Leo Houlding presentation - Roraima

Our Suffolk friend Dennis was due to arrive yesterday to stay for a few days but his 2CV developed an oil leak so he decided it was better to get that seen to. It’s a lovely old car but more suited to shorter journeys not a 600 mile round trip. Although disappointed, in a way it is a relief as we have a lot going on.

We met #2 daughter on the Great North Road for a curry before going to Gosforth Civic Theatre for a presentation by climber Leo Holding to promote his book. The first part was a brief intro about early expeditions and a lot about climbing with his family - wife and 2 children aged 4 and 8 doing serious climbs. Mr C and I were more interested in the second half, about his expedition to Guyana to climb a face of Roraima. In the days when it was possible to trek in Venezuela Mr C and I climbed this tepui by the “tourist path” which was an amazing experience. There is 3000ft sheer drop off the top - Mr C had to hold my feet while I lay at the edge to look down. Unlike the proper climbers, we spent 2 days exploring the top. Because it has its own eco-system up there we saw bromeliads that grow only there and tiny thumb-size frogs as well as the pools coloured by different quartz. It definitely was Conan Doyle’s “Lost world”.