Mount Roraima – Venezuela

Mount Roraima Monte Roraima also known as Tepuy Roraima and Cerro Roraima Monte Roraima  is the highest of the Pakaraima chain of tepui plateaus  in South Ameica . First described by the English explorer Sri Walter Raleigh  in 1596, its 31 km² summit area is bounded on all sides by cliffs rising 400 metres (1,300 ft). The mountain also serves as the triple border point of Venezuela  (claiming 85% of its territory), Brazil  (5%) and Guyana  (10%).

Mount Roraima lies on the Guiana shield  in the southeastern corner of Venezuela's 30,000-square-kilometre (12,000 sq mi) Canaima National park  forming the highest peak of Guyana's Highland Range. The tabletop mountains of the park are considered some of the oldest geological formations on Earth , dating back to some two billion years ago in the Precambrian .

The highest point in Guyana and the highest point of the Brazilian state of Roraima lie on the plateau, but Venezuela and Brazil have higher mountains elsewhere. The triple border point is at 5°12′08″N 60°44′07″W, but the mountain's highest point is Maverick Rock , 2,810 metres (9,219 ft), at the south end of the plateau and wholly within Venezuela.                 

Today, Mount Roraima is a destination for backpackers. Almost all who go up the mountain approach it from the Venezuelan side. Most hikers hire a Pemon Indian guide in the village of Paraitepui, which is reached by dirt road from the main Gran Sabana road between kilometre 88 and Santa Elena de Uairen. 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 and the uncanny rock formations make visual references problematic. Paraitepui can be reached easily by four-wheel-drive vehicle, with great difficulty by car if the unpaved road conditions by foot in about a day.