Auyantepui (Spanish pronunciation: [auʝanteˈpui]), also Auyantepuy, Auyan-Tepui, or Aiyan-Tepui, (meaning "Devil's Mountain" in the Pemon language) is a tepui plateau in the Gran Sabana region of Bolivar State, Venezuela.[citation needed] It is the most visited and one of the largest (but not the highest) tepuis in the Guiana Highlands, with an area of 700 km2 (270 sq mi).
Angel Falls, the tallest waterfall in the world, drops from a cleft near the summit. The falls are 979 meters (3,212 ft) high, with an uninterrupted descent of 807 meters (2,648 ft) - a drop nineteen times higher than that of Niagara Falls.
Auyantepui achieved international fame in 1933 when Angel Falls was accidentally discovered by Jimmie Angel, a bush pilot searching for gold ore. Attempting to land on the heart-shaped mesa in 1937, Angel crashed his small Flamingo plane on top of Auyantepui and was forced to hike down the gradually sloping backside, a trip that took him and his crew 11 days to complete. He was immortalized when the waterfall was named after him.
Auyantepui (Spanish pronunciation: [auʝanteˈpui]), also Auyantepuy, Auyan-Tepui, or Aiyan-Tepui, (meaning "Devil's Mountain" in the Pemon language) is a tepui plateau in the Gran Sabana region of Bolivar State, Venezuela.[citation needed] It is the most visited and one of the largest (but not the highest) tepuis in the Guiana Highlands, with an area of 700 km2 (270 sq mi).
Angel Falls, the tallest waterfall in the world, drops from a cleft near the summit. The falls are 979 meters (3,212 ft) high, with an uninterrupted descent of 807 meters (2,648 ft) - a drop nineteen times higher than that of Niagara Falls.
Auyantepui achieved international fame in 1933 when Angel Falls was accidentally discovered by Jimmie Angel, a bush pilot searching for gold ore. Attempting to land on the heart-shaped mesa in 1937, Angel crashed his small Flamingo plane on top of Auyantepui and was forced to hike down the gradually sloping backside, a trip that took him and his crew 11 days to complete. He was immortalized when the waterfall was named after him.