packing in Santa Elena

Paraitepui-Pemon village-is starting point

organizing Porters

cloudfall between Kukenan and Roraima Tepuis

forest patches with Kukenan behind

crossing small river

crossing savannah

flowering vegetation

Wadakapiopue Tepui

Kukenan Tepui

full Moon at Tök camp with Roraima behind

Kukenan in morning light

porters crossing river

flowering orchid

Roraima walls

Brochinnia reducta - carnivorous bromeliad

blackberrys

view to Kukenan Tepui

Roraima cliff

rainshower in the distance

Kukenan in evening light

Stegolepis guianensis flower with Roraima behind

Stegolepis guianensis flower with Kukenan behind

second night in base camp

our guide while cooking

Kukenan in evening light

morning view to Kukenan

orchid flower

forest ascend to Roraimas rock wall

lichens on the trees

twinkling drops from rainy night

forest ascend to Roraimas rock wall

huge bromelia

fog is developing fast

small waterfall

small waterfall

approaching Roraimas cliffs

below overhanging cliff

below overhanging cliff

view back to the base camp-lower right

the trail crosses these waterfalls

the only way to reach Roraimas top easily-a traverse cuts throug the cliff

most of the plants there are endemic

view down from Roraimas plateau

carnivorous sundew

patches of vegetation between eroded rock

bromelia with cliffs and ascending trail below

Roriama W-cliff with ascending route

patches of vegetation between eroded rock

typical landscape - patches of vegetation with water pools in between

typical landscape - patches of vegetation with water pools in between

Heliamphora nutans flower

view back to W-cliff

'flying turtle' rock formation inmidst Bonnetia roraimae

Beffaria imthurni flower

Stegolepis guianensis flower with Roraimas highest point behind

rock formations on top of the plateau

our first campsite on the plateau inside cliff caves - so called hoteles

our campsite inside cliff caves - so called hoteles

abundant quartz crystals are typical for some places on Roraimas plateau

Bonnetia roraimae group

Broccinia tatei

deeper water ponds are called 'Jacuzzis'

area with sand deposits

overturned rock formation

Broccinia tatei group

wind and cliff borders are often creating strange cloud shapes

wind and cliff borders are often creating strange cloud shapes

view from Roraimas main summit to Kukenan Tepui

view from Roraimas main summit to our cliff 'hotel'

view from Roraimas main summit to NE over the huge plateau

view from cave below Roraimas main summit down to SW cliffs

mirroring ponds at sunset

colors of dusk, Kukenan Tepui to the right

strong zodiacal light seen from ourcave 'hotel'

morning view form our cave to Kukenan

bizarre rock formations are typical for Roraima

typical pond with vegetation

carnivorous Heliamphora nutans group

carnivorous Heliamphora nutans group

Roraima plateau under typical extreme climate - ever changing fog layers and sunpatches

bizarre rock formations are typical

erosion live

sphere shaped eroded rock

flowers with NW-cliff behind

vegetated swamps at the northern plateau

'The Pit' sinkhole

'The Pit' sinkhole with our group to the right

entering 'The Pit' by a narrow canyon

'The Pit' sinkhole from below with bizarre rock pillars

'The Pit' sinkhole from below with bizarre rock pillars

'The Pit' sinkhole from below

'The Pit' sinkhole panorama from below with bizarre rock pillars

'The Pit' with bizarre rock pillar forest

rock formation covered with mosses

leaving slot canyon

rock formations near triple point (border of 3 countries)in typical fog

rock formations under typical fog

rock formations under typical fog

climbing over rocks can be slippery when wet

defying gravity

flowering Tillandsi turneri

Tillandsi turneri flower

flowering Tillandsi turneri

abundant sundew

sundew group

abundant sundew

Hotel coati cave - our campsite for the northern plateau

coati cave narrows at its end

evening light

sunrise seen from NE cliff border

smaller Tepuis under clouds to the E, seen from NE cliff border

wind shaped cloud formation

sunrise seen from NE cliff border

smaller Tepuis under clouds

bizarre rock formation

bizarre rock formation

bizarre rock pillars

small lake 'above the clouds'

reaching totally lonesome cliff border

Wei-assipu Tepui below

Wei-assipu Tepui below

panoramic view

typical rock formation

typical rock formation

typical rock knobs

typical rock arch

typical rock formation

typical rock formation

tannic acid rich 'black' water

tannic acid rich 'black' water

Wei-assipu Tepui below

NE-cliff with Guayana rainforest below

impressive 'over the clouds' feeling at each cliffs overhanging border

typical rock pillar landscape

lake Gladys with Bonnetia roraimae

lake Gladys with Bonnetia roraimae

lake Gladys

erosion valleys near 'The Prow'

at the NW-cliff near 'The Prow'

near The Prow' at Roraimas N-end with Fogbow and Aureole below

view 1000m down to the rainforest while standing at the very edge

small waterfalls

green color from algae and mosses

small waterfalls

water gully

fragile rock arch

fragile rock arch

multiple rock arches

Heliamphora nutans flower

Heliamphora nutans

Heliamphora nutans

Heliamphora nutans group

backt to Hotel coati cave for a second night there

typical rock pillar landscape

Wei-assipu Tepui in evening light

Wei-assipu Tepui in evening light

cloud topped Tepui in dawn light

storm shaped summit cloud in first sunlight

storm shaped clouds in first sunlight

storm shaped clouds in first sunlight

sunrise view

Heliamphora nutans group

area with more dense vegetation

abundant quartz crystals filling the Crystal Valley

abundant quartz crystals filling the Crystal Valley

Brochinnia Tatei

rock formations

fragile rock formations

rock formations

Brochinnia Tatei

Brochinnia Tatei

near the NW cliff with Kukenan Tepui behind

Heliamphora nutans colony

Heliamphora nutans colony

Heliamphora nutans colony

beetle

'Jacuzzi' ponds

'Jacuzzi' ponds

endemic black Frog 'plays dead', showing its yellow belly

endemic black Frog

person standing on Kukenan window

foggy NW cliff near Kukenan window

our group standing on Kukenan window

Heliamphora nutans colony

Heliamphora nutans together with sundew

dew laden spider web

Heliamphora nutans colony

Heliamphora nutans with its typical flowers

view from Kukenan window at sunrise

view to Kukenan Tepui at sunrise

panoramic view from Kukenan window

Kukenan Tepui with cloudcovered rainforest

Kukenan window with Kukenan Tepui behind

view from Kukenan window

Kukenan Tepui above clouds

leaving Roraima, other porters behind

Lizard at Tök camp

leaf cutting ant

leaf cutting ants

ant carrying wood

soldier ant

Kukenan Tepui

Roraima Tepui in sunset colors

last night again in Tök camp

Kukenan Tepui under Milky Way

view back

Rio Kama waterfall on the way back