Kerepakupai Merú | World Waterfall Database Also Known as: Parakupa Vena, Salto Angel, Angel Falls Kerepakupai Merú is the Official name of this waterfall Kerepakupai Merú, or Parekupa-vena are the proper names given to Angel Falls by the indigenous Pemon Indians. The name Angel Falls, as the world knows it, was bestowed upon the falls after James Angel, a bush pilot who crash-landed his plane on the mountain above the falls in November of 1933 while conducting aerial prospecting surveys in the area. The falls were, however, first seen by a non-native in 1912 when Venezuelan explorer Ernesto Sanchez la Cruz stumbled upon the fall. His name is not often attached with the waterfalls because he did not seek to publicize his find. This waterfall has also been frequently cited with the incorrect title of Churún Merú. This was at one point thought to be the Pemon name for Angel Falls, when in reality it applies to an entirely different waterfall about 6 kilometers further to the south.

Our thoughts While Kerepakupai Merú is most certainly one of the greatest waterfalls on the planet, we grow more and more skeptical that it is either the tallest on earth or as tall as is claimed. The survey team which measured the waterfall in 1949 took their measurements from the shores of the Rio Churún, almost a mile away from the base of the waterfall. The elevation difference from the top of the Tepui to the Rio Churún is, conveniently, just over 3,300 feet and there is more than 500 feet of loss in elevation from the base of the waterfall to the point where the Rio Gauja flows into the Rio Churún. Secondly, we are of the opinion that Kerepakupai Merú should only be considered the 2,648 foot plunge, as the river below the falls - aside from a 100 foot fall 1/4 mile downstream from the base of the main drop - is more or less flat.

This would make South Africa's Tugela Falls the tallest on earth, but this would in no way take anything away from how much of a monster this waterfall is - without question one of the top 5 on the planet. Angel Falls | Wondermondo Angel Falls Salto Angel Alternate names: Kerepakupai Vená (in Pemon - "waterfall of the deepest place"), Parakupá Vená (in Pemon - "the fall from the highest point"), Churún-Merú (erroneous) UNESCO World Heritage status: "Canaima National Park", 1994, No.701 Height: Angel Falls belong to most impressive natural landmarks in the world. This is the tallest waterfall in the world, with the measured height of 979 m and tallest single uninterrupted drop - 807 m high. Map of Auyantepui, Angel Falls in the central - northern part of map / Gatis Pāvils, basing on several maps, CC-BY-SA-3.0 Tepuis The landscape of south-eastern Venezuela and its neighbouring countries provides some of the most spectacular sights in the world.

Above the dense rainforest here rise more than 100 tablelands which in most cases are isolated from the "land below" with tall cliffs. These cliff walls are hundreds of metres tall, often - significantly taller than one kilometre. These tablelands - tepuis - are formed from Pre-Cambrian sandstone and quartzite and the life on the top of tepuis has been isolated for millions of years. Hundreds of spectacular waterfalls, caves, sinkholes, amazing cliff formations and unique ecosystems are found on tepuis, as well as gold, diamonds and other gemstones. Many unusual stories are told about tepuis - indigenous people are certain that evil spirits live there, but people of European descent often tell about paranormal experiences. Auyán-tepui The largest of tepuis is Auyán-tepui (see the map) with the surface area of 667 km². Indigenous Pemon people considered this to be an evil place (they are in similar opinion about most tepuis) and named it - "Devil mountain" (Auyán-tepui).

One of local legends tells that in Auyán-tepui (more exactly - in the Aonda canyon) lives the terrible Canaima - a kind of Death, which always is chasing people and sooner or later finds and kills each of them. The enormous Auyán-tepui is well isolated with tall walls. Numerous endemic species of plants and animals have evolved in this chilly, windy and foggy "world". All tepuis receive much rain - and this helps to create powerful streams and spectacular waterfalls in spite of the small area of these tablelands. Description of falls / DaVinzi , Flickr / CC BY 2.0 Gauja Angel Falls have formed in the inner part of Auyán-tepui, on Gauja stream - left tributary of Churún. Waterfall is not only the world's tallest - it is also very spectacular, located in a gorgeous, pristine natural setting in the canyon of Churún (Cañón del Diablo). Gauja starts in the swamps of central - western part of Auyán-tepui and flows for several kilometres before approaching the rim of plateau.

