climbed the face in 1967.
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WBraun
climber
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Yea, Patrick you're right a lot of the jungle works it's way up the walls. When I was in Borneo there were these weird plants that collect water and every time I hit one a gallon of water instantly delivered it's contents all over me. Plus you're climbing thru mini waterfalls that are constantly appearing out of know where.
The bugs and mosquitoes, another whole story. Oh yea I forgot to mention the mud. he he he just wait till you fall in the mud. LOL!
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poop_tube
Trad climber
Irvine, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 2, 2005 - 01:19am PT
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Thanks guys. I'm not intending to put up a new route, not yet at least, haha. Interesting how you describe it Werner. Do you have a TR or something from that ascent? Sounds interesting.
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Feb 16, 2010 - 11:58pm PT
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There's another good account of the Brown, Whillans, et al, ascent in Al Alvarez's book Feeding the Rat.
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mongrel
Trad climber
Truckee, CA
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Feb 17, 2010 - 01:56am PT
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Good information in previous posts about where to read more. McInnes's book is a really good read. Also there is a great story in Largo's Close Calls about a party having to bail off of the Angel Falls wall. If you have never read it, it's worth the purchase price of the book just to read that one story.
The rock is extremely hard sandstone or quartzite, not choss at all. With that level of rainfall, choss would long since have been washed into the ocean. Where less than vertical, yes, there is quite an ecosystem of plants, organic material in various states of decay, and all manners of insects and spiders. Great stuff. But where the rock is steep, it is very hard, compact, and rather clean. If you are a good enough climber, there are probably some of the most awesome long 5.12 through 5.14 routes to be done.
The Guyana highlands is one of the most interesting biological regions in the world. When a spell of relatively recent exploration began about 50 years ago, a huge number of new species, genera, and I think even previously undescribed families of plants and other organisms were found. Stunning place scenically and biologically, and one hopes it will retain expanses of mature forest for a very long time.
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duncan
climber
London, UK
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Feb 17, 2010 - 06:25am PT
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Not Roraima exactly but John Arran's website has some great pictures and stories from his various climbing trips to Venezuela.
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Graham N
Social climber
temecula
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Feb 17, 2010 - 04:03pm PT
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Watch out for the speaking dogs
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Climbed this Venezuelan Tepui in 1981.
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