Mount Roraima by Helicopter

Your flight arrives in Boa Vista after connecting via Manaus (in most cases). Boa Vista is the state capital of Roraima, the most northerly state in Brazil which borders both Venezuela and Guyana. This small city was founded on the banks of the Rio Branco in 1890, and now has a population of just over 250k. It is also the only one of 26 Brazilian state capitals located in the northern hemisphere, with the equator lying 300km to the south. On arrival in the city you will be welcomed at the airport and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is then free to enjoy Amazon cuisine and recover from the journey to the Amazon Jungle.

A morning drive takes you north into Venezuela and then to the Santa Elena helipad where your helicopter and pilot will take you up to the top of the tepui! The Venezuelan Gran Sabana and the Amazon basin spread out beneath you, with endless vistas of the plains, jungle and other tepui. On landing in the Lost World, you will need to catch your breath at 2,734m. The highest point is Pedra Maverick at 2,875m, with stunning panoramic views. The Jacuzzi Pools are a short hike away, before the spectacular viewpoints from the La Ventana Cliffs, stretching vertically down to the base of the tepui, with waterfalls tumbling from the top of Mt Kukenan. Temperatures ~10C during the day; 0-5C at night.

Your stay at the top of Mount Roraima can be just for the day, or for some nights of camping on the summit. The Crystal Trail takes you through the Valley of Crystals, around 4hrs out to the meeting point of Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana, the Roraima watershed where rain could feed the Amazon, the Orinocco or the Essequibo Rivers. After 15km camp is made at the Coati shelter, with a winter garden of varying plant species. A 500m walk also takes you to the cliffs overlooking the Brazilian Amazon and Roraiminha, the smaller neighbouring tepui. The Raposa Serra do Sol Indigenous Reserve lies below, with the Ingarikó tribal lands as part of the fabulous scenery.

In the morning, you take down the camp in Coati and take the trail back to the camps closest to the top of The Ramp, the only path for a non-vertical ascent of Roraima. During the trail, a stop at El Foso gives you a look at a mysterious pool formed in a depression on the plateau, with the waters disappearing into the mountain below, with no knowledge of where they might emerge. You can also enter the waters if you like, although don't expect tropical temperatures! All the waters on the top of Roraima, and tumbling down the sides of the tepui come with a refreshing character! The 15km trail should finish around 3pm.

This day around the Coati Camp is free for you to relax, unwind, conmplate the scenery and reflect a little. You can also see the reflections in the waters of the Lago Gladys summit lake if you like. A hike around the most remote corner of the mountain, the final section of the Mount Roraima summit takes around 3 hours walk from the campsite, and the same in return. The scenery along the trail is a little different to that encountered elsewhere on the mountain. Your meals in Coati, as with all the others, will be prepared by your guides, who carry all the cooking equipment and can also help with your rucksack should you require it.

Your helicopter flight back down from Mount Roraima gives you another chance for spectacular aerial views of the mountain, whose aspect changes with the cloud. From Santa Elena you can either return to Boa Vista and fly away to Manaus or Brasilia. Another option is to continue your tour of spectacular flat-topped tepui mountains and huge waterfalls to take in Angel Falls. The highest waterfall in the world is at the far end of the tepui chain, deep into Venezuela. Tours up the valley to the base can be added to your package. However long you prefer to stay, we can adapt the tour to your requirements, leaving you with wonderful memories of this spectacular region.