Angel Falls

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**Angel Falls**
Salto Angel from Raton
Location	Auyantepui, Canaima National Park, Venezuela
Type	Plunge
Total height	979 m / 3,212 ft
Height of Longest Drop	807 m / 2,648 ft
Number of drops	2
World height ranking	1^[1]

Angel Falls or Salto Ángel (indigenous name: Kerepakupay Vená) is the world's highest free-falling waterfall at 979 m (3,212 ft) with an uninterrupted drop of 807 m (2,648 ft) lying in the Canaima National Park, Venezuela at 5°58′03″N, 62°32′08″W.

It is situated in the river Churún, an affluent of the Carrao. Tourists sometimes refer to this stretch of the river as the Auyan Tepui river but the river that culminates in the drop is the Kerepakupai-merú. In the indigenous Pemón language Kerepakupai-merú means "waterfall of the deepest place". The falls are also referred to as Churún-merú, an error, since that name corresponds to another waterfall within the Canaima National Park. Churún in indigenous Pemón language means "thunder".

Although sighted in the early 20th century by the explorer Ernesto Sanchez La Cruz, the waterfall was not known to the Western world until it was visited in 1935 by the American aviator, James Crawford Angel, on a flight whilst searching for a valuable ore bed. In 1936, he returned and landed his plane at the top of the waterfall. The falls are currently named "Angel Falls" after him; interestingly enough, the indigenous name for the falls was "Devil's Mouth".

Angel's Flamingo monoplane settled down into the marshy ground atop Auyan-tepui and remained there for 33 years before being lifted out by a helicopter. Jimmy Angel and his three companions managed to descend the tepui and make their way back to civilization in 11 days. Jimmy Angel's plane sits in the Aviation Museum in Maracay; the one visible on the top of the tepui is a replica.

The official height was determined by a National Geographic Society survey in 1949 (see Jungle Journey to the World's Highest Waterfall by Ruth Robertson). David Nott's book, Angels Four, chronicles the first successful climb up the face of Auyan Tepui (Devil's Mountain) to the top of the falls. The falls are one of Venezuela's top tourist attractions.

Angel Falls is located in the wilderness of Venezuela, and a trip to the falls is not a simple affair. An air flight is required. Trips to the falls are sold in a package that includes a plane flight from Caracas or Ciudad Bolívar to Canaima (the town which acts as an entry point to the national park), and subsequent boat trips, meals, and boarding, required to reach 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 a visitor will see them. During the dry season (December to March) there is less water than what is seen in some photos, but it is also more likely that the top will not be clouded. The entire trip usually takes 24 hours.

[edit] References

^ Angel Falls. (2006). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 28 July 2006, from Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service: http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9007543