The Lost World
Canaima // Gran Sabana // Roraima



A unique multisport traverse

The vast and spectacular Lost World of Canaima National Park is one of the least known natural wonders of the world. It spans over 3 million hectares from Canaima to Roraima Tepui and is host to an unparalleled diversity of wildlife and flora. A land of intense colour and light. Majestic rivers weave through dense unexplored jungle, across extensive grassland and palm savannah altering course dramatically through immense waterfalls and rapids when they meet the legendary 'tepuis', the stone colossi millions of years old which characterise this region.

Carved by the erosion of millions of years these unique tabletop mountains, rise from 400m up to 2800 meters and are composed of polychrome sandstone, quartz and agglomerates. They have flat tops where plant life is endemic making their ecosystems totally unique; many of the plants growing on top of the tepuis are found nowhere else on the planet and many are endemic to a particular tepuis. Among this diversity of plants are innumerable orchids and bromeliads as well as carnivorous plants that trap insects.

This world belongs to the indigenous 'Pemon' Indians who still maintain their traditional relationship as they have done for thousands of years...

We'll start our multi-sport east-west traverse of over 500kms on mountain-bikes and with many rivers to cross we'll travel some of the way using traditional canoes. We'll head up the River Carrao and into the heart of the Auyan Tepui, where cascades the World's longest waterfall – Angel Falls.

We'll follow the Carrao further to remote Pemon villages where we'll hike across the unexplored core of the Canaima National park for a further week, then continue on bikes right to Roraima where we plan to climb to the rooftop of the lost world. Travelling as light as possible will be implicit to the projects success, we'll gather bush foods and camp the whole way.

Our team 'Chris', who runs 'Jakera' tours and is responsible for putting the project together, 'Was' a global adventurer from NZ, Domingo a Venezuelan multi-sport athlete, Angel a local 'Pemon' and Sarah and I. As far as we are aware, no one has else has taken on a similar traverse across this remote part of the Earth.

The entire project will be captured daily through journalism and photography in the diary section.