Mount Roraima is over 2 billion years old, predating animals, trees, and dinosaurs. Its sheer 400-meter cliffs isolate an ecosystem found nowhere else on Earth
I have seen this perspective in every picture of this place. however I have never seen a single picture or description of what's actually up there. I guess I need to go proactively find out... to Wikipedia!
I'm back!
Due to the late exploration of this part of South America and the discovery of new species every year, the flora and fauna here are largely unknown.[9] The currently identified species are strongly endemic, especially the fauna, which also puts them at a high risk of extinction.[12]
The vegetation on the plateau is still largely unknown and consists mainly of bare rocks, forests of trees and epiphytes, and wet and dry savannas in the form of swamps.[9] It is marked by numerous endemic species, especially carnivorous plants that capture insects, living in sandstone and leaching soils which lack the nitrates necessary for their development.[21][14][12] There are fewer species in the vicinity of streams and ravines, and the trees are 8–15 m (26–49 ft) tall and have hard leaves that can adapt to harsh environmental conditions.[9] The exposed rocks are occupied by lichens, algae and cyanobacteria.[16]
i am not a scientist, but would love to climb it. there is an establishment treck to the top. but those cliff sides just look like an amazing expedition. maybe one day, with more training on big walls and quite some money...
Mount Roraima and Mount Aoyan are the only flat-topped mountains in the Canaima National Park that can be climbed by hikers, with a monthly quota of 200 people.[9][16] Its ascent takes three to five days in total,[7][14] the summit route is on a natural slope on the southwestern cliffs of Mount Roraima,[13][15][21] it does not require any special equipment or training, so it is chosen by almost all hikers,[15][21] the only difficulty is that some streams and small waterfalls may become difficult to pass under heavy rain.[14][21]
Every few years I am reminded that it exists, and become briefly obsessed. I want to write an entire fictional setting based on Roraima's geological and ecological oddity
I was going to go more conceptual with it, the idea of a physically inaccessible place as an otherworld, probably have it be a place supernatural creatures visit and do like an Enemy Mine thing
The Venezuelan tepuis are one of the most fascinating places on earth! I discovered them from a National Geographic story when I was a kid. The world’s tallest waterfall tumbles off one of these mesas. It’s too bad my country (US) has ruined any chance for me to ever safely visit them in person.
To be clear, the rocks that the mountain is made of are reasonably old (oldest on Earth is closer to 4.0 billion years, but anything >500 million is fairly rare), but the landform of a mountain is a combination of uplift and erosion, which is fairly young. The only source for the age of erosion I could find (didn't search hard) mentioned the glaciation of the Pleistocene, which seems reasonable.
Season 3 of the show Out of the Wild takes place here. Beautiful scenary and if you like that type of show I highly recommend you watch it. Season 1 was solid too.
The universe is 13.8 billion years old, but we say Earth is 4.6 billion, because that is when it formed. This mountain range formed 2 billion years ago. Here is some rock that is just a few minutes old. https://www.youtube.com/usgs/live
4 billion years is how long ago matter came together to form our planet. This structure formed 2 billion years ago, before that its matter was part of other structures.
56 replies
I have seen this perspective in every picture of this place. however I have never seen a single picture or description of what's actually up there. I guess I need to go proactively find out... to Wikipedia!
I'm back!
Due to the late exploration of this part of South America and the discovery of new species every year, the flora and fauna here are largely unknown.[9] The currently identified species are strongly endemic, especially the fauna, which also puts them at a high risk of extinction.[12]The vegetation on the plateau is still largely unknown and consists mainly of bare rocks, forests of trees and epiphytes, and wet and dry savannas in the form of swamps.[9] It is marked by numerous endemic species, especially carnivorous plants that capture insects, living in sandstone and leaching soils which lack the nitrates necessary for their development.[21][14][12] There are fewer species in the vicinity of streams and ravines, and the trees are 8–15 m (26–49 ft) tall and have hard leaves that can adapt to harsh environmental conditions.[9] The exposed rocks are occupied by lichens, algae and cyanobacteria.[16]Thank you! I thought I was going to have to look it up myself.
