PRESENTER PROFILE:
Presenter: Ann Gerckens
Presentation: The Lost World of Mt Roraima
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Ann Gerckens will be sharing photos and stories from her Venezuelan backpacking trip to Mt. Roraima. From Bolivarian Revolution buses and hiring a guide, to tiny toads that never learned to hop, she’ll share some of what she learned about Venezuela.
Ann Gerckens, discovered her life’s work in outdoor pursuits. Her outdoor education came through Girls Scouts, Columbus Outdoor Pursuits, SOLO, Outward Bound and workshops offered by the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association and the Wilderness Risk Managers Conference. A COP member for 39 years, and leader for 27 years, Ann teaches backpacking, leadership and helped write the COP Trip Leadership Manual. Since finishing her section hike of the Appalachian Trail in 1998, she has walked more than 40% of the Pacific Crest Trail. In 2009, she celebrated 20 years of employment with Columbus Outdoor Pursuits by taking THE BIG TRIP - eleven weeks in South America. This adventure started with an 8 day walk over the Peruvian Andes from Hualcayan past Nevado Santa Cruz and Alpamayo to Pomobamba. A week later she was on The Inca Trail, headed to Machu Picchu. Now on her own, she spent 10 days touristing her way past Lake Titicaca, Arequippa, Rio Chili and the Paracas Reserve. After a flight to Iquitos, she found herself in a dugout canoe, deep in the Amazon jungle with 2 local guides. She says piranha are tasty, but very boney. Cutting through Brasil, she entered Venezuela via the only border crossing with Brasil. There, she was joined by again by a friend. They spent a week climbing Mt. Roraima, inspiration for Arthur Conan Doyle’s Lost World. A tour of Gran Sabana waterfalls, rafting on the Rio Yuranai and Angel Falls by motorized canoe were next on the menu. The trip ended with 2 days exploring the Orinoco Delta. |
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