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Angel Falls (Salto Ángel)

Looking up at the towering Angel Falls


There's lots to say about Angel Falls. Click on one of the following links to jump to the section you're interested in...

ABOUT THE FALLS
Angel Falls, the tallest waterfall in the world, drops nearly a kilometer (about 979m total drop with 807m freefall) from a table-top mountain (tepuy or tepui in the indigenous Pemón language) known as Auyantepuy (or Auyantepui meaning "Mountain of the God of Evil" or "Devil's Mountain"). Its existence seems like a paradox as it's neither fed by conventional drainage sources such as snow/glacier melt, lakes, nor a major river system. Indeed, the abundance of water responsible for the falls is practically all rainfall from equatorial rainfall condensing onto the cloud forest above plateau of Auyantepui. It's almost as if the clouds wring its water onto the tepui like a soaked rag.

Angel Falls is also called Salto Ángel or indigenously Kerepakupai-merú. The indigenous name derived from the Pemón natives means "falls from the deepest place". Ironically, the more famous name of the falls has nothing to do with the connotation that water falls from the heavens. In fact, it just so happened to be the name of aviator Jimmy Angel who in 1937 landed his plane above Auyantepui near the falls in an effort to prove to the world of the existence of the falls (and to search for gold). Given the soggy terrain atop the tepuy, he, his wife, and two friends had no choice but to make the difficult trek down from the vertical cliffs of the tepui towards civilization (taking around 11 days). Only after successfully performing that feat did the falls become known to the rest of the world, and eventually the falls were named after him. Jimmy Angel's plane has since been moved, restored, and on display at the airport in Ciudad Bolívar.

Jimmy Angel's restored plane resting at the airport in Ciudad BolívarAngel Falls takes on many forms from thick multi-segmented horsetail plumes to a thinner horsetail that disappears into mist on its way down before reappearing as lower cascades for the remainder of its drop. Often the falls and the tepui are shrouded in swirling mist and clouds giving a mystical and mysterious (some say a Jurassic "Lost World") feel to the place. Regardless of how it's romanticized, the place is indeed magical and unique, and quite different from say other wonders of the world like Iguazú Falls.

Sitting deep in the equatorial rainforest of Canaima National Park in Venezuela's southeast, Salto Ángel is indeed remote. Getting to the falls requires a lengthy journey by air, river, and jungle so you'll definitely have to earn it. And I'd argue that with this attraction it's more about the journey than the destination.

Adding to the allure of this mystical waterfall is the fact that the majority of adventurers get to experience other waterfalls as part of this excursion. These waterfalls include Salto Ucaima, Salto Golondrina, Salto Wadaima, Salto Hacha, and Sapo Falls as well as a few others.

Check out the photos below to see the graceful Angel Falls...

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PHOTOS OF THE FALLS
Closeup of Angel Falls in high flowCloseup of Salto Ángel in full flow

View of Angel Falls from Mirador Laime in light to average flowView of Salto Ángel from Mirador Laime in light to average flow

Aerial profile view of Angel FallsAerial profile view of Salto Ángel


Nearly direct aerial look at Angel FallsNearly direct aerial look at Salto Ángel

More angled aerial look at Angel FallsMore angled aerial look at Salto Ángel

Tell us about your experience with this waterfall. Click on the following link...




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