Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

General Subjects => Travel / Places to Visit => Topic started by: Hoy on August 07, 2011, 11:14:46 AM

Title: Tepuy Roraima - a lost world! (Venezuela)
Post by: Hoy on August 07, 2011, 11:14:46 AM: I visited this famous mountain in the middle of July 2011. Unfortunately we had just two nights and one full day at the mesa. However we had time to discover that this is a rich, strange world very different from other places (at least other places I have been). The top of the mesa sits about 1000m above the plain (Gran Sabana) at 2700m altitude.

To get there we had to walk two days from the closest road crossing a part of the Gran Sabana. We also had to cross two rivers without bridges, fortunately not in flood when we were there.

Here are a few pics, you can find more at the NARGS's site:
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=748.0

I have named the plants as I could from Internet sites, unfortunately I have no flora of the place. If anybody disagree in names or know names of unnamed ones, please tell me!

Roraima way up2.JPG
Roraima juli-2011-1.JPG
Roraima juli 2011-4.JPG
Roraima Bejaria imthurnii.JPG
Roraima Blechnum schomburgkii.JPG
Roraima Brocchinia hectioides.JPG
Roraima Drosera roraima.JPG
Roraima Epidendrum secundum.JPG
Roraima Heliamphora nutans3.JPG
Roraima Utricularia campbelliana1.JPG
Title: Re: Tepuy Roraima - a lost world! (Venezuela)
Post by: ashley on August 07, 2011, 12:06:45 PM: Trond, thanks for showing us so many unfamiliar plants and glimpses of an amazing ecosystem. What a wonderful trip!
Title: Re: Tepuy Roraima - a lost world! (Venezuela)
Post by: Lesley Cox on August 07, 2011, 11:26:25 PM: What an incredible place Trond. Thanks for sharing it with us. I especially ADORE that little scarlet Utricularia. Our own U. monanthos is bright purple and lives in very wet places, even in water. This red one seems to be drier?
Title: Re: Tepuy Roraima - a lost world! (Venezuela)
Post by: Maggi Young on August 08, 2011, 10:27:12 AM: A most remarkable array of species that are both wonderful and strange.
The Bejaria imthurnii is a member of the Ericaceae that I never thought to see - thank you! 8)
Title: Re: Tepuy Roraima - a lost world! (Venezuela)
Post by: Anthony Darby on August 08, 2011, 11:25:08 AM: Lucky lucky man. That Utricularia is amazing!
Title: Re: Tepuy Roraima - a lost world! (Venezuela)
Post by: Martinr on August 08, 2011, 04:36:14 PM: Wonderful stuff. Is there a relatively easy route to the Mesa? I always thought it was supposed to be a desparate climb.
Title: Re: Tepuy Roraima - a lost world! (Venezuela)
Post by: Hoy on August 14, 2011, 06:01:24 PM: Glad you liked it! I enjoyed the tour myself ;D ;D

Quote from: Martinr on August 08, 2011, 04:36:14 PM
Wonderful stuff. Is there a relatively easy route to the Mesa? I always thought it was supposed to be a desparate climb.

Thanks. Roraima is easily accessible if you are used to walk in mountains. No technical climbing is needed but the path is very steep. Most of the other tepuys are only accessed by climbing or helicopter.

Here are some more plants:

Roraima Utricularia quelchii.JPG
Roraima Psychotria concinna1.JPG
Roraima Symbolanthus elisabethae2.JPG
Roraima Brocchinia tatei.JPG
Roraima Ledothamnus guyanensis2.JPG
Roraima Maguireothamnus speciosus2.JPG
Roraima Monochaetum bonplandi.JPG
Roraima Orectanthe spectrum 3.JPG
Title: Re: Tepuy Roraima - a lost world! (Venezuela)
Post by: fermi de Sousa on August 24, 2011, 09:38:05 AM: Marvelous stuff, Trond! many new genera I'd never heard of before.
Thanks for sharing.
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: Tepuy Roraima - a lost world! (Venezuela)
Post by: Brian Ellis on August 24, 2011, 09:46:55 AM: Wow, Trond, such lovely stuff, thank you so much for sharing your trip with us. I'm gob smacked :o
Title: Re: Tepuy Roraima - a lost world! (Venezuela)
Post by: Luc Gilgemyn on August 24, 2011, 11:33:49 AM: It's already been said... but these are amazing pix Trond !! :o :o :o
What a place !
Thanks for showing !
Title: Re: Tepuy Roraima - a lost world! (Venezuela)
Post by: daveyp1970 on August 24, 2011, 12:23:22 PM: I am surprised Fredg hasn't commented here,he grows some super carnivores from this region.