Several hundreds of metres before the rim it disappears among the stones in a deep ravine, which is 40 m deep at the rim. This cleft was created over millions of years and we are lucky that quartzite is that sturdy - otherwise ravine would be much deeper and falls - much lower. Falls River is not wide at the rim - just a few metres. As the water falls down, the stream spreads and gradually turns into mist. As a result at the base of falls has not formed basin. Nevertheless after rain the stream becomes more powerful and falls hit the base. Several more smaller waterfalls then appear in both sides of the main waterfall. Further down, some hundreds of meters below the main falls is smaller, 30 m tall cascade. Of course, its beauty is overshadowed by the main fall. Height The height of falls was measured once - in 1949. Then the number of 979 m was obtained and is used up to this day. It is possible that this is the height difference between the Churún river and upper rim of falls - thus it may include part of the slope below the falls, which is not a part of falls.

The main drop is 807 m tall - the tallest single drop in the world. Discovery / Rafael Estrella , Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0 Before Jimmie Angel It is not known with certainty whether Pemon people knew about the existence of falls before the coming of white people. According to current propaganda they named the falls long ago - Kerepakupai ("waterfall of the deepest place") - but there are doubts about this, this name has been used for other falls elsewhere. According to some reports indigenous people call the falls Parakupá Vená ("the fall from the highest point") - but it is not known whether this name was used in older times. Pemon people really feared from these places. First rich gold finds were made near Auyán-tepui in the middle of the 19th century and legends about fabulous finds of gold are heard here up to this day. First diamonds were found in 1913 in Caroni, near Auyantepui. Thus, when airplanes became available, numerous adventurers and treasure seekers started to explore this rugged, unusual and beautiful country. It is well possible that some white adventurers saw the falls in the early 20th century.

Ernesto Sánchez la Cruz in 1949 announced that he discovered falls in 1910 - but, according to his diaries he was in Sierra Pacaraima then and, possibly, saw Montoya Falls (more than 500 m tall). Some more treasure seekers most likely passed by without too much interest in world's tallest waterfall. Jimmie Angel Adventurer and daredevil, master pilot Jimmie Angel (1899 - 1956) first flew in these places in 1923. Before this he met in Panama with an old geologist J.R. McCracken who asked for a favour to bring him to a secret place. Angel did this - they both flew through clouds and fog and happily landed on the top of tepui (most likely Auyán-tepui). Adventurer knew the site - it was rich gold find. In three days they collected some 25 - 35 kg of gold (they could not take more) and departed - they pushed the plane over the rim of tepui and only then it caught the speed and started to fly.

McCracken soon died - and Jimmie Angel could not remember how to reach the gold find. He started to fly to Auyán-tepui in the search of his landing place. Angel Falls after heavy rain / Dave Massie, Flickr / CC BY 2.0 In these times - in the 1920s - 1930s - Auyán-tepui was not on the maps and in Caracas many did not believe that such mountain exists. Thus Jimmie Angel became a discoverer of new lands. On March 25, 1934 Jimmie Angel with three companions noticed the incredibly tall waterfall. As he returned, he told about this discovery to everyone and the news were published. Soon he took first images of falls and his discovery became a sensation. Angel was confident that waterfall is one mile (more than 1.5 km) high. Further fame to falls came with unpleasant accident. Angel decided that gold is found on the plateau near Angel Falls and organized an expedition with Miguel Delgado and Gustavo Heny to the top of mountain.

As they rolled out the plane, wife of Angel stopped the plane and demanded to take her, because she would not want to live like a widow. Thus all four landed on the top of Auyán-tepui in 9 October 1937. Unfortunately the plane was struck in swamp and had to be abandoned. They left a message "All OK" on one wing of the plane and an arrow in the direction where they left. It took 14 days (not 11 as frequently mentioned) for them to find a way down the plateau and to reach the civilization. Plane remained on the top of plateay for several decades until it was removed (against the death wish of Jimmie Angel) and now is at the airport of Ciudad Bolivar. Waterfall was first published on a Venezuelan government map in December 1939 and named - "Salto Angel" - Angel's Falls. Aleksandrs Laime First man to reach the base of falls was Latvian Aleksandrs Laime (1911 - 1994).

Laime arrived here in 1941 and became obsessed with the exploration of Auyán-tepui - searching for gold and diamonds but may be - adventures. He befriended local people and learned Auyán-tepui better than anyone else. Laime reached the base of falls alone, in 1946. Later he told that this was an amazing feeling to stand below the falls, to feel the stings of water drops and to think that he is the first one standing below the world's tallest waterfall. Laime was also the first to ascend Auyán-tepui and reach the upper side of falls in the late 1950s. He started to live next to the falls until his death in 1994. View from the Auyán-tepui with Angel Falls in the forefront / Rafael Estrella , Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0 Names of rivers On November 18, 1955, independence day of Latvia, Aleksandrs Laime declared in Venezuelan newspaper "El Nacional" that he wants to name the waterfall stream after Latvian river - Gauja. Soon after he registered the name in National Cartographic institution.