Was not expecting a swamp up there lol. That caught me off guard.
Forests: okay. bare rocks: expected. A swamp? Was not picturing that lol
How do the scientists get to the top of this mountain?
I would guess a helicopter, but I'm sure you could climb it.
i am not a scientist, but would love to climb it. there is an establishment treck to the top. but those cliff sides just look like an amazing expedition. maybe one day, with more training on big walls and quite some money...
Thanks for the answer. Sounds interesting.
Every few years I am reminded that it exists, and become briefly obsessed. I want to write an entire fictional setting based on Roraima's geological and ecological oddity
I'd read it.
Pixar beat you to it
Though I guess the waterfall is based on Angel Falls in Venezuela
I was going to go more conceptual with it, the idea of a physically inaccessible place as an otherworld, probably have it be a place supernatural creatures visit and do like an Enemy Mine thing
Was this the place where that young adult apocalypse book was based on? I think it was called the giver or something.
Never heard of it, but I can't find anything that connects it to Roraima.
https://thegiver.fandom.com/wiki/Community https://thegiver.fandom.com/wiki/Community?file=Community.jpg
That image is from the movie. I don't recall there ever being much mention of the location or geography in the book.
True, just made me think of it.
The Venezuelan tepuis are one of the most fascinating places on earth! I discovered them from a National Geographic story when I was a kid. The world’s tallest waterfall tumbles off one of these mesas. It’s too bad my country (US) has ruined any chance for me to ever safely visit them in person.
Angel Falls?
This is the kind of location I look for when building a house in Minecraft.
If you look real close at the left side of the plateau you can see an old man, a kid and a dog.
Is this a reference I'm too ignorant to get?
No reference. OP must have really good eyes or gotten really lucky zooming. The guy appears to have recently lost his wife.
You're Up to no good with the chicanery.
Goddammit I should've gotten that. Thanks!
The movie Up
Forbidden overcooked steak
Throw some A1 on that and it’s still good.
Or heinz 57!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Roraima
To be clear, the rocks that the mountain is made of are reasonably old (oldest on Earth is closer to 4.0 billion years, but anything >500 million is fairly rare), but the landform of a mountain is a combination of uplift and erosion, which is fairly young. The only source for the age of erosion I could find (didn't search hard) mentioned the glaciation of the Pleistocene, which seems reasonable.
The Great Plateau
I was coming to post this in case someone else hadn't. It's spot on.
That waterfall on the far left - was this the inspiration for Up?
The waterfall from the movie is Angel Falls, the world’s tallest waterfall.
Thank you for finding this!
Short answer, maybe.
They travel to a tepui in Venezuela but I'd argue it looks more like Auyán-tepui than Mount Roraima
I think I read a fiction book about something ver similar as a kid. Almost sure it was from Arthur Conan Doyle
I read that too, many times. It's The lost world
The Lost World?
I‘m intrigued!
more interesting fact, this borders three countries: Guyana, Venezuela, Brazil
Pretty neat account of a hike up that sucker https://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=%2FST%2Fdb%2Fread.php%3Fidx%3D830&ckattempt=1
Link missing?
I had no idea about any of this, now I’m fascinated!
Season 3 of the show Out of the Wild takes place here. Beautiful scenary and if you like that type of show I highly recommend you watch it. Season 1 was solid too.
I feel like a guy named "steve" was there
Could it be an alien craft landing pad? Ancient astronaut theorists, say yes.
It looks like somebody just dropped a paving stone in dry ice.
There are dinosaurs up there.
Isn't the entire Earth over 2 billion years old? Seems disingenuous to say that one mountain is that old when in reality the entire Earth is that old.
The universe is 13.8 billion years old, but we say Earth is 4.6 billion, because that is when it formed. This mountain range formed 2 billion years ago. Here is some rock that is just a few minutes old. https://www.youtube.com/usgs/live
By this logic I am over 2 billion years old and so are you.
We are all as old as the big bang, my little clump of stardust
We are starlight
We are golden
We are billion year old carbon...
4 billion years is how long ago matter came together to form our planet. This structure formed 2 billion years ago, before that its matter was part of other structures.