Who discovered Angel Falls. Angel Falls in Venezuela (photo, video) is the highest waterfall in the world. Angel on the map Geographic characteristics of Angel Falls

Angel Falls (Spanish) Angel) or Salto Angel (Spanish. Salto Angel) is the highest free-falling waterfall in the world, 978 meters high. R it is located in the highlands - Guyana, one of the five topographic regions of Venezuela. It is located on the Carrao River. The Carrao River is a tributary of the Caroni River which eventually flows into the Orinoco. It is not easy to get to the waterfall, as it is located in a dense tropical forest. There are no roads leading to the falls.

The waterfall falls from the top of a flat mountain, called "tepui" by the natives. A flat mountain called Auyan Tepuy (Devil's Mountain) is one of more than a hundred like it, scattered in the Guiana Highlands in southeastern Venezuela. These giants are characterized by their massive heights, soaring into the sky, with flat tops and completely vertical slopes. Tepui, also called "table mountains" (which accurately describes their shape), formed from sandstone billions of years ago. Their vertical slopes are continuously destroyed under the influence of heavy rains falling on the Guiana Highlands.

The Indians of Venezuela have known about "Salto Angel" since time immemorial. The waterfall was originally discovered in 1910 by a Spanish explorer named Ernesto Sanchez La Cruz. However, it was not known to the world until the official discovery by the American pilot and gold digger James Crawford Engel, after whom he was named. Angel was born in Springfield, Missouri in 1899.

This enterprising, experienced pilot, in 1935, flew over the area and landed on the top of a lonely mountain in search of gold. His monoplane "Flamingo" got stuck in the swampy jungle at the top, and he noticed a rather impressive waterfall extending thousands of feet down. He didn't have much luck with the 11-mile hike back to civilization, and his plane was left chained to the mountain, a rusting monument to his discovery. Soon the whole world learned about the waterfall, which became known as Angel Falls, in honor of the pilot who discovered it. Jimmy Angel's plane remained in the jungle for 33 years before being picked up by helicopter. It is currently housed in the Aviation Museum in Maracay. The one you can now see on top of the tepui is a replica of it.

Angel Falls is the highest waterfall in the world and the main attraction of Venezuela.
It is located on the territory. The attraction of this park are huge tepui like (table mountains) - high mountains with vertical steep edges and a wide flat top. From one of the largest tepui, bearing the name of Auyantepui (translated as Devil's Mountain), from a height of 979 meters, the highest waterfall in the world falls into the valley of the tropical jungle - Angel Falls.

Angel Falls in South America

The second highest waterfall in the world - South African - 948 meters. For comparison, one of the most famous and popular waterfalls located in South Africa, Victoria Falls has a height of only 107 meters.

Angel Falls is the Kerepakupai River, falling down from almost a kilometer high, which is fed by the waters of tropical rains at the top of the Auyantepui plateau. Looking from below, it seems that Angel is falling from the edge of the tepui, but a closer look shows how the Kerepakupai river has cut the edge of a high-mountain plateau, consisting mainly of layers of light red sandstone. Thus, the free fall of Angel begins 50-100 meters lower from many jagged crevices on the edge of a high mountain plateau. A huge stream of water during its fall is scattered in the air into thousands of small raindrops, and only a small part of the waterfall reaches the base of the mountain, where a small lake is formed, which then merges with the Churun ​​River.

Who Discovered Angel Falls

The man who discovered Angel Falls, is considered an American James Crawford Angel (James Crawford Angel). The waterfall was named after him. In the thirties of the last century, James was engaged in the search for diamonds and gold ore, flying around the hard-to-reach areas of Venezuela on his plane. He first saw him in 1933. In 1937, James, along with his wife and three other associates, decided to return to Venezuela and explore the falls in detail. While attempting to land the aircraft on the summit, the aircraft's wheels became stuck in soft ground, causing it to list and be badly damaged. James and his companions had to return on foot. Surprisingly, for eleven days, making their way through the jungle, they were able to reach the nearest settlement. The story of his journey quickly spread around the world.

Interestingly, in 1910, Angel Falls was discovered by explorer Ernesto Sanchez La Cruz, but he could not (or did not want to) draw public attention to his discovery.

