RORAIMA 2008

National Geographic Magazine's description of Mount Roraima is There's a place in the world that's so remote, few have ever been there, and though you may be able to locate it on the map, that doesn't mean you'll find it.
On a map, Roraima's flat plateau (measuring 13 square miles or 34 km²) is easily found as it lies on the so-called triple point where Guyana, Brazil and Venezuela converge. On the ground it is more difficult, with a trek to the base of the mountain and thereafter a climb to the plateau summit.

Photo by  Jeff Johnson (Wikipedia)

First ascent 1884 by Everard F. im Thurn and Harry Perkins
 

Monte Roraima (Portuguese and Spanish: Mount Roraima, also known as Cerro Roraima, Pico do Roraima, or simply Roraima) is, at 2739 meters (8986 feet), the world's highest tepui (tabletop mountain). It is shared by Venezuela, Brazil's Roraima state, and Guyana. It is the highest elevation in Guyana, though Venezuela and Brazil have taller mountains.

Roraima is a sandstone plateau rising above the surrounding savannah and forest; it marks the "Triple Point" where the borders of Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil converge. It lies in the southeastern corner of Venezuela's 30,000 km² Canaima National Park. The table mountains of the park are considered some of the oldest geological formations on Earth, dating back to the Precambrian Era, some two billion years ago.

The average height of the plateau is around 2500 meters (8200 feet), making it the highest point for 549.44 kilometers (341.48 miles). The nearest taller neighbor is Cerro Marahuaca (to the West-Southwest). Despite the fact the steep sides of the plateau make it difficult to access, it was the first major tepui to be climbed: Sir Everard im Thurn walked up a forested ramp in 1884 to scale the strangely wind-and-water sculpted plateau.

It is thought that the reports from early Victorian expeditions to the mountain inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to write his classic adventure yarn, The Lost World, in 1912 - now made into countless films.

Today, Monte Roraima is a destination for backpackers. Almost all who go up the mountain approach it from the Venezuelan side. Most hikers hire a guide in the nearby village of Paraitepui, Venezuela. Although the path to reach the plateau is well marked and popularly traveled, it is easy to get lost on top of the mountain as there are few distinct trails and the near constant cloud cover on top makes visual references problematic. Paraitepui means "to the tepui". It is a short distance off a paved highway and it may be reached easily by four wheel drive vehicle, with great difficulty by car if the unpaved road conditions are unusually fine, or by foot in about a day. From Paraitepui, most hikers take one day to reach the base of the mountain, and then another day to follow "La Rampa" a natural staircase-like path, up to the top. Another two days are typically needed for the return, and many people spend one day on top of the mountain for five days total. Longer treks can reach the northern portion of the tepuy, which less explored and more intriguing sites such as lake Gladys, although offering more dangers than its more popular southern part.

The only non-technical route to the top is the Paraitepui route; any other approach will involve climbing gear. The mountain has been climbed from the Guyana and Brazil sides but these are technical rock climbing routes, and also require authorizations for entering national parks in the respective countries.

YW6R will be the special event station to be installed at Roraima.

The purpose of this expedition is to perform propagation studies in amateur frequencies in
VHF and HF from Roraima to Venezuela and the world.