Angel Falls

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**Angel Falls**
Image:Angel falls.jpg
Location:	Auyantepui, Canaima National Park, Venezuela
Type:	Plunge
Total Height	3,230 feet / 979 meters
Longest Single Drop:	2,648 feet / 807 meters
Number of Drops:	2
World Height Ranking:	#1

Angel Falls or Salto Ángel is the world's highest free-leaping waterfall at 979 metres (3,230 feet) with an uninterrupted drop of 807 metres (2,648 feet). It is located on the Auyan Tepui. The river that culminates in the drop is the Kerepakupay, in the Canaima National Park, Venezuela at 5°58'03"N, 62°32'08"W.

Although first sighted in the early 20th century by the explorer Ernesto de Santa Cruz, the waterfall was not known to the world until its official discovery in 1933 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 Falamingo 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 you may be able to glimpse on 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 Mott'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 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 clouded days, and there is no guarantee a visitor will see them. During the dry season (December to March) there is less water than that seen in some photos, but it also more likely that the top will not be clouded. The entire trip usually takes 24 hours.

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