In 1994, Canaima National Park was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. And along with the Venezuelan reserve, the natural heritage of mankind is also considered to be its main treasure - the highest waterfall in the world - Angel Falls. By the way, since December 20, 2009, in Venezuela, the waterfall has been called the historical name of Kerepakupai Meru, derived from the name of the Kerepakupai River. This was decided by the President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez, who considered that it was unsuitable for the Venezuelan waterfall to be called the name of an American pilot.

Angel Falls: how to get there

You can go on a trip to the base of the Angel Falls from almost any city in Venezuela. There should be no problem getting information, since the Canaima National Park and Angel Falls these are the main attractions of the country. It is interim to stay in hotels in Caracas, Ciudad Bolivar or, for example, in Puerto Ordaz, from where you can fly to the small village of Canaima, located at the entrance to the National Park of the same name.

The waterfall is located in a remote, wild area among the tropical jungle. It can only be reached by motorboat or helicopter. In favor of traveling by boat is that you can get to know the nature and wildlife of the park more closely, although this route, starting from the picturesque Canaima lagoon, is quite difficult and takes several hours. The final stop on the way to the waterfall along the river will be an observation point called Mirador Laime. It was named after the Latvian explorer Alexander Laime, who was the first to make his way to the foot of the waterfall along the Churun ​​River. In this place, the highest waterfall in the world will appear before you in all its unique beauty. The spectacle that you will see here, you will not forget for the rest of your life.

Angel Falls is Venezuela's most famous natural treasure and one of the most impressive places in the world. It is 2.5 times higher than the famous Empire State Building in New York, and 15 times higher than the famous Niagara. The discoverer of the waterfall is considered to be the American pilot Jimmy Angel, who dreamed of finding the Golden River all his life. The American adventurer never found the gold, but instead discovered one of our planet's most famous natural landmarks. Although the local Pemon Indians knew about the existence of the waterfall for thousands of years, the water cascade was named after Angel (but in the Spanish manner, Angel), because it was he who discovered it to the modern world.

History of the discovery of Angel Falls

On November 19, 1933, an American pilot first witnessed the majesty of the highest waterfall in the world, falling from a height of 979 meters in the jungles of Venezuela. Jimmy Angel described his experience as follows: "When I saw the waterfall, I almost lost control of the plane. A cascade of water straight from the sky!"

On October 9, 1937, Angel carefully glided his El Rio Caroni light plane to land atop the huge Auyantepui mountain (a waterfall falls from its summit) in Venezuela's isolated Gran Sabana region. According to Jimmy, his plan was to stay on top of the mountain for a few days in search of gold. But the author's plans were thwarted by an unsuccessful landing. The aircraft nosed down during landing and damaged a fuel line. The accident did no harm to Jimmy, his wife Maria, and two colleagues Gustavo Heni and Miguel Delgado, but now they were cut off from the outside world at the top of the Auyantepui mesa.

The only way out was to descend on foot, through an uncharted territory, with limited food. Eleven days later, exhausted but alive, the group reached the city of Kamarata. As word of the event spread around the world, Jimmy Angel's name became inextricably linked to the waterfall he first saw back in 1933.

Twelve years later, American photojournalist Ruth Robertson made the first successful expedition to the foot of the Angel, measured it and officially proclaimed it the highest waterfall in the world. Her November 1949 National Geographic article, "Jungle Journey to the World's Highest Falls," is a fascinating account of this journey.

In 1955, the Latvian explorer Aleksander Laime became the first Westerner to reach the source of the river that feeds the Angel Falls. Nowadays, tourists use the Laime trail while climbing to the top of Mount Auyantepui.

Jimmy Angel's plane remained atop Auyantepui for 33 years. In 1964, the Venezuelan government declared the aircraft a national monument. In 1970, it was dismantled and taken by Venezuelan Air Force helicopters to the Aviation Museum in Maracay for restoration. Later, the aircraft was installed on a green lawn in front of the passenger terminal of Ciudad Bolivar Airport, where it remains to this day.
Angel never dreamed that his plane would become a national monument. Years before, Patricia Grant had asked Jimmy if he would like his plane to be taken off the top of Auyantepui. Then he replied: "No, staying there, he will serve as a memory of me."