Later some more newly discovered streams on Auyán-tepui officially got Latvian names - Ogre, Venta and Daugava. In last decades there have been attempts to rename the streams, especially Gauja. It got name Kerepacupai or Kerep - after the Pemon name of waterfall which most likely also is recent invention. Ruth Robertson American journalist and adventurer Ruth Robertson (who by that time mostly wrote for Venezuelan journals) saw the falls from Jimmie Angel's airplane. She decided to reach the base of falls and to measure their height. She financed the expedition by the sales of her waterfall's photographs and booklets. Robertson asked for the assistance of American National Geographic Society, but was refused - after all several earlier expeditions (led by man!) failed to do this. Finally she agreed that "The National Geographic Magazine" would publish her material and pay her... after the expedition. Ruth Robertson managed to hire Aleksandrs Laime with a team of Pemon indians (who painted themselves red to fend off evil spirits) and they reached the falls on May 13, 1949. They measured the height of falls and...

to the disappointment of Jimmie Angel, this was not a mile high waterfall. Nevertheless it was proved that Angel Falls are tallest in the world. Correction of some popular errors: The first officially approved name of waterfall is Angel Falls, named after Jimmie Angel. Kerepakupai Vená most likely is recent invention, but there is a chance that Pemon people named the falls - Parakupá Vená. The merits of Jimmie Angel should not be diminished - most of other adventurers, including local Venezuelans, were interested only in wealth, but Jimmie Angel (who, of course, was also interested in wealth, but...) manifested to the world the beauty of Venezuelan tablelands, thus paving a road for later conservation efforts of this unique place. The officially approved name of the stream of Angel Falls is Gauja. Kerepacupai or Kerep most likely is recent invention. Ruth Robertson was not the first to reach the base of falls. This was done in 1946 by Aleksandrs Laime, later guide of Ruth. Expedition of Ruth Robertson was not organized or financed by the National Geographic Society. She financed and organized it herself after National Geographic Society refused any assistance.

Often it is claimed that tepuis of Venezuela inspired Arthur Conan Doyle to write his timeless novel "The Lost World". Wrong!!! Conan Doyle was inspired by the tales of his good friend Percy Harrison Fawcet who discovered the similarily amazing Huanchaca Plateau in Bolivia. Map Salto Angel Kerepakupai Ven Venezueladescargaryoutube com - YouTube Salto Angel Kerepakupai Ven Venezueladescargaryoutube com Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on May 2, 2016 Mi agradecimiento al autor... Excelente material Category Angel Falls Angel Falls: Angel Falls 3.7 out of 5 based on 1999 votes. User Rating: - The highest waterfall in the World .... - How to get there? - Book the tour? Angel Falls is located in the Guayana highlands, and it is just one of the five great adventure regions in Venezuela (I would say the Adventure of all times).

The water comes in a free fall of 979 meters from the Churum river hovering of the edge of the "Auyantepuy" Table mountain, this the largest Tepuy (table mountain) in Canaima Venezuela. This height makes it the highest waterfall in the world. Angel Falls is 15 times higher than Niagara Falls with its total of approximately 52 meters. This fall is named for Jimmy Angel, an adventurous pilot from Missouri, United States, who flew to the air circus Lindberg. James Crawford Angel (Jimmy Angel) is a modern legend. He saw the waterfall for the first time in 1933 with his partner while searching for the legendary McCracken River of Gold, or the Golden City. James returned again in 1937 with his wife and his friend Gustavo Henry Gardener where they had an emergency landing on top of the Auyantepuy. The aircraft was able to reach safely to the top of the Tepuy and stayed there for 33 years until it was taken down by a helicopter. Jimmy Angel and his three companions managed to descend from Tepuy and return to the civilization walking through the jungle for 11 days.

Angel's plane is currently in the Aviation Museum in Maracay, and nowadays on top of the Auyantepuy you will find a replica of Jimmys airplane. The fascinating world of Canaima National Park is a perfect combination of magic and reality, shaped by breathtaking mountains called Tepuys, countless rivers, lakes, waterfalls, forests and savannahs spread like a green sea, this environment calls for a visit at least once in life. In this gift of God to the nature you will find interesting plants and animals, sometimes endemic (unique in the world), also the Native Pemón, people with a culture, art, folklore and ancient cuisine. This mosaic nature is a living testimony to the geographic history of our planet. Canaima National Park is located in the south west of Venezuela, south of the Orinoco River in the municipality Gran Sabana of Bolivar State, was declared a national park on 12 June 1962 by the National Executive, in order to protect its attractions and conserve virgin for the rest of the world. The park has 3 million hectares, making it the second largest protected area Venezuuela and sixth in the world.

