Gran Sabana | Morten Ross

Tag Archives: Gran Sabana

Sipanea sp

Found alongside the trail to Roraima. Help me identify it, leave a comment!

A common shrub on the savanna. I saw several on the way to Roraima tepui, and on the way to Angel falls, where this photo was taken. This is the only portion of the boat journey to Angel falls where we had to leave the canoes behind, as the long section of rapids in the […]

Comolia ovalifolia

The boat journey to Angel Falls was interrupted only once by a long section of rapids where we had to disembark and walk for about 20 minutes on the open savanna. This flowering shrub was located along this path. Native range is Brazil.

Rhynchanthera grandiflora

Chamaecrista desvauxii

The boat journey to Angel Falls was interrupted only once by a long section of rapids. Here we had to disembark and walk for about 20 minutes on the open savanna. This flowering shrub was located along this path. Native range is Mexico to tropical South America.

Merremia sp

On the boat journey to Angel Falls, there was only one section where we had to disembark and walk for about 20 minutes on the open savanna. This flower was located along this path. Please help me identify it – leave a comment!

Leaving Angel Falls IV

Now the landscape widens, and so does the river, which is now the Carrao river. The table mountains are now fewer and far between, compared to an hour ago upstream. Very soon this fantastic trip will be over!

Leaving Angel Falls III

One might say that all the clouds is unfortunate, but if the air was dry and all the table mountains fully visible, I wouldn’t have seen the dramatic changes – minute by minute. Here only a few portions of the tepui visible, and it hints something incredible lurking beyond the veil of moisture. A clear […]

Leaving Angel Falls II

Early morning (07:37) in a landscape seemingly inpenetrable and with no visible trace of human activity! The experience was magnified by the fact that I was sitting in the only boat, and 10s of kilometres away from any dirt road and no mobile network! Only later in the day would boats normally be coming up […]

Leaving Angel Falls I

The trip downstream is much faster as you ride the flow, and this cuts travel time in half – just 2 hours opposed to 4 going up! The high speed of the boat leaves little time to catch the pristine beauty in the morning light, so I memorized the interesting locations I missed on my […]

Angel Falls flower 002 (Retiniphyllum)

These flowers grow on a tree on the the last remaning soil before two rivers meet – the Kerep river (fed from Angel Falls) and Chrurun river (a tributary of the Carrao River). Please help me identify it – leave a comment!

Angel Falls mushroom

One of several species of fungus growing in the moist and dark forest surrounding the Auyantepui – the source of Angel Falls. These are growing on and outcrop by the path up to the lookoutpoint to the falls.

Centrosolenia porphyrotricha

This plant grows in the moist and dark forest floor below the Angel Falls. Native range is Venzuela and Guyana.

Cheiradenia cuspidata

The forest below Angel Falls is dense, moist and dark and this was the only orchid of this species I found in bloom. It’s epiphytic. Native range is Trinidad to northern South America.

Angel Falls

A sandstone outcrop is located a 40-50 minute walk from the boats, and provides awesome views of the falls. Under normal circumstances I would have shared this lookout point with people from all over the world. Today I could sit by myself. Fantastic! Much of the water “evaporates” on the way down as it’s carried […]

A glimpse of Angel Falls

When the clouds are low in the sky it’s hard to locate the falls, unless you know where to look. Even if you know where to look, it can be hard to see the falls from the jungle. From the right position alongside the the Kerep river (fed by Angel Falls), the river will provide […]

Boat trip to Angel Falls III – the confluence

On the right, the river Kerep flows into Churun river. This smaller river is the water that just a few minutes ago fell off the Auyantepui as Angel Falls – a near 1000 metres waterfall and the highest of any in the world! This was the camp site, and it was completely deserted. As this […]

Boat trip to Angel Falls II

As we moved further up the Churun river, the river changed into a winding snake of rapids and turns. Some sections the river was calm, deep and narrow and the forest canopy almost covered the river. We only met one other canoe on our way upriver, and I wondered how many accidents occur, as it […]

Boat trip to Angel Falls I

The journey to Angel Falls begins only metres from where the Carrao River plunges into the huge Hacha Falls, and takes about 4 hours to reach the base of the Ayantepui from which Angel Falls originates. The transportation is a mix of old and new – with Yamaha outboards attached to a dug-out tree trunk! […]

Carrao river – Golondrina fall

One of the four spectacular water falls of the Carrao river by the Pemon village of Canaima. The deep rumbling sound of the water is heard from far away and the mist is carried high and far. If you are walking on the plain in the vincinity, you will not necessarily see the water falls […]

Carrao river – Hatcha fall

The Carrao river is the only (easy) means of transportation to the Angel falls other than by air. These falls are located by the Pemon village of Canaima. It’s an awesome sight to begin the journey, at least when there is plenty of water, as was the case here. It should have been much less […]

Carrao river – Canaima lagoon

Over time the huge waterfalls have created this lagoon. In the wet season it’s a big lake and in the dry season just a pool with big sandy beaches which are starting to emerge as seen in this photo.