Interesting information about Angel Falls

Angel Falls is located in the tropical jungle of the southeastern region of Venezuela called Gran Sabana. A large area of ​​this region (more than 3 million hectares) is included in the Canaima National Park, the largest national park in Venezuela and the sixth largest in the world. Gran Sabana means large plain (or shroud) in Spanish, but the area's most famous feature is the dozens of exotic, sheer, flat-topped mountains rising in the middle of the plain. Named in the language of the local Indian tribe "tepui", these pink sandstone mesas are the product of millions of years of erosion, and have a unique flora and fauna not found anywhere else in the world - frogs that do not jump or red carnivorous plants.

The most famous attraction of the Gran Sabana is Roraima, the highest tepui with a height of about 2800 meters. Fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle believe that his science fiction novel The Lost World, about dinosaur hunters in the jungles of South America, was based on the first scientific expedition to Roraima. Angel Falls falls from the top of Auyantepui (translated from the language of the Pemon Indians “Devil's Mountain”), one of the largest tepui in Venezuela.

Canaima serves as the starting point for a trip to the Angel Falls. Located on the edge of the lagoon (pictured), surrounded by pink sandy beaches, beautiful waterfalls and untouched jungle, the word "paradise" most fully reflects the beauty of the surrounding nature of this area. Although you can visit other waterfalls and lagoons from here, as well as go for climbing the flat tops of the mesas, the main reason why tourists fly to Canaima for a few days is the opportunity to see the Angel Falls.

The highest waterfall in the world is also one of the most inaccessible. Venezuela did absolutely nothing to develop this region at least somehow. Its remoteness and inaccessibility have preserved the untouched nature of the local area and made Angel Falls one of the most inaccessible tourist attractions in Venezuela. Until now, there is no way to travel by car, as there are almost no roads in most of the Canaima National Park. Small airstrips for light aircraft connect this remote region to the outside world.

Most tourists visiting Angel Falls do so from an airplane window. Almost all flights to Canaima, both commercial and charter, run close to this waterfall. But, given the fact that Angel falls from the wall of a steep canyon, often shrouded in clouds (especially during the rainy season), it is not always possible to see him. Moreover, even on a clear day, when the plane makes a couple of passes on each side, you can often catch a glimpse of it.

If you want to truly enjoy the splendor of the highest waterfall in the world, then a boat trip is a must. Almost all hotels and travel agencies in Canaima offer 1, 2 or 3 day tours. All of them follow the same route, the difference is only in the amount of time, which completely depends on the desire of visitors.

Angel Falls is located about 5 hours canoeing upriver from Canaima town, followed by a hike through the jungle to its base (about an hour). The path to the waterfall from Canaima is an equally interesting part of the journey and provides an opportunity to get acquainted with the unique views of the Venezuelan flora and fauna, enjoy the beautiful landscapes of the surrounding nature (pictured). If the flow of water is rather moderate, you can swim in a small reservoir at the foot of the waterfall.

The waterfall is at its fullest during the rainy season from May to November, but at this time of the year clouds often cover the top of Auyantepui. During the dry season from December to April, it looks less attractive.

Conclusion

In May 1956, Angel's light aircraft crashed in Panama. He escaped with a large abrasion on his forehead, it would seem that everything is in order. A few days later, he suffered a stroke and, without regaining consciousness, died in December of that year at the age of 57. The last wish of the pilot was a request to scatter his ashes over the Angel Falls he discovered.

In 1960, Maria (wife) and his 2 sons, Jimmy and Roland, took Angel to Venezuela. On his last flight over the falls, he was accompanied by close friends Gustavo Henie and Patricia Grant. Henie later told his sister Carmen that "when the plane entered the canyon, nothing could be seen because of the high cloudiness, then suddenly something happened. It became so clear, so beautiful, we could see everything. It looked like the mountain took something incomparable - it was Jimmy."

In 2009, President Hugo Chávez proposed that the most famous national landmark should henceforth bear the name of the indigenous people of Venezuela, and not the American gringo. On December 20, 2009, the President of Venezuela signed a decree renaming Angel Falls to Kerepakupai Meru. But in other countries it is still called by the old name.

