世界上最高的瀑布——委内瑞拉的安赫尔瀑布

The Highest Waterfall in the World

世界上最高的瀑布——委内瑞拉的安赫尔瀑布

今天我们来见识委内瑞拉的安赫尔瀑布，它是世界上最高的瀑布，落差为 3230英尺(985米)，该瀑布分两级，一级瀑布飞流直下，落差达到2647英尺(806米)。安赫尔瀑布位于卡罗尼河支流，该支流从奥扬特普伊山顶 (一座平顶结构的山，周围是悬崖峭壁)直泻而下。

安赫尔瀑布，又称丘伦梅鲁瀑布，位于委内瑞拉玻利瓦尔州圭亚那高原的卡罗尼河支流丘伦河上。瀑布从平顶高原奥扬特普伊山直流而下，几乎未触及陡崖面，一泻 到地，其落差达979米，成为世界最高的瀑布。瀑布在深山密林之中，本来鲜为人知，1935年被美国探险家安赫尔于飞行中发现，故名。 安赫尔瀑布深藏在委内瑞拉的高山密林之中。它的水量虽然不是很大，落差却有979米，气势雄伟、景色壮观，果真应了那句“飞流直下三千尺，疑是银河落九 天”的著名诗句。上个世纪中叶，安赫尔瀑布还鲜为人知。上世纪30年代初，美国飞行员安赫尔随一名淘金老人在南美淘金。每次，在老人的悉心指引下，两人总 是满载而归。但老人从不让安赫尔与自己一同行至那条被他称为遍布黄金的河流。而是让安赫尔远远地在飞机上等他。后来，老人不幸染病去世了。临终前，他要安 赫尔替他掌管这条“金河”希望它能给他带来幸福。可是安赫尔从老人模糊不清的话语中，怎么也弄不明白到达这条河流的路径。不久，老人就辞世了，安赫尔架着 飞机，开始在茂密的树林上空搜寻那条神奇的河流。安赫尔至死都没能找到这条河流，但他却在1937年发现了世界落差最大的安赫尔瀑布。它宽约150米，最 高一级落差为807米，瀑布于高山峭壁之间，凌空飞垂，珠飞玉溅，云雾蒸腾，山谷轰呜。衬以两旁参天古树，嶙峋怪石，壮丽之外又添几分肃穆之美。为了纪念 他的伟大发现，人们就把这个瀑布命名为安赫尔瀑布。今天，安赫尔瀑布早已驰名世界。然而，能够有机会亲眼目睹其“芳姿”的人还是为数寥寥。层层茂密的原始 森林遮蔽了游人的视线，只有租乘飞机，才可能从弦窗上极为难得地一识“庐山真面目”。1956年，安赫尔在巴拿马因飞机失事，不幸遇难。按照他的遗愿，人 们将其全部骨灰洒在由他发现并多次考察的安赫尔瀑布之上，永远与这一方青山秀水相傍相依。

Photograph by ENT108

At fifteen times the height of Niagara Falls, Angel Falls is the highest in the world. Just how tall is it? How did it get its name? Did someone seriously BASE jump from the top? Littered amongst the stunning images below you will find the answers. Enjoy!

Angel Falls is the world’s highest waterfall, with a height of 979 meters (3,212 ft) and a plunge of 807 meters (2,647 ft)

 

Photograph by Stingrayintl

It is located in the Canaima National Park, an UNESCO World Heritage site in the Gran Sabana region of Bolivar State, Venezuela. It is one of the country’s top tourist destinations despite its isolated location

 

Photograph by One Off Man Mental

Did you know the height of the falls is so great, that before getting anywhere near the ground, the water is atomized by the strong winds and turned into mist? The mist can be felt a mile (1.6 km) away!

The base of the falls feeds into the Kerep River (alternatively known as the Rio Gauya), which flows into the Churun River, a tributary of the Carrao River

 

Photograph by Teen Wolf

Why is it called Angel Falls?

Apparently, the falls were not known to the outside world until American aviator Jimmie Angel flew over them on November 16, 1933 during a flight searching for a valuable ore bed. Returning on October 9, 1937, Angel tried to land his Flamingo monoplane, El Rio Caroni atop the mountain, but the plane was damaged when the wheels sank into the marshy ground. He and his three companions, including his wife Marie, were then forced to descend the mountain on foot. It took them 11 days to make their way back to civilization, but news of their adventure spread, and the waterfall was named Angel Falls in his honor. Angel’s plane remained on top of the mountaintop for 33 years before being lifted out by helicopter. It was restored at the Aviation Museum in Maracay and now sits outdoors on the front of the airport at Ciudad Bolívar.

 

Photograph by Tom Sanders via Edjane Obama

Have people actually BASE jumped from the top of Angel Falls? Yes! Video proof can be found below:

Did you know current President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, wants to strip the name 'Angel Falls’ in favour of an indigenous one? “How could we accept this idea that the falls were discovered by a guy who came from the United States in a plane. If we do that, that would be like accepting that nobody was living here,” Chavez mused on his weekly radio and television show, “Hello Mr President.” – source: Yahoo! News