Roraima montane forest

Close to the walls of Roraima the montane forest is dense, moist and very steep. Roraima is causing constant cloud formation and moisture is brushing against everything that lives here. On days with no rain, the fog can create fantastic dew formations of insects, plants and rock. Up here the water is no longer tropically […]

Double rainbow and Roraima

This is the path to and from from Roraima, and this was photographed on my way from Roraima. Once out of the forest surrounding the walls of the mountain it was very hot. I had a hard time managing my body temperature, and was longing for a rainshower that never seemed to come. The shower […]

Passiflora angusta

Not only was this plant in bloom, but it was also growing fruit. What color is it when ripe? Native range is the Guyana Shield.

Passiflora angusta

I was surprised to see a Passion flower on the savanna, as out in the open there is nothing to climb on for one. I only found this one – about a kilometre downhill from the base camp to Roraima tepui in a dry and rocky location Native range is the Guyana Shield..

Roraima thunderstorms

The view from the camp site, or “hotel”, atop Roraima was awesome. I was well protected from the elements in the cave, and could watch nature in all it’s ways and never get wet or cold. The “entertainment” was spectacular this evening. Several cumulunimbus clouds produced lightning for what seemed forever. The altitude made the […]

Crepuscular ray between Kukenan and Roraima

About one our before sunset. Most prefer to be in constant movement to forget about the unanswered questions of existence and keep the mind fully occupied. Instead they could simply sit still and watch nature’s countless variations and manifestations. For just one moment the light of the sun was let through as if a giant’s […]

Roraima rainbow

There are countless waterfalls on and off Roraima, large and small. If the sun is out and the angle is right, a rainbow will flash as in this photo. One can walk to such a place, or sit by one and wait until the sun and angle makes it happen all on it’s own.

Roraima crevice

This crevice is huge in depth and length, and in one location a rumbling sound – like a remote jet plane – is heard. It’s the sound of a large waterfall far below – covered by layers of rock. Some time in the future this crevice may have grown to a divide that separate parts […]

Roraima sunrise

The table mountains, or tepuis, of the Guiana Shield, and in this case Roraima, are awesome to see from afar and up close, but to sit atop the highest of them all and see this, you have to stop and simply be silent to experience it. This is but one of countless vistas atop Roraima, […]

Daybreak atop Roraima

What a stunning place to wake up! Just outside my tent this is what I saw – the great wall of the neighbouring Kukenan tepui. Every minute the light, shadows and clouds changed – no human sounds – not even the sound of a plane. Silence…. Watching the sun rising and the shadows shrinking. This […]

Roraima in the clouds

It takes several days to walk to Roraima in the scorching sun on the highland named Gran Sabana. The last day a steep and hard climb to the top of the mountain, through numerous waterfalls and showers finally is rewarded with a landscape like no other. The mountain is often completely covered in fog, or […]

Kukenan in the clouds

Finally arrived at the “hotel”, after a very wet hike up. Now the high clouds are dissolving, and the lower clouds manifest in the heat of the emerging sun. Both Roraima and Kukenan are cloudmakers, and if they are in the clear – just sit and wait, and the updrafts will soon manifest misty rivers […]

Almost on top of Roraima

This was the third day of the Roraima trek. The morning started with a light shower. Unfortunately it lasted for many hours, and we just had to make our way to the top of Roraima. It was a weeeeet walk! Strangely enough I preferred the wet, as that made it easier to climb and not […]

Roraima fireflies

Base camp turned out be quite a spectacle after dark, as the fireflies here were abundant and glowed – yellow! On the savanna the light was blue, and the fireflies mostly on the ground or in between the grass. Here they were quite busy on the ground, as well as in the air. Some only […]

Roraima the rainmaker

This from the deep of the montane forest surrounding the sheer cliffs of Roraima. Without the mountain there would be no forest or streams! It might feel a bit inconvenient for a human to walk in this dripping, moist forest which is showered frequently year round, but it is abundantly clear from afar that the […]

Ctenucha

I only saw this amazingly colored insect only once on my trek to an from Roraima, and this was close to the base camp on the way up. I was unable to get very close before it took off, so quality is not optimal.

