Mount Roraima, Sandstone mountain plateau in Uiramutã, Brazil.
Mount Roraima is a sandstone table mountain on the border between Brazil, Venezuela, and Guyana with a flat summit covering several square kilometers. Its vertical rock walls rise about four hundred meters and enclose a high plateau where rock formations, small lakes, and unusual vegetation occur.
Expeditions reached the summit for the first time in the late nineteenth century, after indigenous communities had known the region for thousands of years. The sandstone formation emerged about two billion years ago and belongs to the oldest rock structures on the planet.
The mountain's name originates from the Pemon language, where Roroi means blue-green and ma translates to great, reflecting its appearance in the landscape.
The ascent takes several days and passes through changing terrain that requires sturdy footwear and gear for rain and cool temperatures. Hikers sleep in tents or simple shelters along the route and should carry enough food and water.
Carnivorous plants grow on the summit, adapted to the nutrient-poor soil and feeding on insects. The isolated location has led several animal and plant species to exist only here and nowhere else on Earth.
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