this post was submitted on 09 Sep 2026
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[–] decolo@piefed.social 89 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

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]

altr

[–] Aeao@lemmy.world 23 points 2 days ago

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

[–] Fredselfish@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago (2 children)

How do the scientists get to the top of this mountain?

[–] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 9 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) (1 children)

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]

[–] Fredselfish@lemmy.world 2 points 7 hours ago

Thanks for the answer. Sounds interesting.

[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 13 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I would guess a helicopter, but I'm sure you could climb it.

[–] ToxicWaste@lemmy.cafe 6 points 1 day ago

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...

[–] yakko@feddit.uk 60 points 2 days ago (2 children)

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

[–] Postmortal_Pop@lemmy.world 21 points 2 days ago

I'd read it.

[–] femtek@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Was this the place where that young adult apocalypse book was based on? I think it was called the giver or something.

[–] yakko@feddit.uk 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Never heard of it, but I can't find anything that connects it to Roraima.

[–] femtek@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

That image is from the movie. I don't recall there ever being much mention of the location or geography in the book.

[–] femtek@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 2 days ago

True, just made me think of it.

[–] Furbag@pawb.social 22 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Forbidden overcooked steak

[–] Aeao@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Throw some A1 on that and it’s still good.

[–] HulkSmashBurgers@reddthat.com 1 points 9 hours ago

Or heinz 57!

[–] mineralfellow@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago

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.

[–] Axolotl_cpp@feddit.it 3 points 1 day ago

I feel like a guy named "steve" was there

[–] nikosey@lemmy.world 33 points 2 days ago (1 children)

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.

[–] scott@lem.free.as 8 points 2 days ago

Angel Falls?

[–] Crackhappy@lemmy.world 27 points 2 days ago (1 children)

If you look real close at the left side of the plateau you can see an old man, a kid and a dog.

[–] TargaryenTKE@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Is this a reference I'm too ignorant to get?

[–] renrenPDX@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 10 hours ago

The movie Up

[–] omxxi@feddit.org 15 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] TargaryenTKE@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Goddammit I should've gotten that. Thanks!

[–] laranis@lemmy.zip 18 points 2 days ago (1 children)

No reference. OP must have really good eyes or gotten really lucky zooming. The guy appears to have recently lost his wife.

[–] MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago

You're Up to no good with the chicanery.

[–] Postmortal_Pop@lemmy.world 29 points 2 days ago

This is the kind of location I look for when building a house in Minecraft.

[–] wunderbred@fedinsfw.app 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)
[–] Etterra@discuss.online 2 points 1 day ago

It looks like somebody just dropped a paving stone in dry ice.

[–] orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 2 days ago
[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 1 points 1 day ago

There are dinosaurs up there.

[–] spacegoat@lemmy.world 13 points 2 days ago (1 children)
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[–] seat6@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 day ago

I had no idea about any of this, now I’m fascinated!

[–] ChicoSuave@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago (2 children)

That waterfall on the far left - was this the inspiration for Up?

[–] atomicbocks@sh.itjust.works 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The waterfall from the movie is Angel Falls, the world’s tallest waterfall.

[–] ChicoSuave@lemmy.world 1 points 21 hours ago

Thank you for finding this!

[–] N0MAD@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 days ago

Short answer, maybe.

They travel to a tepui in Venezuela but I'd argue it looks more like Auyán-tepui than Mount Roraima

[–] moncharleskey@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 day ago

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.

[–] toxicbubble@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

more interesting fact, this borders three countries: Guyana, Venezuela, Brazil

[–] DioramaOfShit@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

Could it be an alien craft landing pad? Ancient astronaut theorists, say yes.

[–] poVoq@slrpnk.net 5 points 2 days ago

Link missing?

[–] stepan@lemmy.cafe 5 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I think I read a fiction book about something ver similar as a kid. Almost sure it was from Arthur Conan Doyle

[–] Wigners_friend@piefed.social 5 points 2 days ago

I read that too, many times. It's The lost world

[–] NochMehrG@feddit.org 3 points 2 days ago

I‘m intrigued!

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