Upuigma-tepui, also known as El Castillo, is a

tepui A tepui , or tepuy (), is a table-top mountain or mesa found in South America, especially in Venezuela and western Guyana. The word tepui means "house of the gods" in the native tongue of the Pemon, the indigenous people who inhabit the Gran ...

in Bolívar state,

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in ...

.Huber, O. (1995). Geographical and physical features. In: P.E. Berry, B.K. Holst & K. Yatskievych (eds.) '' Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. Volume 1. Introduction.'' Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis. pp. 1–61. A relatively isolated peak, both it and nearby

Angasima-tepui Angasima-tepui, also known as Adanta, Adankasima or Adankachimö,Adankasima
. ClimTepuyes. is a

lie just south of the vast

Chimantá Massif The Chimantá Massif is a highly fragmented complex of tepuis in Bolívar state, Venezuela. The massif comprises around 11 tepuis and has a total summit area of and an estimated slope area of .Huber, O. (1995). Geographical and physical feat ...

, from which they are separated by the

Río Aparurén Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil. Rio or Río may also refer to: Geography Brazil * Rio de Janeiro * Rio do Sul, a ...

valley. Upuigma-tepui is situated entirely within the bounds of

Canaima National Park Canaima National Park ( es, Parque Nacional Canaima) is a park in south-eastern Venezuela that roughly occupies the same area as the Gran Sabana region. It is located in Bolívar State, reaching the borders with Brazil and Guyana. History Ca ...

. The imposing peak of Upuigma-tepui has an elevation of around . Its highly uneven summit is dotted with numerous rock towers and deep

crevasse A crevasse is a deep crack, that forms in a glacier or ice sheet that can be a few inches across to over 40 feet. Crevasses form as a result of the movement and resulting stress associated with the shear stress generated when two semi-rigid pie ...

s which make it practically impossible to traverse. Summit vegetation is predominantly in the form of tepui

scrub Scrub(s) may refer to: * Scrub, low shrub and grass characteristic of scrubland * Scrubs (clothing), worn by medical staff * ''Scrubs'' (TV series), an American television program * Scrubs (occupation), also called "scrub tech," "scrub nurse," ...

and dense stands of herbaceous plants. The mountain has a summit area of and an estimated slope area of . The first documented people to climb Upuigma-tepui were John Arran, Ivan Calderon and

Steve Backshall Stephen James Backshall (born 21 April 1973) is an English naturalist, explorer, presenter and writer, best known for BBC TV's ''Deadly 60''. His other BBC work includes being part of the expedition teams in '' Lost Land of the Tiger'', '' ...

, in 2007. Upon reaching the summit, they discovered several previously unknown species of plants and animals.Lost Land Of The Jaguar - The First Ascent of Upuigma Tepuis in Venezuela for BBC Natural History Unit
Adventure Camera.

See also

References

Further reading