The real highest waterfall in the world is not permanent and is next to the Angel Falls it is called: La Catira.. The park is divided into two parts: West and East. The western part is simply called Canaima and it can be reached by flights from Caracas, Margarita, Puerto Ordaz, Ciudad Bolivar and Santa Elena. Enjoy this privileged place with the highest waterfall in the world, the amazing Angel Falls. See the spectacular scenery in the Laguna de Canaima, with beautiful waterfalls, inviting you to swim and provoking you with its beautiful white sandy beaches surrounding the lagoon. In the east there is the Gran Sabana (La ran Sabana), which can be reached by air or land. By air you fly to Puerto Ordaz and Santa Elena de Uairen, the last village in southern Venezuela, only 20 minutes from the border with Brazil and then start the tour. Let us take you where earth was born, the oldest corner of the planet and watch the wild, free and beautiful land that has two billion years (2 billion). The time and nature make this place feel like another world. This unique place gives you the opportunity to integrate with nature in a direct and real way.

Ecotourism is par excellence with a world to be discovered. Join Auyantepuy - Tepuyes - Angel Fals and Canaima and the tours we can offer you, where the famous Angel Falls is launched from the sky at 975 meters to the base. Here on this website (the first about Angel Falls) you will find the best tours and prices if you consider a visit to Angel Falls in Canaima, or elsewhere in Venezuela. You can choose one of our tour packages or we can arrange a special excursion for you with a circuit that includes all the favorite attractions. You can rely on us for special tours, day tours, accommodations or enjoy a true expedition by helicopter, by foot or canoe ... It is worth mentioning that only since 1990 the first travelers could visit Angel Falls staying in the Boulton Camp (today called Campamento Canaima), making Angel Falls a true virgin destination in the world. If you like to book a tour please let us know: Contact Us! or our online booking with Book now with price guarantee.. "Definitely the best part of my vacation in Venezuela. People Explore Partners were attentive and excellent guides. Our stay in the Camp Churum was something special ...

" Liberty USA .... Ray "Talking about something more fascinating is difficult, my three days in Canaima was one of my best experiences in my life ...". Karen Oesterby Denmark ........ A Beautiful Video Of the Tallest Water fall on Earth- Angel Falls - YouTube A Beautiful Video Of the Tallest Water fall on Earth- Angel Falls Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Nov 29, 2008 Angel Falls (indigenous name: Parakupa-vena or Kerepakupai merú) is the world's highest waterfall at 979 m (3,212 ft), with a clear drop of 807 m (2,647 ft).

It is located in the Canaima National Park, in the Gran Sabana region of Bolivar State, Venezuela at 5°58′03″N 62°32′08″W / 5.9675, -62.53556Coordinates: 5°58′03″N 62°32′08″W / 5.9675, -62.53556 . The height of the falls is so great that before getting anywhere near the ground, the water is vaporized by the strong winds and turned into mist. The base of the falls feeds into the Kerep river (alternately known as the Rio Gauya) which flows into the Churun River, a tributary of the Carrao River. In the indigenous Pemon language Angel Falls is called Kerepakupai merú meaning "waterfall of the deepest place". The falls are sometimes referred to as Churun-meru, an error, since that name corresponds to another waterfall in the Canaima National Park. Churun in the Pemon language means "thunder".

Sir Walter Raleigh described what was possibly a tepuy and he is sometimes said to have discovered Angel Falls, but these claims are considered "far-fetched" [1]. They were sighted in 1912 by the Venezuelan explorer Ernesto Sanchez La Cruz, but he did not publicize his discovery. They were not known to the outside world until the American aviator James "Jimmie" Crawford Angel (b. 1899 d. 1956 bp. Springfield, MO)[2] flew over them on 16 November 1933 on a flight while he was searching for a valuable ore bed. Returning on 9 October 1937, Angel tried to land his Flamingo monoplane "El Rio Caroni" atop Auyan-tepui but the plane was damaged when the wheels sunk into the marshy ground and he and his three companions, including his wife Marie, were forced to descend the tepui on foot. It took them 11 days to make their way back to civilization but news of their adventure spread and the waterfall was named "Angel Falls" in his honour.

Angel's planeAngel's plane remained on top of the tepuy for 33 years before being lifted out by helicopter. It was restored at the Aviation Museum in Maracay and now sits outdoors on the green in front of the airport at Ciudad Bolívar exposed to the elements. It is the original. The one visible on the top of the tepui is a replica. The first recorded human to reach the river that feeds the falls was the Latvian explorer Aleksandrs Laime, also known as Alejandro Laime to the native Pemon tribe. He made the ascent of Auyan-tepui in 1955. He also reached Angel's plane on the same trip, 18 years after the crash landing. He gave the name of the river after one of the most beautiful rivers in Latvia, the river Gauja. While the indigenous name of the falls is rarely used anymore, the Pemon given name of the river, Kerep, is still widely used. Laime also was the first to clear a trail that leads from the Churun river to the base of the falls. On the way, there is a viewpoint commonly used to capture the falls in photographs.

