24 Apr 2023
Our flight wasn’t leaving until 10pm and we didn’t fancy just loitering in the hotel lobby having had to check out earlier in the day. What to do? A hike up Pedra da Gávea was one of the options and Itaway Ecotours one of the providers with an excellent rating (great and prompt communication), so I messaged to see if they thought we would fit the bill – I’m 60 later this year, my husband a couple of years younger, and we do a fair amount of exercise, but thought it best to check!
I confess, when we got to Rio and I saw it from a distance (it was far away but still loomed large), I did wonder if we’d made a dreadful mistake. There was always the chance of too much rain… As it happened, it did rain a bit but not enough to cancel and I am so very glad because it was one of the most tiring, exhilarating things we have done – definitely out of the comfort zone but a great adventure and gave us a real sense of achievement. Plus, we slept quite well on the flight!
Our guide was Paulo, who made us feel very reassured that we were in safe hands – not just by what he said but by his whole demeanour. There was a fair amount of scrabbling over rocks, tree roots and the like but it was very much ‘steady as she goes’. Oh, and of course the short stint of climbing on the way up and abseiling on the way back down. Couldn’t have asked for anyone better than Paulo – other guides are available :) – he was very precise in his instructions. I did wonder whether his boss had been in touch to see how the oldies were doing…
Safe to say, by the time we reached the summit, neither of us was Instagram-ready (truth be told, I never am) but we were delighted to have made it; the views were stunning and we rested for a while, refuelling and watching the wildlife (and the selfie-takers).
The weather closed in a bit which made for some dramatic ‘through the clouds’ images and a spot of rain made it a tad slippery but it was slow and steady on the way back down. We did it!
What an adventure!