Name: Abseiling the Angel Falls in Venezuela Seeing through the Eyes of Adventure
Start: 2025-08-28T18:45:00+08:00
Location: Chater House

Abseiling the Angel Falls in Venezuela Seeing through the Eyes of Adventure

In December 2024, James Riley and his assistant/friend, Gijs Depoortere, set off to South-East Venezuela. Their purpose was to cross the high savannah, climb El Libertador, traverse the barren lands of the Tepui and reach the legendary Angel Falls. They then planned to complete a 1,000m abseil next to the Angel Falls, the tallest waterfall in the world - all in about 12 days.
The World Heritage Site of Canaima National Park is rarely visited today, and when it is, visitors usually view the falls from afar or from the comfort of a helicopter. Few people have had the opportunity of traversing the landscape or of completing the dramatic descent from top to bottom of the Falls.
This talk provides an account of the trip with some stunning photographs and videography, and tells how Gijs helped James complete this trip despite his limited eyesight.

James Riley is from the United Kingdom and has been in Asia for over 30 years. He has been Chairman of the Royal Geographical Society – Hong Kong since 2001. During this period, he held various positions within the Jardine Group, including Group Finance Director of Jardine Matheson and most recently being the CEO of Mandarin Oriental.
Gijs Depoortere is from Belgium and has lived in Hong Kong for 7 years, working as a model and as a personal trainer. Since 2023, he has worked closely with James following his retirement, focusing on creative adventures and business interests.

Members of the RGS-HK, their guests and others are most welcome to attend this event, which is HK$200 for RGS Members and HK$250 for guests and others, including free-flow drinks. Student members are welcome to attend the talk for free.

The Royal Geographical Society - Hong Kong wishes to express its thanks to Hongkong Land for being the Venue and Drinks Sponsor of this talk.

The opinions expressed at this event are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect those of the Royal Geographical Society - Hong Kon