Rockclimbing in Brazil
MCS AlexClimbRockclimbing programs of MCS AlexClimb in Brazil:
Rockclimbing in Rio de Janeiro - daily training programs
Climbing Corcovado
Climbing Aguja de Diablo
What attracts tourists to Brazil? What can you do in Rio de Janeiro during your vacation there?
Of course, most travelers will immediately remember the famous carnivals in Rio, some people will add trips to the Amazon jungle, visits to the famous restaurants and other standard options to spend time and budget in Rio de Janeiro.
However, there is a chance to hear some more interesting, although not always obvious answer! After all, not only colorful shows and exotic fishing attract thousands of international tourists to Brazil.
For those who live in the world of international climbing community, it is an obvious fact that Rio de Janeiro is not only the capital of carnivals, but also main attraction of all Latin American rockclimbing! Without taking away the popularity of the famous rockclimbing areas of Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Cuba or Colombia, Brazil modestly stands a little on the sidelines, while maintaining an undisputed leadership in the quantity, quality and popularity of the rockclimbing routes.
What should I say! Today, more than 1,000 rockclimbing routes of various categories of difficulty are equipped within the city of Rio de Janeiro. Three (3!) full-fledged rockclimbing guidebooks have been released in Rio de Janeiro with descriptions of various areas and rockclimbing routes - and this is only within the city limits! I find it difficult to name another rockclimbing location with such a concentration of official climbing routes accessible directly from the city center.
The very symbol of Rio de Janeiro - the famous statue of Christ The Redeemer - located above the city on the high cliff of Corcovado - even this world-famous monument is also a hallmark of rockclimbing in Brazil. A dozen and a half of "multi-pitches" of varying complexity have been climbed along the vertical rock at the foot of the famous statue - from simple "five grade routes" to the most intricate long 7b - 7c’s.
The majority of climbable rock masses in Brazil are huge monolithic granite blocks. The usual for European climbers limestone with overhangs and large holds can not be found in Brazil. The specificity of rockclimbing in Brazil is clearly expressed – all the routes are extremely technical slab rockclimbing with tiny holds.
The technique is quite different from the gymnastic overhang rockclimbing, and it comes as a surprise to many climbers that the usual categories of difficulty turn out to be “a little” harder. In fact, when trying the rockclimbing routes of Rio for the first time, one can experience genuine disappointment - even those who felt confident on the 7c of Kalymnos or Tenerife suddenly face serious problems on the Brazilian 6b-6c!
You can forget about bouldering and indoor rockclimbing wall skills and leave them at home. Just like your old worn climbing shoes. The most important thing you should not save your money before your rockclimbing trip to Brazil is new rockclimbing shoes with most rigid sole! This essential piece of rockclimbing equipment will give you a clear advantage right from the start of any Brazilian climbing route.
In addition to the incredible abundance of rockclimbing routes in Rio de Janeiro, the surroundings of the metropolis are also quite mastered by the rockclimbers. Long rockclimbing routes (multipitch) can be found in the neighboring provinces, where bizarre rock formations are very numerous – high granite vertical "needles" (agujas) from 50 to 200 meters high - ideal natural formations for climbing and practicing big wall rockclimbing skills
The author of the text, photos and climbing programs in Brazil - Alex Trubachev