It is named "Mirador Laime" ("Laime's Viewpoint" in Spanish) in his honor. This trail is used now mostly for tourists, to lead them from the Isla Raton camp to the small clearing. The official height of the falls was determined by a National Geographic Society survey carried out by American journalist Ruth Robertson in 1949.[3] A book by Luke Dickinson, Angels Four, chronicles the first successful climb up the face of Auyantepui to the top of the falls. Angel Falls is one of Venezuela's top tourist attractions but even today a trip to the falls is not a simple affair. The falls are located in an isolated jungle region of Venezuela and a flight from Caracas or Ciudad Bolívar is required to reach Canaima camp, the starting point for river trips to the base of the falls. It is also possible to purchase a package that includes an aerial flyby of the falls. The falls cannot be seen on cloudy days, and there is no guarantee visitors will see them. River trips generally take place from June to December, when the rivers are deep enough for the wooden curiaras used by the Pemon Indian guides.

During the dry season (December to March) there is less water than is seen in some photos, but it is also more likely that the top will not be clouded. Category Watch Angel Falls Free Online Watch Angel Falls Free Online Release Date: See All Loading Video... Angel Falls (indigenous name: Parakupa-vena or Kerepakupai merú) is the world's highest waterfall at 979 m (3212 ft), with a clear drop of 807 m (2647 ft). It is located in the Canaima National Park, in the Gran Sabana region of Bolivar State, Venezuela at 5°58?03?N 62°32?08?W? / ?5.9675, -62.53556Coordinates: 5°58?03?N 62°32?08?W? / ?5.9675, -62.53556 . The height of the falls is so great that before getting anywhere near the ground, the water is vaporized by the strong winds and turned into mist.

The base of the falls feeds into the Kerep river (alternately known as the Rio Gauya) which flows into the Churun River, a tributary of the Carrao River. In the indigenous Pemon language Angel Falls is called Kerepakupai merú meaning "waterfall of the deepest place". The falls are sometimes referred to as Churun-meru, an error, since that name corresponds to another waterfall in the Canaima National Park. Churun in the Pemon language means "thunder". Sir Walter Raleigh described what was possibly a tepuy and he is ... Show More Angel Falls (indigenous name: Parakupa-vena or Kerepakupai merú) is the world's highest waterfall at 979 m (3212 ft), with a clear drop of 807 m (2647 ft). It is located in the Canaima National Park, in the Gran Sabana region of Bolivar State, Venezuela at 5°58?03?N 62°32?08?W?

/ ?5.9675, -62.53556Coordinates: 5°58?03?N 62°32?08?W? / ?5.9675, -62.53556 . The height of the falls is so great that before getting anywhere near the ground, the water is vaporized by the strong winds and turned into mist. The base of the falls feeds into the Kerep river (alternately known as the Rio Gauya) which flows into the Churun River, a tributary of the Carrao River. In the indigenous Pemon language Angel Falls is called Kerepakupai merú meaning "waterfall of the deepest place". The falls are sometimes referred to as Churun-meru, an error, since that name corresponds to another waterfall in the Canaima National Park. Churun in the Pemon language means "thunder". Sir Walter Raleigh described what was possibly a tepuy and he is sometimes said to have discovered Angel Falls, but these claims are considered "far-fetched" [1].

They were sighted in 1912 by the Venezuelan explorer Ernesto Sanchez La Cruz, but he did not publicize his discovery. They were not known to the outside world until the American aviator James "Jimmie" Crawford Angel (b. 1899 d. 1956 bp. Springfield, MO)[2] flew over them on 16 November 1933 on a flight while he was searching for a valuable ore bed. Returning on 9 October ... Show Less History/Background - Angel Falls Angel Falls The name of this natural wonder is Angel Falls. It is located in South America. More specifically, it resides in the country of Venezuela. The first person to discover these soaring falls was Jimmy Angel, a pilot and explorer of South America. He was paid to fly around Canaima, and happened upon the tallest uninterrupted waterfalls worldwide, waiting to be discovered . There are many different Pemón (Venzuelan-Indian) myths and legends associated with Angel Falls (for example: "Pemón Spirit of Death", "The Tree of Life", "The Great Flood and the Creation of Roraima", and "The Legend of Makunaima" just to name a few).