Stegolepis guianensis

Found on Roraima tepui where it is considerably smaller than this large specimen growing in the soil below. Native range is Roraima tepui and surrounding land.

The towering wall of Roraima

Closing in on base camp, Roraima seemed lik an insurmountable wall going on forever as it disappeared into the clouds. How to climb this monster?

Vanessa myrinna

This was the third and most common of three species of butterflies that were seen around the path to and from Roraima. It was seen on the path or on rocks close by the path. If disturbed it was quick to move back and reclaim its territory.

Poecilandra retusa

This small tree grows alongside the path to Roraima and is common all over the Gran Sabana. Native range is Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil.

Polygalaceae

Grows alongside the path to Roraima. It’s a small plant not easily seen in between the grass. Please help me identify it – leave a comment!

Helia alata

Grows alongside the path to Roraima. Native range is from Nicaragua to Ecuador to northern South America.

Marcetia taxifolia

Grows alongside the path to Roraima tepui and looks like it belongs to the heather family. Native range is Colombia to Guyana and Brazil.

Bladderwort (Utricularia humboldtii)

A beautiful flower from a rather deadly plant! The bladders are in fact traps to catch various organisms, and when the prey touches the trigger hairs, it is sucked into the bladder. This is how the plant get its nutrients! Here a spider lies in wait for visiting insects. It grows on the wet areas […]

Lindmania guianensis

Grows along the path to Roraima tepui. Native range is Venezuela and Guyana.

Epidendrum sp

Grows alongside the trail to Roraima tepui. Help me identify it – leave a comment!

A closer look at Kukenan

On the way to base camp, the walls of Roraima and Kukenan slowly came closer, and the sheer scale of them became more apparent. During the day they were both covered in clouds, but that made it even more exiting, as it was never certain what would be revealed next. This was shot at 13:11, […]

Palicourea phaneroloma

It’s a small bush that produces these incredibly colored fruits that grows alongside the path to Roraima. Native range is the Guyana Shield.

Melastomataceae

Grows alongside the path to Roraima. Possibly Tribe Marcetieae. Please help me identify it – leave a comment!

Mandevilla sp ?

Common and widespread along the path to Roraima. Please help me identify it – leave a comment!

Asteraceae

Grows alongside the trail to Roraima. Please help me identify it – leave a comment!

Xyris sp

Common and widespread along the trail to Roraima. Please help me identify it – leave a comment!

Asemeia sp

Grows alongside the trail to Roraima. Small flowers and not easy to see among the savanna grass. Please help me identify it – leave a comment!

Hesperiidae

This was the second of three species of butterflies that were seen around the path to and from Roraima. It had the strange abillity to curl the wings downwards and round when the sun came out. Other butterflies simply open or close their (straight) wings. This butterfly preferred to be amongst the grass. Help me […]

Myrcia sp

A common shrub seen alongside the path to Roraima. Help me identify it – leave a comment!

West Indian Buckeye (Junonia evarete)

On the open grassland that is the savanna (Sabana), there are few birds and a lot of insects – ants and termites in particular. Only a select few butterflies are territorial and also not easily disturbed by either flashlight or careful human movements. This was one of three species that were seen around the path […]

Hexasepalum apiculatum

Native range is Mexico to tropical South America.

Declieuxia fruticosa

Native range is Cuba, Mexico to South America.

Gran Sabana flower 022 (Proteaceae)

Please help me identify it – leave a comment!

Gran Sabana flower 021

Please help me identify it – leave a comment!

Mahurea exstipulata subsp. extipulata

After crossing Kukenan river on the way to Roraima, I noticed a bush growing among the boulders by the river. Only a few flowes had opened, and they were poorly placed (high) for a photographer. I never cut or remove anything I photograph, as I want to photograph nature as it is. I had to […]

Curtia tenuifolia

A very small flower and the plant itself is barly visible in between the grasses alongside the trail to Roraima. Native range is Mexico to tropical South America.

Kukenan tepui free from morning clouds

Just 6 minutes ago Kukenan was covered in clouds, and the light was soft and warm. Now the strong sunlight is coming through and and the harder light of day rules.

Kukenan tepui in morning clouds

The light and clouds change continously, and I could take photos all day long. Here the tepui is almost covered in clouds, while the base is beautifully lit up by the rising sun. Although it’s 07:37 – more than an hour since sunrise, the light is still softened and dispersed by the mist and clouds.

Roraima in the morning

The sun is rising to the right of the photo and Roraima is standing tall and dark against the brightening of the sky and clouds. To the left an early rain shower is moving into the picture.

