The regulation requiring foreign and Venezuelan visitors to hire licensed local guides is both a conservation measure and an economic benefit to the local community — though, as with any tourism economy, the distribution of that benefit within the community is a matter of ongoing discussion.

The first day of trekking typically covers the broad, open terrain of the savanna, with Roraima visible ahead for much of the day.

The mountain grows as you approach, its walls becoming more defined, its scale becoming more apparent.

Overnight camps are established at locations along the trail where water and relatively flat ground are available.

The second day passes through progressively more diverse vegetation as the terrain approaches the mountain’s lower slopes — the savanna gives way to forests and then to the vegetation characteristic of the mountain’s lower flanks.

The trail is well-established but can be muddy and slippery, particularly after rain.