Corcovado Rock Climbing

Corcovado is home to the famous Christ statue in the center of Rio de Janeiro. Its huge south face is almost 1500 feet tall and is home to some of the hardest and most committing routes in Rio. Because of its size, commitment, and difficult approach, Corcovado generally sees less traffic than some of the more accessible areas in Rio, but the climbing is just as good here as anywhere.

There are four main climbing areas on Corcovado: the south face, the north face, and a place referred to as the K2 Area, which is actually the upper portion of the south face, and the contraforte, which is kind of an east buttress of the formation. K2 is a four pitch 5.8 (or 5.10) and is the most popular route on the formation.

Like other areas in Rio, the logistics of climbing on Corcovado can be somewhat tricky and generally require a car. The guidebook, Floresta da Tijuca by Flavio Daflon and Delson de Queiroz is very good, and a new edition is coming out early 2012.

You can climb on Corcovado all year long, but winter (April to October) is the best season. In the summertime the biggest issues are rain and lightning, so be sure to check the weather before heading up there.