Who discovered Angel Falls. Angel - the highest waterfall in the world (16 photos)
Angel (Spanish: Salto Ángel, in Pemonese - Kerepakupai vena, which means “Waterfall” deepest place") - the highest waterfall in the world, total height 979 meters, continuous fall height 807 meters. Named after pilot James Angel, who flew over the falls in 1935.
Angel translated into Russian means “angel”. Although the names of waterfalls are usually very figurative and poetic, this waterfall is called an angel not in honor of the biblical angels and not because of its “proximity to heaven.” The 1st magnitude giant bears the name of its discoverer, the Venezuelan pilot Juan Angel, and the Indians called the waterfall Apemey or Maiden's Eyebrow. Angel Falls, more than a kilometer high, was discovered relatively recently - in 1935. This proves how much unknown our beautiful planet Earth still conceals.
How could such a phenomenal miracle of nature - a vertical stream of water a mile high - be hidden from humanity throughout history? The fact is that Angel is located in one of the most remote and inaccessible corners of the earth. Southeastern part of Venezuela – mountain range Auyan-Tepui (Devil's Mountain) is composed of porous sandstones, has a height of up to 2600 m, and ends abruptly with a sheer rock wall. The approaches to the wall are blocked by the selva - a dense tropical forest.
What was Angel looking for there? In the 1930s, a “diamond rush” broke out in Venezuela. Hundreds of adventurers, businessmen hungry for profit, and simply the poor rushed into the impenetrable jungle. Angel bought a small sports plane and flew to the Auyan Tepui massif. In those places, the tops of the table mountains are often covered with clouds. Angel was flying in clear weather and was the first to see a kilometer-long vertical water line.
It turned out that the waterfall does not fall from the very edge of the highland ledge. The Churumi River “cut through” the upper edge of the cliff and falls 80-100 m below its edge. Water consumption – 300 sq.m/s.
Juan Angel (Angel) did not discover diamond deposits or build sanatoriums. Others have done it. He had an accident and was saved literally by a miracle. He landed in the very place that Conan Doyle chose to unfold the events of his famous novel “ lost World" Having reached the nearest post office, Angel reported his discovery to the National Geographic Society of the United States, and his name is now on all maps of the world. On Latin American maps, the waterfall is often designated as Salto Angel, i.e. “angel's jump”. Last years The discoverer spent his life in Venezuela, in the state of Ciudad Bolivar, and died in 1956. According to Angel’s will, his ashes were scattered over a waterfall named after him.
The extent to which the term “miracle” in relation to the surviving pilot Angel is not an exaggeration can be judged by the fact that fourteen years later, in 1949, a group of five American and Venezuelan surveyors barely made their way through the jungle to the waterfall, as the wild forest was completely intertwined with vines and lush shrubby vegetation. They had to continuously cut the road with machetes and axes. The expedition spent... nineteen days to cover the last 36 km! But the game was worth the candle. What the expedition members saw will not be forgotten by any of them until the end of their days.
The most vivid description of the waterfall - perhaps the best in world literature - belongs to the chairman of the Soviet Peace Committee, Yu. A. Zhukov, who viewed Angel Falls from an airplane in April 1971. “ The pilot is flying his plane very close to him. In front of us is an incredibly high one - a kilometer! - an elastic, foamy white column of water, - a tight stream of flow falls from the plateau into the abyss, at the bottom of which the river is reborn. Churumi, whose flow is interrupted by this crazy water jump... We have already heard and read that the height of the water fall here is so great that the stream, without reaching the bottom of the abyss, turns into water dust, which settles on the stones as rain. But you had to see this in order to imagine all the originality of the spectacle that presented itself: somewhere below, about three hundred meters from the bottom of the abyss, a powerful, elastic, boiling stream suddenly seemed to melt and break off in the fog. And even lower, as if born out of nothing, the river was seething... How I would like to approach the waterfall not by plane, but on the ground - to stand near it, listen to its roar, inhale the smell of water falling from the sky! But this is impossible…“.
To reach the ground, the stream flying from the top of the highest waterfall on our planet needs to travel about a kilometer. The speed of falling water is so high that, not reaching the ground about three hundred meters, it simply dissipates into dust, creating the impression that a seething, boiling and powerful stream of water disappears forever in the fog. And below, among the endless ocean of green jungle, as if born out of nothing, the marvelous Churun River appears.
