Rio de Janeiro

Climbing in Rio  by Caio Tombini.

Travessia dos olhos III, Pedra da Gavea.

Chapa Quente 8a+, Barrinha.

View of the city from Pedra da Gavea.

Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city in Brazil, with 7 million inhabitants, is the largest  urban climbing area in the World. With 5 crags and around 80 sports routes (really nice granite with holes, underclings, good holds and off course lot of crimps).  If you are going to Rio for sport climbing you will find the best routes in grades between 7c and 8b+ (there are 4 routes 8b+ in the city, including the extension of the famous South Confort, of Gullich)

The 2 major crags are:

Campo Escola 2000 –  15 routes from 12m to 25m, with a nice overhanging and grades between 7a+ and 8b+.

Barrinha – 20 routes from 15m to 33m, a little bit overhanging, and grades between 7a+ and 8b+ (the best ones 7c+ and more).

If you are a multi pitch freak you will not be disappointed, more than 500 multi pitch routes up to 350m, where you can find overhangings, traditional, cracks, slabs, artificial … well everything, with grades that goes from III to 8a+.

Beside that we have 2 nice bouldering places, with more than 100 problems ( Urca – same place where you find sugar loaf  – and Reserva do Grajau – the best one, just be sure that you have skin enough…). A nice video of a 8a high ball can be watched on youtube      “Bote Impossivel”. 

The locations of the crags are not alway easy to find, you can meet climbers in Urca for informations every day or buy the city guides (Guia da Urca, Guia da Floresta da Tijuca e Guia da Reserva do Grajau).

The best time in the year to visit is between May and September, not too hot and usually sunny weather. If you climb in CE 2000 you can shower in a little cascade just 5 min from there, if cascades are not your choice you can go to the beach before or after the climb. All of that with the infrastructure of a big city, lot of places to see in the rest days, and a lot of good restaurants with all kinds of food.

Hope that litle article help those interested in the “Wonderfull City”, and for climbing videos of Rio or Brasil in general you can acces the site escaladabrasil.com.