According to the native Pemón, there are thought to be demonic spirits in and around the falls. For this reason, they named the residing mountain Auyantepui, or “Devil Mountain”. The falls drop into Cañon del Diablo—“Devil’s Canyon”. Despite the stories, tourists are encouraged to visit and experience Angel Falls’ majesty and wonder! Angel Falls is part of Parque National Canaima, a government-protected national park. The indigenous people call Angel Falls Kerepakupai-mer, and Parekupa-meru. It wasn’t discovered until 1937 by Jimmy Angel, and it was soon renamed Angel Falls. In 2009 however, Venezuela’s president Hugo Chavez thought of changing the name back to Kerepakupai-mer because it was “indigenous property”, however the change was never decreed.

Angel Waterfall of Venezuela - The World's Highest Waterfall | 360° Aerial Panoramas, 360° Virtual Tours Around the World, Photos of the Most Interesting Places on the Earth Photogallery Total Views: 2 420 677 In March of 2011, Dima Moiseenko flew to Venezuela to shoot Angel Falls, the world's highest waterfall. Due to extremely unstable weather conditions that covered the region, a long distance and technical difficulties the photo session lasted for two days. However, all of these difficulties were overcome. Dima managed to shoot Angel Falls and two other waterfalls that flow from the Tepui. He also managed to shoot some spherical panoramas while flying over the gold mines. First part of the photo shoot (near the waterfall) can be seen here Now we invite you to a virtual tour: Angel Waterfall of Venezuela — The World's Highest Waterfall During last several years we have shot aerial panoramas of the world's most famous and exotic waterfalls: Iguazu Falls in Brazil/Argentina; Victoria Falls in Zambia/Zimbabwe; Black Waterfall in Iceland...

Naturally, when I came across discounted tickets to Margarita Island (the Mecca of windsurfers and kite boarders) in Venezuela, Salto Angel (Angel Falls) seemed an easy target. It is a well-known fact that Angel Falls is the highest in the world! The highest point of the falls reaches 979 meters, with water falling from a height of 807 meters. The height of the falls is so great that by the time it reaches the ground it becomes tiny particles that turns into fog. It should also be mentioned that Venezuela is a unique country. In addition to having Hugo Chavez and the unusually cheap price of gasoline (it only cost 100 rubles to fill up a Jeep), it is also home to the Tepui Mountain formation. Tepui (or Tepuy) is a strange-looking mountain with a flat top called a "table-top" (because it is flat like a table). These unique geological formations are found mostly in the Venezuelan Guiana Highland in South America. The word ‘Tepui' comes from the language of the Pemon Indians. Tepui means ‘house of the gods'. The Tepui formations are completely isolated from each other.

The Tepui towers over the jungle making it a home to unique plants and animals. According to the article in Wikipedia the Angel waterfall was discovered when American aviator Jimmie Angel flew over Tepuy on 16 November 1933 on a flight while he was searching for a valuable ore bed. Returning on 9 October 1937, Angel tried to land his Metal Aircraft Corporation Flamingo monoplane El Río Caroní; atop Auyan-tepui, but the plane was damaged when the wheels sank into the marshy ground, and he and his three companions, including his wife Marie, were forced to descend the tepui on foot. It took them 11 days to make their way back to civilization,via the gradually sloping backside but news of their adventure spread, and the waterfall was named Angel Falls in his honor. Here you can also find some of the highest waterfalls in the world. Imagine kilometers-high mountains with steep vertical walls and flat tops in the middle of dense jungles. On these, water accumulates after even a slight amount of rainfall, eventually coming down in numerous waterfalls.

Angel Falls is just one of the waterfalls but it's the highest one since it is almost a kilometer tall. This attribute gives Angel the status of being "the highest waterfall in the world." Other affluent rivers descent from the same Auyantepui mountain, but they are "only" 200 — 300 meters high. Since mountain waterfalls are fed by rain, travel time needs to be planned carefully. During the dry season, Angel is just a trickle of water. In the rainy season, it is a full-fledged waterfall. However, the weather is so unpredictable that it is possible to not see it in all of its glory, even in as much time as a month... Although the current season turned out to be dry, our informers reported a recent heavy rainfall. This would yield a full-fledge waterfall — we had to hurry up! While in Moscow, I researched that there was no helicopter service near the waterfall at the Canaima National Park. Small airplanes that successfully served tourists in this area wouldn't have worked for us. With this in mind, I started searching for transportation on the first day of my arrival to the island of Margarita.

