Mount Roraima is considered a lost world and a unique place where rare plants and animals have been preserved. It was able to preserve all this thanks to a long isolation from the world. It was surrounded by impenetrable jungle, rivers, and swamps. And since the mountain belongs to dining rooms, it is inaccessible to people.
The first major expedition took place in 1960. Then there were still attempts to study it. Now Roraima is not fully understood, so it still keeps many secrets. The mountain-inspired writer Arthur Conan Doyle so much that he wrote The Lost World, and director Steven Spielberg directed Jurassic Park.
Where is Roraima, and why is it considered a lost world
This is not an ancient city or a waterfall but an impregnable mountain. It is located in South America in the southeastern part of Venezuela. It is believed that Roraima occupies part of the territory of Venezuela and Guyana, and Brazil. This extraordinary miracle of nature is located on the territory of the great savannah of La Gran Sabana, in the middle of the impenetrable jungle.
In other words, such mountains are called “mesas.” Roraima is considered one of the largest mesas. The flat top and steep slopes make it mysterious and inaccessible. This mountain has long been considered a lost world or a territory abandoned to Earth from another planet. And this is no accident—a string of steep walls, enchanting waterfalls with cascading staircases open before your eyes. And rivers with red and black waters and the presence of constant dense fog will make you think not about a miracle of nature but another reality or a fairy-tale world.
The formation of mesas is understandable. Their formation began many millions of years ago as a result of tectonic processes. As a result, Roraima found itself practically isolated from the world. Therefore, a unique fauna and flora have been formed here. The area of the mountain plateau reaches 34 km², and its height reaches 2.7 thousand meters.
The tribes of Indians who lived in these lands for a long time considered Roraima an enchanted and mystical place. The aborigines called this mountain “Tepui” or “House of the Gods.” The most fearless of them tried to conquer it. Only a few managed to stay alive. It was believed that the Gods themselves blessed these people. They were treated and revered specially.
Why Roraima practically nobody managed to conquer, histories, hypotheses of scientists
Probably, many climbers would like to conquer Roraima, but for a long time, it remained an unattainable object. On the way to it lay impenetrable jungle, dangerous rivers, and swamps. Few people managed to get to its top safe and sound and then descend. It took a long time to study Roraima.
Only in 1960 was it possible to equip the first major expedition there. Scientists believe that these are not “tricks” of an extraterrestrial civilization. For a long time, this place was practically isolated from the world.
Therefore, time goes differently here. But the famous German researcher Peter Paul considers Roraima to be an artificially created pyramid and not a mountain that nature created for millions of years. Paul came to this opinion because of the multiple symmetries found and the unusual shape of the mountain. It seems that the mountain was hewn out of a monolithic formation.
For the Indians, Roraima was a sacred place. They believed that the foremother of all life on Earth – the goddess Queen and all the other gods – lived at its top. Dense clouds carefully hide them, and inaccessible slopes are created so that no one can get there. There is an ancient history about a mysterious mountain. It told about the real House of the Gods, which is located between Heaven and Earth. Only dedicated and special people can get there. Through the forest jungle, you can get to the fabulous mountain plateau. Those who can conquer the mountain will be rewarded with priceless stones. The mountain is guarded by evil spirits, from which it is difficult to escape.
Interestingly, the history says about stones. It turns out that Roraima has large deposits of diamonds. However, the Indians do not approach there, fearing God’s punishment and the punishment of evil spirits. Inexplicable mystical phenomena are confirmed by all those who managed to get there.
What unusual things did the participants of the expeditions find on Roraima?
A large-scale expedition took place only in 1960. Rolland Angel led this group. Then they managed to get to the top of the mountain and get acquainted with this wonderful world. The expedition found rock paintings on the walls of the cave of unknown origin. However, they fell into a foggy “trap” that enveloped the mountain and barely got out of it.
The next big expedition took place in 2009. This time archaeologists managed to find quartz caves with multiple exits. The impression is that this is not the work of Mother Nature but someone’s hand-made creation. The system of quartz caves is called “Cueva Ojos de Cristal” or “Crystal Eyes Cave.” Its length was 11 km, and its depth was about 70 meters.
The mountain, apparently, constantly attracts dense fog and thunderclouds with lightning. A dense foggy ring and charred trees are often seen here. Strange, but here the waterfall is the source for the river and not vice versa. The mountain appears black. These are small algae that cover their surface. It has such color due to constant humidity and rain. True, pink sandstone is visible in some places. Separately, one can note the unique and rare specimens of flora and fauna. Some plants grow only here, and some are listed in the Red Book.
The top of the mountain is considered the most dangerous because there is a stone labyrinth. This is an area where several rivers flow. Archaeologists suggest that, probably in this place, there is a certain descent into Roraima. What secrets may be hidden there is still unknown. However, several tourists died in this place. People here too often disappear without a trace.
Why Conan Doyle and Steven Spielberg chose Roraima as the main subject of their creations
The extraordinary nature and mystery of the mountain inspired the famous writer Arthur Conan Doyle to write the fantasy novel The Lost World. The writer learned about the existence of this place from the stories of people who managed to visit there. The first was Robert Schomburgk in 1838. Later, 46 years later, scientists im Thurn and Harry Perkins got there.
These travels to the mysterious mountain were described in books. However, the public took it all as a rich fantasy. But for Arthur Conan Doyle, it was a fateful turn. He was so inspired that he quickly wrote almost 300 pages of a book about a trip to South America with elements of fiction. True, in his story, real dinosaurs were found on the mountain.
Mount Roraima was also the inspiration and main stage for filming the acclaimed science fiction film Jurassic Park directed by Steven Spielberg. This film managed to conquer the whole world.
