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Igatu Rock Climbing
| Elevation: | 3,267 ft | 996 m |
| GPS: |
-12.25416, -41.46235 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
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| Page Views: | 2,248 total · 30/month | |
| Shared By: | Anunta Anunta on Dec 18, 2019 | |
| Admins: | Roberta Zouain, Matt Looby |
Description
A small historical mining town that has turned into a climbing mecca for climbers in Bahia. The rock is sandstone, and the area is filled with bouldering and sport routes with a few trad lines sprinkled in. You can hire a local climbing guide from Hostel Igatu in town ( hosteligatu.blogspot.com/) or Igatu Escalada Trekking ( igatuescalada.com/), or you can try to decipher the PDF that local climbers pass around. Climbing areas are about 10-15 minutes from downtown walking. There is a lot of potential for route development in the area, and the bolts that are there are in excellent condition). Climbing is available year-round, but best during the winter months. Make sure to bring bug spray with you if you come in warmer months.
To get an idea of some of the climbing available, check out: https://www.thecrag.com/climbing/brazil/area/961305000 --> it contains pictures from the PDF on it . The main areas are Labirinto and Verruga. Dotted throughout the climbing areas are old mining houses, which were constructed out of stone under the overhanging cliff areas--please be respectful of these places. Bouldering ranges from V0 to V13.
For other activities--if you have time for a 40 min detour (or coming off the crag), next to Verruga is an old mine you can explore for R10. There are numerous trips to waterfalls, and if trekking is your thing then you can do a 2-3 day trek across Chapada Diamantina, the national park. Support the local economy and hire guides for your tours--the area is a maze due to all of the massive amount of diamond mining and it's easy to get lost.
Getting There
About 1.5 hours driving from Lencois, 6 hours from Salvador. There is a bus that you can take from Salvador to Lencois. You can also fly into Lencois airport from Salvador, which has 1-3 flights per week depending on the season) (Full disclosure--I'm not entirely sure how to get from Lencois to Igatu). Be prepared for the hand-hewn stone road that start 7km outside of town that gets you into the village. There's a growing tourist industry here, so there are some fancy Pousadas and decent restaurants available in town if you don't want to totally rough it. Hostel Igatu offers basic accommodation with breakfast, also camping if you'd prefer, and it seems to be the climbing nexus for the local climbers.
If you're like me and speak no Portuguese, there are some tour companies will help you with travel arrangements in Lencois and to Igatu, as well as climbing day tours in both areas. I personally hired Brasilien Adventure (https://www.brasilienadventure.com/rocks). Their gear is up to date, and their climbing guides speak English (harder to find than you might think!). They have grigris, carry spot receivers, and have insurance for themselves and their guests in case something happens. They are, however, more expensive since they provide a complete tour, but it is an option if it's your first time here.
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