Angel Falls is located in the southeast of Venezuela, in the municipality of Gran Sabana in the state of Bolivar, among the jungle of the Guiana Plateau, which is located in the north of South America. Closest to the waterfall Big City, Ciudad Bolivar, is located 600 km to the north, and from the nearest village of Canaimi it is located 50 km in a southeast direction (at geographical map peace this unique phenomenon can be found at the following coordinates: 5° 58′ 3″ N. latitude, 62° 32′ 8″ W. d.).
Despite such remoteness from the civilized world, life near the waterfall is in full swing: people come from all over the world to see it. And this is not at all surprising, since Angel Falls is the highest waterfall on our planet (total height is 1054 m).
It’s not for nothing that the Pemon Indians living here named it Kerepakupai-Mera, which means “Waterfall with the greatest depth.”
History of education
Angel Falls arose thanks to the Churun River, which originates on one of the slopes located on the Guiana Plateau of South America. The plateau is notable for the fact that it consists of huge plateaus, the basis of which is red sandstone and hardened lava. They rise above each other in the form of huge staircases with steps, the height of which is several hundred meters.
First, the water flies 807 meters, after which, when it hits an obstacle, it travels another 172 meters. One of the little-known facts is that the river, having made a notch in the upper edge of the cliff, begins its free fall not from the very edge of the plateau ledge, but 80-100 meters below. This is the immediate reason that geologists have still not been able to accurately determine the height of the waterfall: some claim that it is 979 m, others – 1054 m.
The flow of water erupting downwards during the rainy season, which lasts in South America from May to November, is extremely large: every second the waterfall passes through about 300 cubic meters. water. But when there are no showers, Angel Falls decreases somewhat and is divided into two smaller streams, and sometimes it even appears as a narrow trickle.
Lost in the jungle
Since the waterfall is located in a wild, sparsely populated area among the tropical jungle, for many millennia only the nearby Indians of the Pemon tribe knew about it. They were convinced that evil spirits lived at the top of the mountain, so they never climbed to the top of the steep cliff.
The civilized world learned about the existence of the waterfall only in the 30s. last century, when the Venezuelan pilot Juan Angel flew here in search of diamonds (the local Indians constantly talked about stones that could be mistaken for gems).
While flying around the area, the pilot noticed a number of tepuis located next to each other and assumed that deposits had been found. When Angel returned a few years later, while trying to land the plane on the top of the mountain, one of the landing gear burst, so he had to go down on his own. Despite the extremely difficult descent, the pilot, his wife and two other fellow travelers managed to descend without loss - and eleven days later they returned to the civilized world with a story about the huge waterfall and were able to attract public attention to it.
Enough interesting fact says that they managed to get out of the jungle extremely quickly, since an expedition of five people, organized some time later, armed with a map, having precise coordinates, using machetes and axes, cutting a road through thickets of vines and bushes, spent more than twenty days on the road. When they arrived at the place, the discovery shocked them: it turned out that the found waterfall was 20 times higher than the famous one. Niagara Falls. As a result of this expedition it was given Full description waterfall, its height was determined, and it was named after the man who discovered it.
Interestingly, several years ago, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez wanted to name the waterfall as the tribe living in this area calls it - Kerepakupai-Meru, arguing that the waterfall appeared on Venezuelan territory long before Angel found it. But the name did not stick, and he backed down, saying that it was only a statement, the purpose of which was to protect the rights of the Indians to use the historical name.
How to get to the waterfall
Since Angel Falls is surrounded on all sides by many kilometers of jungle and there are no special roads to it, it is generally accepted that it is considered one of the most inaccessible waterfalls in the world. There is a positive aspect to this, since the nature around it has managed to preserve its pristine beauty: here you can often find anteaters, porcupines, sloths, deer, monkeys, and jaguars.
This made it possible to create National Park Canaimi, and then allowed UNESCO to include it, and with it the waterfall, on the World Heritage List.
You can get to the waterfall either by small plane or by canoe with a motor (it is not possible to travel by car). To do this, travelers first arrive in Canaimi, and only then choose the type of travel. Most tourists choose air transport, which is not the best solution, since it is not always possible to get a good look at the waterfall: the rock from which it falls is often shrouded in clouds, especially during the rainy season.
Therefore, travelers who want to get to know this as best as possible amazing phenomenon nature, it is advised to give preference to a boat.
