this post was submitted on 09 Sep 2026
346 points (99.1% liked)

interestingasfuck

9902 readers
935 users here now

For exceptionally interesting content

Rules:

  1. Posts must be interesting
  2. Posts must be based in reality
  3. No hateful content
  4. No harmful content
  5. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
 
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] decolo@piefed.social 92 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

I have seen this perspective in every picture of this place. however I have never seen a single picture or description of what's actually up there. I guess I need to go proactively find out... to Wikipedia!

I'm back!

Due to the late exploration of this part of South America and the discovery of new species every year, the flora and fauna here are largely unknown.[9] The currently identified species are strongly endemic, especially the fauna, which also puts them at a high risk of extinction.[12]

The vegetation on the plateau is still largely unknown and consists mainly of bare rocks, forests of trees and epiphytes, and wet and dry savannas in the form of swamps.[9] It is marked by numerous endemic species, especially carnivorous plants that capture insects, living in sandstone and leaching soils which lack the nitrates necessary for their development.[21][14][12] There are fewer species in the vicinity of streams and ravines, and the trees are 8–15 m (26–49 ft) tall and have hard leaves that can adapt to harsh environmental conditions.[9] The exposed rocks are occupied by lichens, algae and cyanobacteria.[16]

altr

[–] Aeao@lemmy.world 24 points 3 weeks ago

Thank you! I thought I was going to have to look it up myself.

Was not expecting a swamp up there lol. That caught me off guard.

Forests: okay. bare rocks: expected. A swamp? Was not picturing that lol

[–] Fredselfish@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

How do the scientists get to the top of this mountain?

[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 13 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I would guess a helicopter, but I'm sure you could climb it.

[–] ToxicWaste@lemmy.cafe 6 points 3 weeks ago

i am not a scientist, but would love to climb it. there is an establishment treck to the top. but those cliff sides just look like an amazing expedition. maybe one day, with more training on big walls and quite some money...

[–] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 10 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Mount Roraima and Mount Aoyan are the only flat-topped mountains in the Canaima National Park that can be climbed by hikers, with a monthly quota of 200 people.[9][16] Its ascent takes three to five days in total,[7][14] the summit route is on a natural slope on the southwestern cliffs of Mount Roraima,[13][15][21] it does not require any special equipment or training, so it is chosen by almost all hikers,[15][21] the only difficulty is that some streams and small waterfalls may become difficult to pass under heavy rain.[14][21]

[–] Fredselfish@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Thanks for the answer. Sounds interesting.

[–] yakko@feddit.uk 65 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Every few years I am reminded that it exists, and become briefly obsessed. I want to write an entire fictional setting based on Roraima's geological and ecological oddity

[–] Postmortal_Pop@lemmy.world 21 points 3 weeks ago

I'd read it.

[–] ShinkanTrain@lemmy.ml 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Pixar beat you to it

Though I guess the waterfall is based on Angel Falls in Venezuela

[–] yakko@feddit.uk 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I was going to go more conceptual with it, the idea of a physically inaccessible place as an otherworld, probably have it be a place supernatural creatures visit and do like an Enemy Mine thing

[–] femtek@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Was this the place where that young adult apocalypse book was based on? I think it was called the giver or something.

[–] yakko@feddit.uk 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Never heard of it, but I can't find anything that connects it to Roraima.

[–] femtek@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

That image is from the movie. I don't recall there ever being much mention of the location or geography in the book.

[–] femtek@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 3 weeks ago

True, just made me think of it.

[–] nikosey@lemmy.world 33 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The Venezuelan tepuis are one of the most fascinating places on earth! I discovered them from a National Geographic story when I was a kid. The world’s tallest waterfall tumbles off one of these mesas. It’s too bad my country (US) has ruined any chance for me to ever safely visit them in person.

[–] scott@lem.free.as 8 points 3 weeks ago

Angel Falls?

[–] Postmortal_Pop@lemmy.world 30 points 3 weeks ago

This is the kind of location I look for when building a house in Minecraft.

[–] Crackhappy@lemmy.world 27 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

If you look real close at the left side of the plateau you can see an old man, a kid and a dog.

[–] TargaryenTKE@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Is this a reference I'm too ignorant to get?

[–] laranis@lemmy.zip 17 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

No reference. OP must have really good eyes or gotten really lucky zooming. The guy appears to have recently lost his wife.

[–] MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago

You're Up to no good with the chicanery.

[–] omxxi@feddit.org 17 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] TargaryenTKE@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

Goddammit I should've gotten that. Thanks!

[–] renrenPDX@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 3 weeks ago

The movie Up

[–] Furbag@pawb.social 23 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Forbidden overcooked steak

[–] Aeao@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Throw some A1 on that and it’s still good.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] mineralfellow@lemmy.world 16 points 3 weeks ago

To be clear, the rocks that the mountain is made of are reasonably old (oldest on Earth is closer to 4.0 billion years, but anything >500 million is fairly rare), but the landform of a mountain is a combination of uplift and erosion, which is fairly young. The only source for the age of erosion I could find (didn't search hard) mentioned the glaciation of the Pleistocene, which seems reasonable.

[–] orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 3 weeks ago
[–] spacegoat@lemmy.world 13 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] ChicoSuave@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

That waterfall on the far left - was this the inspiration for Up?

[–] atomicbocks@sh.itjust.works 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The waterfall from the movie is Angel Falls, the world’s tallest waterfall.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] N0MAD@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 weeks ago

Short answer, maybe.

They travel to a tepui in Venezuela but I'd argue it looks more like Auyán-tepui than Mount Roraima

[–] stepan@lemmy.cafe 6 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

I think I read a fiction book about something ver similar as a kid. Almost sure it was from Arthur Conan Doyle

[–] Wigners_friend@piefed.social 5 points 3 weeks ago

I read that too, many times. It's The lost world

[–] Amnesigenic@lemmy.ml 5 points 3 weeks ago

The Lost World?

[–] NochMehrG@feddit.org 3 points 3 weeks ago

I‘m intrigued!

[–] toxicbubble@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago

more interesting fact, this borders three countries: Guyana, Venezuela, Brazil

[–] wunderbred@fedinsfw.app 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)
[–] poVoq@slrpnk.net 5 points 3 weeks ago

Link missing?

[–] seat6@lemmy.zip 4 points 3 weeks ago

I had no idea about any of this, now I’m fascinated!

[–] moncharleskey@lemmy.zip 3 points 3 weeks ago

Season 3 of the show Out of the Wild takes place here. Beautiful scenary and if you like that type of show I highly recommend you watch it. Season 1 was solid too.

[–] Axolotl_cpp@feddit.it 3 points 3 weeks ago

I feel like a guy named "steve" was there

[–] DioramaOfShit@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

Could it be an alien craft landing pad? Ancient astronaut theorists, say yes.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 2 points 3 weeks ago

There are dinosaurs up there.

[–] Etterra@discuss.online 2 points 3 weeks ago

It looks like somebody just dropped a paving stone in dry ice.

load more comments
view more: next ›