Dawn on the sabana – Tok river camp

Facing away from the awesome Kukenan an Roraima tepuis, the morning light is no less soft and warm, but the landscape is dramatically different and what dominates the plateau – grass and bush. Hardly any trees – the few that exist grow around rivers and streams. This is due to natural fires caused by lightning, […]

Dawn on the Kukenan tepui

This is the second day on the Roraima trek. It’s just 06:09 in the morning and the light is wonderfully soft, as the very first sunrays fall on the grassland on the base of the Kukenan tepui – Roraimas awesome neighbouring tepui. The waterfall is just a trickle compared to last evening when we had […]

Roraima trek – Tok river camp

This is the first night on the trek up and down Roraima, and here the trekkers are settling down after dinner. Behind you can see the silhouette of Kukenan to the left of Roraima. The Kukenan and Roraima tepuis create their own weather, and thus there is no way to know the water level of […]

Iridescent clouds

This was the end of the first day of a week long trek to the top of Roraima, the highest (2723 m) table mountain (Tepui) in Venezuela, and what a start! The dry season should have started long ago, instead countless thunderstorms supplied plenty of rain showers and this particular cloud pushed a layer of […]

Kukenan and Roraima after sunset

Darkness is fast approaching and Kukenan (below) and Roraima is almost in the clear – seen from the Tok river camp. The visibility changes continously, and just seconds later both could be covered in clouds, just to reappear seconds later, or gone for a day….

Automeris sp

While the other trekkers were happy to see the Tok river camp, I found this incredible caterpillar and simply had to stop and enjoy this remarkable creature. What does it look like as a butterfly? Many butterflies that are colorful as caterpillars are dull and inconspicuous as adults, but life is full of exceptions. If […]

Sisyrinchium vaginatum

This is a very small lilly and I saw it only a few times on the plains leading to Roraima. This one I found not far from the Tok river camp. Native range is Mexico and South America.

Octauius Swordtail (Chorinea octauius)

In one of the few areas the Pyro indians (Pemon) had not eradicated the forest by fire, I saw this incredible butterfly by the side of the road. I got one shot before it took off. The forested areas, and those around the streams in particular, have a rich diversity of butterflies. Unfortunately I did […]

Gran Sabana tepui

The previous night was extraordinarily wet – it was almost impossible to look through the windshield. Driving was very slow, and fallen trees in the road didn’t make the journey any better. Richardo the driver did not seem worried, and pushed on Venezuela higway 10 towards the Kamoiran lodge on the plateau that is the […]

Eriocaulon sp

These flowers seems to hover in the air from afar. Only a closer look reveals the thinnest of stems holding these soft and furry “buttons”. This specimen grew by a brook. If you know the species, please leave a comment!

Reed-stemmed Orchid (Epidendrum ibaguense)

Native range is Trinidad to Bolivia.

Gran Sabana flower 008

A shrub I found close to the Kaimoran Lodge. Please help me identify it – leave a comment!

Microlicia benthamiana

Native range is the Guyana Shield.

Pterolepis sp

I found this growing in a small brook close by Kamoiran lodge. Please help me identify it – leave a comment!

Kielmeyera sp

This bush was growing in the proximity of the Kaimoran lodge. Please help me identify it – leave a comment!

Bladderwort (Utricularia sp)

This tiny flower was growing close to the river (it’s under water in the rainy season) behind Kamoiran lodge.

Clusia sp

It’s just 06:06 in the morning! After a very wet yesterday I was happy to see blue sky and a rising sun. A Clusia tree right outside my room was in bloom and was still full of water droplets from last night’s rain. The flower has thick leathery petals that are white on the outside. […]

Mandevilla benthamii

This shrub was rooted in a crack in the sandstone in the middle of a brook. Native range is Venezuela (Bolívar) to Guyana and Brazil (Roraima).

Gran Sabana butterfly 027

My first night on the Sabana at Kamoiran lodge was a fantastic surprise in butterfly diversity. The walls were crowded with various nocturnal insects drawn in by the artificial light. Some with shapes and colors that truly amazed me. I have not yet been able to classify them, so just numeric by observation for now. […]

Cuphea sp

I found this specimen growing in the cracks of the sandstone by the river next to Kamoiran Lodge.

Gran Sabana butterfly 026

My first night on the Sabana at Kamoiran lodge was a fantastic surprise in butterfly diversity. The walls were crowded with various nocturnal Lepidopteras and insects drawn in by the artificial light. Some with shapes and colors that truly amazed me. I have not yet been able to classify them, so just numeric by observation […]