Angel Falls is located in the jungles of Venezuela, so anyone can only get there by air or river. After 3 days of searching, I called a company that services the gold mines with a Bell-206 helicopter. The company is located 100 kilometers from the waterfall. It very well could fly "dear Russian guests" to the coveted Angel Waterfall in the first part of the day. It took two planes, the Orinoco River crossing, and 8-hours long jeep ride to get from Margarita Island to the company office... But we are ready to go through all difficulties. So soon enough I found myself standing next to the yellow helicopter ready to take off. The first day we took off at 7 am and arrived at the foot of Angel Falls at 8:15 am. The helicopter landed near the camp, from which a hiking trail led tourists to the waterfall. Our informers did not disappoint us: there was a full-fledged waterfall coming down from the mountain top. Even at a considerable distance, Angel made a strong impression on us. After falling from a kilometer-high distance water is broken in the particles at the foot of the falls.

It leaves you standing in a cloud of "water fog" wondering where is this river coming from... It was down there, under a shower of a million tiny water droplets, at where it seemed that nowhere else could one feel the grandeur of the surrounding nature. So, the final preparations for the flight were made, we removed the doors and the helicopter was ready for takeoff. Although the sky above the waterfall was clear, it was heavy overcast above Mount Auyantepui (from which flows Angel). I decided that we should just fly to the mountaintop and wait there. We barely found a landing site among the "forest" of rock formations covering the top of the mesa. It is only from a distance Tepui seem smooth, but in fact it has multi-metered crevices and steep walls ranging from a height of ten floors. It slightly limits your ability to move around the "table" surface. Within an hour blue gaps would open up in the clouds, only to close again. Unfortunately, they happened far away from the waterfall. Suddenly, within about five minutes, an ascending cloud engulfed us, and we were in dense fog.

Within hours, the fog was so thick that the pilot not only refused to do the photo-shoot, but also did not even consider taking off. This kilometer-high cliff and the clouds emerging from down below would excite us at any other time. But now, unfortunately, we were seriously stuck on top of the mountain. The pilot's words didn't encourage us either: he mentioned that fogs like this could last more than a day. However, we were lucky. By lunch time, the fog started to thin out, so we took off. The pilot found a gap in the fog and we quickly and joyfully flew down to the camp. Throughout the descent I felt something surreal — we were flying through a tunnel of fog that formed around us. I managed to get one shot before the top of the mountain completely disappeared from our sight. When we reached the ground and started to hang the helicopter doors back in place, the waterfall, as if it were laughing at us, suddenly appeared in all of its beauty. The dense wall of fog had completely dissipated in ten minutes! Although the high clouds over Auyantepui persisted, I decided to shoot spherical panoramas with the available light.

As a result, I was able to capture all the targeted locations during the first day (but with remnants of clouds and fog, and no sunlight). In the evening, I put together previews of these panoramas on my laptop: unfortunately it didn't give me satisfaction. I decided to fly back to Angel on the second day. This time we flew out from a village of gold miners simply called "88 km". One hour ride to the waterfall. The sky was overcast. What was the weather like at the waterfall? It is over 90 kilometers away. No one knew. When we landed at the base camp at 8 o'clock in the morning, the waterfall was not visible at all. Even Auyantepui mountain walls were completely covered with constantly growing fog. At 10 o'clock, about half of the waterfall became visible. By 11 o'clock, the top started to appear. I decided to go ahead and take off to shoot the cloud in the middle of the waterfall. I set my second camera with a telephoto lens on a tripod to capture the helicopter with Angel Falls in the background. The camera was programmed to automatically capture the waterfall (shooting in 5 second intervals) with my helicopter in sight.

The sky above us was grey. As we took off and began to ascent, the top of the waterfall disappeared once again in the fog... Never the less, I shot one spherical panorama... On the second lap around, I felt like there was something wrong with the camera. It turned out that my shutter was malfunctioning. We had to go down, change the camera, and once again... wait. The sky suddenly became clear and by 12:30 it was almost completely blue, but... as ‘Murphy's law' would have it, both Angel waterfall and the top of Auyantepui were still invisible. So, for the sake of not wasting time, I decided to capture the nearby waterfalls. We circled around a magnificent 300-meter high waterfall with a scary name "Dragon". Then we moved to "Salto Cortina" with two cascades of 200-meters each. Still Dragon waterfall was my favorite — located in a very beautiful place and surrounded by the cliffs on three sides, it made one of the best panoramic views. At the end of shooting the Dragon Waterfall, I saw that the cloud above Angel had lifted. We then immediately flew back.