The tour usually lasts from one to five days, the journey takes about five hours one way, and the time allocated to explore the waterfall depends entirely on the desire of tourists. Interestingly, if the trip falls during a dry period and the flow of falling water is small, then at the foot of the waterfall you can even swim in a small pond. Among tourists Latin America
Not far from the border separating Venezuela and Brazil, on the top of a mountain nicknamed “Devil’s” by the Indians, the Churun River flows its waters, fed by tropical showers and originating on one of the slopes of the Guiana Plateau. The uniqueness of this area lies in the accumulation of huge plateaus formed by solidified lava and sandstone. They are called tepuis. They differ from ordinary mountains in shape - their peaks are represented by almost ideal horizontal platforms.
On the largest of these plateaus in Venezuela, called Auyantepui, Angel Falls, recognized as the highest on the planet, originates. The Churun River, whose name is translated from the Pemon language as “thunder,” falls on the plateau, which is the top of Ayantepui (“Devil’s Mountain”), and reaches its cliff, falling down. Before hitting the ground, the stream, spraying into billions of tiny particles of moisture in the air, flies 979 meters, forming a lake at the foot of the mountain.
The mountain on which the waterfall is located was nicknamed the Devil's Mountain by local Indian tribes for a reason, since it is practically all year round shrouded in thick fog. Therefore, it is not surprising that the aborigines firmly believed that tepuis were inhabited by spirits who traded in stealing human souls. They considered this place disastrous and tried in every possible way to stay away from it.
Height
The status of the tallest Angel Falls on the planet is deservedly assigned. Overall height This natural phenomenon, according to official data, is 979 meters, of which 807 are in free continuous fall. The fact is that, reaching the edge of the flat top of the mountain, the streams of the Churun River fall down and fly 807 meters before reaching the wide ledge of the tepui, passing it, they safely overcome another 172 meters.
In some sources you can find information according to which the height of the waterfall is 1054 m. The difference of 75 meters is due to one little known fact. The fact is that over many years, river flows have partially destroyed the upper edge of the cliff, forming a kind of recess, as a result of which it begins its free fall not from the very edge of the plateau ledge, but about 75 meters below its level.
Flow power
It’s hard to imagine, but the power of Angel, located on the territory National Park Canaima, in the east of Venezuela, allows you to process about 300 m 3 of raging water every second. It is worth noting that the waterfall can boast of such “throughput capacity” exclusively in the period from May to November, when South America the wet season is coming. It is during the rainy season that the width of the Angel water stream often exceeds 100 m. In the dry season, the waterfall changes radically, decreasing at best to two small streams. During particularly dry periods, it completely turns into a narrow trickle.
Where is the waterfall?
Angel Falls is unusual not only for its parameters, but also for its location. The fact is that it is surrounded by terrain consisting exclusively of flat mountains and impenetrable tropical forest. The riot of pristine nature is, of course, good, but not for tourists who want to see with their own eyes the most high waterfall on the planet.
Since it is surrounded by wild and sparsely populated areas, it is absolutely not surprising that the world society learned about this natural phenomenon relatively recently - in the mid-30s of the twentieth century. The credit for the discovery of the highest waterfall is attributed to the American pilot James Angel, after whom, in fact, it was named, albeit in the Spanish manner.
Since Angel is located literally in the middle of the jungle, where there are no roads or hiking trails, it is considered one of the most inaccessible waterfalls on the planet. Being surrounded on all sides for tens of kilometers by deaf tropical forest, it is less likely than others to become the object of study by tourists and travelers. This is a plus, since the nature around him has managed to preserve its virgin beauty. The surroundings of the waterfall are inhabited by many rare animals protected by the Canaima National Park, which was included by UNESCO along with the waterfall in 1994 on the World Heritage List.
How to get to Angel?
Just because Angel Falls is located in the jungle doesn't mean it's impossible to get to. You can do this in two ways:
- by air on a small plane;
- along the river in a canoe.
The largest one closest to the waterfall locality− the city of Ciudat Bolivar is located more than 600 km from it, but the village of Canaima, adjacent to the national park of the same name, is only 50 km away from Angel. You can get to it by plane from Caracas, although there are also tourists who travel to Canaima by canoe from the Orinoco Delta region.
From Canaima Airport, which has several runways, tourists are transported to Angel by air on light aircraft. There is only one alternative to this option - along the river in a motor canoe.