This is the highest waterfall in the world. The height of the waterfall is 979 meters. Angel is so high that the water does not reach the bottom. Even in the air, it turns into fog, which can be felt several kilometers before the waterfall. What reaches the bottom will fall into the Kerep River. The waterfall is located in wild places and can only be reached by river or air.

Angel on the map:

Sorry, the map is temporarily unavailable Sorry, the map is temporarily unavailable

The question may arise, where did the sheer cliff almost 1000 meters high come from. The waterfall falls from Auyantepui, which is the largest tepui in Venezuela. There are many tepui between the Amazon, Orinoco and Rio Negro rivers. They are the remnants of a vast plateau and were formed as a result of its erosion. As a rule, tepui are composed of a single block of Precambrian sandstone or quartzite. They rise above the surrounding jungle to a height of more than 2000 meters. It was thanks to this natural miracle that the formation of the largest waterfall in the world, Angel Falls, became possible.

Rainbow at Angel Falls, photo.

Ankhal was named after its discoverer, aviator James Angel. He flew over the falls in 1933. The purpose of his flight over Auyantepuyeim was to search for diamonds. An attempt to land on the tepui ended in a plane crash. It took Angel 11 days to get to civilization. He did not find diamonds, but he immortalized his name by giving it to the highest waterfall in the world.

Thus, Angel has nothing to do with the Angels, although the local Indians consider tepui to be the home of the gods ... It was named so simply in honor of its discoverer, though a little twisted in the Spanish manner.

The waterfall is often hard to see because of the clouds, so travelers face a dilemma: visit the waterfall during the dry season (December-March), when it is not so full of water, but there is less chance of getting into the fog, or take a chance, but see Angel in all beauty.

Interesting Facts:

1) The plane remained at the site of its fall, only after 33 years it was lowered down by helicopter. Today, the plane stands in front of the airport in Ciudad Bolívar.

2) The height of the waterfall was determined only in 1949.

3) The waterfall is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site

4) The first ascent of the wall of the waterfall was made only in 2005. One of the seven climbers was Russian.

5) Angel Falls officially no longer exists. In 2009, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez renamed it Kerepakupai-Meru.

How to get there: Angel Falls is in the middle of the wild jungle, so the best way to visit the falls is by air, just like Angel did, or along the Kerep River.

Kerep River

Video: "Angel Falls -Salto Angel"

Video: "Venezuela, flight over Angel Falls, Salto Angel, Venezuela".

Venezuela is an amazing country! After all, it was here that the world-famous Hugo Chavez lived and ruled, and there are incredibly low prices for gasoline. The proof of this is the opportunity to fill a whole tank of a Jeep car for just a hundred rubles. But that's not all. Only in Venezuela there is a huge number of tepui - these are mountains with truncated peaks, and therefore their appearance is rather unusual and strange. People call them table mountains. This name is probably due to the fact that the objects are flat, like tables. And now draw a picture for yourself: in the impenetrable jungle here and there rocks are piled up, reaching one kilometer in height. Their peaks are flat, they have sheer vertical walls. Therefore, even after small precipitations, water accumulates there, and then flows down in numerous waterfalls. And one of them is the highest Angel Falls.

Angel Falls in numbers

It is the highest free-falling waterfall in the world. His appearance is truly amazing! Powerful jets of water fall down and are buried in clouds of water dust and fog. Angel Falls is 978 meters high. Although some sources call a slightly larger figure - 1059 meters. And the height of the fall of the Angel Falls is 807 meters. The tallest building on the planet is the Computer Network Tower. So, our waterfall is almost twice as high as this creation of human hands. And three times higher than the Eiffel Tower. They say that Niagara Falls can boast of its parameters. But we will disappoint those who believe in it. After all, Angel is 20 times taller than his "brother"! In 1949, an expedition from the National Geographic Society determined the official height of the main

The coordinates of Angel - a waterfall that has no equal in the whole world - can be indicated by the following numbers: latitude - 5 ° 58 "03" s. latitude, or 5.9675, and longitude - 62 ° 32 "08" W. etc., or 62.535556. And every second, Angel passes three hundred cubic meters of water through himself, which is delivered by the Churun ​​River.