Within just a few minutes the fog was completely gone, and I started shooting Angel Falls from above. It was one o'clock in the afternoon, only the very top was in the sun and the bottom of the falls was covered in shade. It lasted 15 minutes. I managed to get a helicopter to fly 800 meters from the mountaintop along the falls down to the ground and shoot about a dozen spherical panoramas. It was particularly difficult to shoot at the bottom of the falls. Water vapor completely enveloped the helicopter, so much so that I had to clean the lens after shooting each panorama. While shooting my next spherical photo, I saw that a low cloud at the top of the waterfall was only slowly moving in; however, I made it. On the ground, in the camp, while our pilot fixed the removed doors, I looked back only to see that the cloud had completely covered the waterfall... This is how nature treats us: she gives us 15 minutes in 2 days! On our way back we spotted surreal red and green colors down on the ground. It turned to be the gold mines! After a bit of quarreling, the pilot agreed to hover over the mines with a removed door for a small tip.

But he warned us that if locals see a man with the camera, they might start shooting. The prospect of running into an angry gold-digger was not the ‘gold at the end of the rainbow' so to speak. At the same time I remembered how the pilot exaggerated about spending the night in the fog at the top of the mountain, and decided to risk it. The most popular association people make with the gold mines is the city of El Dorado. According to the legend, the Spanish explorers of South America encountered many people that wore gold jewelry and used gold products in their daily lives. There arose a myth of a gold city, which according to the legend, was located somewhere on the border of modern Columbia and Venezuela. This story of El Dorado drew the Spaniards deep into the heart of the continent. Although El Dorado has never been found, variations of the legend can still be heard across the land of Venezuela. Only upon our return home, we found out we were circling over one of the major gold mines. They have open-pit gold mining here, which explains its bright red clay. Gold miners live in the village, located directly at the borders of the mine. It's called Ciudad Dorada.

Sounds very much like El Dorado, doesn't it? And although I did not see the Golden City, I am glad that the flight over the mines went well. Perhaps the miners were tired of working at the 40-degree heat and the humidity of the jungle, or the rain scared them off (the rain that came with a rainbow). Or perhaps our pilot did his job well to earn the tip. But no one even paid attention to us, so we finished our photo shoot in one piece. On our way back, I finally had that feeling of satisfaction from my finished work. Everything went well. The mission to shoot Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world, as well as its beautiful surroundings, was now a success. Angel Falls to be renamed Kerepakupai Meru so it no longer commemorates U.S. pilot who 'discovered' them | Daily Mail Online Angel Falls to be renamed Kerepakupai Meru so it no longer commemorates U.S. pilot who 'discovered' them comments Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez today called for the Angel Falls - the world’s tallest waterfalls – to be renamed.

He said the 3,000ft-high landmark should be should revert to its original indigenous name instead of commemorating the American pilot who spotted it in 1933. Mr Chavez, a fierce opponent of the U.S., said that thousands of Pemon Indians had seen the falls before Jimmy Angel ever ‘discovered’ them. Majestic: Venezuela's Angel Falls, which Hugo Chavez said should be called the Indian name, Kerepakpai-Meru The Pemon moniker, Kerepakupai-Meru , should be the new name, he said. Speaking on his weekly television show, Alo Presidente, he asked how Venezuelans could accept the idea that 'the highest waterfall in the world was discovered by a man who came from the United States in a plane?' 'We should change that name, right? With all respect to that man who came, who saw it.' He initially said the name should be Churun-Meru, but then corrected himself after receiving a note from his daughter Maria pointing out that the Pemon Indian name of the waterfall is Kerepakupai-Meru. 'That's the name ... the name of the Indians,' Mr Chavez said.

Demand: Mr Chavez on his weekly TV show, Alo Presidente, and Jimmy Angel (right), who saw the falls in 1933 'No one should refer to Angel Falls anymore,' Chavez said, adding that at least his supporters shouldn't - even if his opponents prefer to keep using that moniker. The waterfall, which is among Venezuela's most famous tourist destinations, is the world's tallest at 3,212ft with an uninterrupted drop of 2,648ft. It plunges from one of the tabletop mountains, Auyan-Tepui, in the rugged, forested landscape of Canaima National Park in southern Venezuela. Angel's quest to find a cloud-shrouded, flat-topped mountain where he had previously discovered gold led him to become the first outsider to spot the waterfall in 1933. Special: Mr Chavez said because the Pemon Indians saw the falls first, their name should be the one we use The Missouri-born pilot died at age 57 in a 1956 plane crash in Panama. 'One could say he was the first one to see it from a plane,' Mr Chavez said.

'But how many millions of indigenous eyes saw it, and prayed to it?' Chavez has renamed various places and institutions during his 11 years in office, including successfully pushing to change the country's name to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, after South American independence hero Simon Bolivar. The idea is similar to the renaming of Ayres Rock as Uluru, the Aboriginal name, in 2002 in Australia. Explorer William Gosse originally named it after Sir Henry Ayres, the governor of South Australia, in 1873.

Question: In which country are the Angel Falls, or Kerepakupai Ven?
Answer: Venezuela