Americas

[Visited: October 2023]

The old driver is very slow and doesn’t know where I am headed. He asks directions even though he uses navigation on his cell phone, and I tell him where to go based on my own phone, but finally we make it up the road to the trailhead of Pico da Tijuca. I register with someone who says that I’m late. Well, yes, I know that: I have lost precious time to get down from Corcovado and get here in Rio de Janeiro traffic. As already planned, I start hiking up fast. I realize that I didn’t eat, and I only have less than half a liter of water with me. The hike is easy trail through the forest, mostly going up apart from a small part where I go down some muddy parts. Within half an hour, the forest clears, and I am at the junction to Pico da Tijuca Mirim and the real Pico da Tijuca. I decide to first go to the lower Pico da Tijuca Mirim which is just 150 m mostly going down over roots. When I reach the end of the trail I am rewarded with a sweeping view of Rio de Janeiro: in the distance I can see Corcovado, and the Sugar Loaf mountain. Moreover, I can see the international airport and I can also see Guanabara Bay.
After soaking in the views, I feel the urge to go up the last bit to the highest point. I go back to the crossroads and then I hike up the last stretch to the highest mountain of Pico da Tijuca park. When I reach the steps that are hewn out in the cliffs, I see two guys - one of them with his pants down, with the voice of a woman that I cannot see, and I don’t understand what they are doing. I ignore them, stop to take pictures and I walk the last bit up not using the chains on the rocks because the stairs are very easy to follow. When I reach the summit, I find a small open space with lots of ants crawling around and I try not to step on them. Here, the views are probably even better than those of Pico da Tijuca Mirim. I see Barra, I see São Conrado, a lake, Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado, Sugarloaf mountain, the beaches east of the bay of Rio, and part of the city of Rio de Janeiro.
When I’m done enjoying the view, I decide to walk down very fast overtaking the two guys. There’s no woman with them, so that will remain a mystery. When I reach the booth where I signed up, I greet the caretaker, and I keep going on the main road and head to the Gabriela waterfalls. At one point, I am super happy to find a place to refill my water, because I have very little left. It turns out that the map on my phone is not accurate, and I end upgoing down through the forest reaching another path which is not on my map. I find the small waterfall, take some pictures, walk back to the main road and then back further down to the entrance. First, I pass the Mayrink chapel, and then arrive at the tallest waterfall of the park: Cascatinha. I saw it from the car on my way up, but now I take some time to listen to the soothing sound of falling water. From here, it is a short walk down, and by now, I want to eat something after hiking more than 25km in half a day, with more than 1300meters climbed. There is an outdoor restaurant near the road, but I am massacred by mosquitoes, they don't have much choice for vegetarians, and I then have to wait a long time for a taxi again. The only thing I desperately need next, is a good shower.

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Pico da Tijuca (Brazil)

Pico da Tijuca > Brazil > Americas

[Visited: October 2023]

Around the World in 80 Clicks