The history of the discovery of the waterfall

Angel Falls was discovered relatively recently. Not even a hundred years have passed since then. It all happened quite by accident, and this story is quite interesting. In the 1930s, a diamond rush broke out in Venezuela. Hundreds of fans of easy money and those who simply had nothing to do rushed into the impenetrable and dense jungle. A pilot from America, James Angel, acquired a small type and headed for the Auyan-Tepui massif - this is just not far from the place where the Angel Falls hid from people's eyes for many centuries ...

More valuable than diamonds

The peaks of the table mountains in that area are often covered with clouds. But Angel was lucky: he flew in clear weather. And he was the first lucky to see a kilometer-long water vertical. Angel did not manage to find diamonds, but he brought world fame to the waterfall. The gold digger's plane crashed, and only a miracle saved the pilot. James landed in the exact spot chosen by the famous Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to describe the events in The Lost World.

Angel traveled 11 days to civilization. And so, when he managed to find the first post office he came across, he informed the American National Geographic Society about the location of Angel Falls. He described his discovery and the find was named after him. "But why Angel?" the reader will ask. And all because Angel in Spanish is read as Angel.

A little about the surrounding area

Tourists would probably like to find out more about where Angel Falls is located. And he settled down, as already mentioned above, in Venezuela, in the highlands, which is called Guyana. This is on the Carrao River, which is one of the tributaries of the Orinoco. From the same Spanish language Angel is translated as "angel".

Since ancient times, the name of Churun-Meru has been attached to the attraction. So it was called by the Indian tribes living in this area. The plateau from which the waterfall falls is called Auyan-Tepui, which means "mountain of the devil." This name was given because the plateau is constantly shrouded in thick fog. Where Angel Falls is located, tropical forests grow everywhere, so there are no special roads to it. Thus, you can get here either by air or by water.

National park and travel to it

Angel is part of the National Park of Venezuela - Canaima. Hundreds of excursions are organized annually to this miracle of nature. But since the place is rather inaccessible, people prefer air walks. If you decide to get to Angel by the river, then you can do this as follows: first you have to sail on a motor canoe to the village of Canaima, and then walk about two or three kilometers on foot. It leads to Canaima, and in the neighborhood, the local authorities have equipped a small airport that provides services to guests and tourists. Travelers can take advantage of shops, bars and comfortable hotels. The waterfall, together with the surrounding areas, has managed to preserve the charm of the wilderness. If you are lucky, then during the walk you can see local animals that went to the watering place. Jaguars, three-toed sloths, otters and other interesting representatives of the fauna live in the park jungle.

The height of the Angel Falls provides an opportunity to admire from the observation deck and the nearby picturesque lagoon, which has the same name as the park. Powerful streams of water rush down here from the ledges around.

Who and why renamed the waterfall

In 2009, the then President of Venezuela stated that Angel Falls should be renamed Kerepakupai Meru. True, the Churun-Meru variant was first considered. But one of the daughters of the ruler remembered that a waterfall with that name already exists in this area. Plus it's pretty small. Then Hugo Chavez decided to opt for Kerepakupai Meru after all. The leader explained his action by the fact that the attraction should not bear the name of an American, since long before the discovery the waterfall was located on the territory of Venezuela and belonged only to it.

Where Angel Falls is located, many different plants grow. The third part of them is not found anywhere else on the planet. The waterfall itself is fed by the waters of the rains, so when the dry season comes, it turns into a thin trickle. When precipitation falls again, the sight takes the form of a powerful, immense and so beautiful giant.

A few things that not many people know about

It is believed that the first person from Europe who saw Angel was Ernest Sánchez La Cruz. The attraction opened to his eyes in 1910. There is also evidence that even earlier this giant was noticed by the Spanish conquistadors and Catholic missionary monks. But still, James Angel brought fame to the miracle of nature. Later, the coordinates of the Angel (waterfall) were established and its height was determined.

The broken plane of James Angel lay on top of the mountain for 33 years. In 1970, the remains of the car were removed from the tepui. It was restored, and today the plane is at the entrance to the city airport of Ciudad Bolivar. After the death of James (1960), his ashes were scattered over the highest waterfall on Earth, which was named after the pilot. It was Angel's last wish.

The waterfall is a bewitching sight, let the traveler see for himself by seeing this miracle of nature with his own eyes.