The Lost World

There exists a place so remote, so untouched, so amazingly unique that extremely few people have seen it. In fact, most people are completely ignorant of it. And this place happens to offer some of the toughest, most extreme rock climbing on the planet. To add to the excitement, it is home to thousands of species of animals unknown to scientists, possibly never before seen by humans. As a biologist by trade and rock climber at heart, this place is indescribably appealing.

The lost world. The living Eden. The house of the gods. There are many names to describe the cluster of roughly 100 flat-topped mountains called Tepuis. The range lies at the juncture of 3 countries in the heart of the Amazon of South America; Brazil, Venezuela, and Guayana. Vertical walls extend thousands of feet into the sky until they reach perfectly flat summits covered with strange rock formations. A vertical ascent can take from days to months of nonstop climbing; when you reach the top the bouldering opportunities are limitless. The mountain summits have been isolated from the rest of the Earth for so long, the creatures who call them home have diverged evolutionarily, resulting in species that are unique to individual tepuis. In simpler terms, there are animals and plants living on these mountains that occur no where else on the planet except that one mountain. The idea is mind blowing. If I could get my hands on just one frog..

One day I hope to take a trip to the Amazon and climb myself a Tepui. It is a dream trip. A life trip. A once-in-a-lifetime, IF-you're-lucky, opportunity. I was originally inspired by a guest lecturer in one of my biology classes, and later read this article that really latched me on to the idea. The trip would include a major hike through the rainforest, days of rain, mud, bugs, intense climbing, biological explorations, and tons of other unknown adventures. It would be a life-changing experience. I have no idea when it may be possible, but I know that I'll be dreaming about it until it is. I'll need a group of adventurers to go with, so let me know if you think you've got what it takes. :)