Best time for river excursions and flights to Angel Falls
When giving preference to a sightseeing aerial flight over the waterfall, it is worth considering weather and seasonality. The fact is that with high clouds it is quite problematic to see Angel Falls from a bird's eye view. So, it is best to plan an air excursion to the highest waterfall on Earth during the dry season, although in the period from December to March the flow falling from the cliff is quite scarce.
During the rainy season, traveling by air to the main natural attraction of Venezuela cannot be called a good idea, since it is unlikely that you will be able to enjoy the grandeur and enormity of the river flow falling from the cliff due to the thick fog that shrouds Ayantepui during the wet season.
As for river excursions, the optimal time for them is June-December. There is a lot of water at this time due to the rainy season, so a powerful foaming stream falls from the flat top of the mountain, drowning in a cloud of spray.
Since Angel is located in a specific area, the weather in the Ayantepui area is very unpredictable. Due to the thick fog, tourists are not always able to enjoy the spectacular spectacle of cascading foaming streams of water. Limited visibility can persist for weeks, and sometimes dissipates in a matter of hours. Getting to the waterfall on foot is almost impossible, but tourists going to Angel by canoe still manage to enjoy the beauty of this place up close, since at the end of the rafting there is a walking route at a distance of 3 km.
Entertainment
Attracts Angel and desperate lovers thrills. Extreme tourists visiting Venezuela rarely miss the opportunity to jump from the edge of the Ayantepui plateau on a hang glider or conquer a steep cliff with climbing equipment. Periodically, expeditions are organized in this area, the participants of which hope to make new discoveries, because some corners of the reserve, which is home to the highest waterfall on the planet, have not been explored to this day.
But it is the highest in the world - Angel’s water flow has to fly almost a kilometer to reach the ground! Angel Falls is 20 times higher than Niagara Falls!
Angel Falls(Angel Falls) or Salto Angel (Salto Angel) is the highest free-falling waterfall in the world with a height of 978 meters. The waterfall is located in the tropical forests of Venezuela, in the Canaima National Park. Water cascades from the top of Auyantepui, the largest of the Venezuelan tepuis - its name means “mountain of the devil” in Russian.
The height of the fall is so great that before reaching the ground, the water is sprayed into tiny particles and turns into fog. The fog can be felt even several kilometers from the waterfall!
The falling water flows into the Kerep River. Getting to the waterfall is not easy as it is located in a dense tropical forest. And there are no roads leading to it. You can only get there by air or river. Tours to the waterfall are sold in packages and include a flight from Caracas or Ciudad Bolivar to Canaima, a subsequent boat trip, food and other things needed to visit the waterfall.
Angel Falls cascades from the top of a flat mountain called tepui by the natives. The flat mountain called Auyan Tepuy (Devil's Mountain) is one of more than a hundred similar ones scattered across the Guiana Highlands in southeastern Venezuela. These slumbering giants are characterized by their massive heights that soar into the sky, with flat tops and completely vertical sides. Tepuis, also called "table mountains" (which accurately describes their shape), were 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 natives of Venezuela knew about Salto Angel from time immemorial. The falls were originally discovered in 1910 by a Spanish explorer named Ernesto Sanchez La Cruz. However, it was not known to the world until its official discovery by American aviator and gold prospector James Crawford Angel, after whom it was named. Angel was born in Springfield, Missouri in 1899.
James Angel flew over the area in 1935 and landed on the top of a lonely mountain in search of gold. His Flamingo monoplane was stuck in the swampy jungle at the top, and he noticed a rather impressive waterfall extending down thousands of feet. He had little luck on the 11-mile excursion back to civilization, and his plane remained 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 until it was recovered by helicopter. It is currently housed in the Aviation Museum in Maracay.
The official height of the waterfall was determined by an expedition of the National Geographic Society in 1949. The waterfall is the main attraction of Venezuela.
On December 20, 2009, on his weekly show, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, in the wake of anti-imperialism, renamed Angel Falls in Kerepakupai-meru, according to one of its local names. Initially, the name Churun-meru was proposed, but the President's daughter noticed that one of the smallest waterfalls in this area had this name, after which Chavez suggested a different name. The President explained this decision by the fact that the waterfall was the property of Venezuela and part of its national wealth long before James Angel appeared, and the waterfall should not bear his name. However, this does not mean that it will also be renamed on world maps)
