chossclimbers

Go back to Brazil II.
Go back to Pancas To Pedra Riscada.

4am departure the next morning for an hourlong drive to the trailhead. A bit route finding through the cow pastures early on in the approach. Some route finding in the cow pasture early on in the approach. Eventually, we found the correct trail which quickly petered out anyway. Some fairly easy cross country travel brought us to the start of our route, the 20-pitch, 1120 meter, Vsup (5.10a) monster that is Moonwalker. Our friends climbed first as a team of 3 and we climbed after them. We were all congratulating ourselves on the nicely overcast weather (keeping conditions relatively cool) despite the slight mist in the air. As the morning progressed and the mist was not subsiding but rather increasing, we started thinking that we were dealing with more than just a morning marine layer conditions. By the time we were on pitch 6 or 7, mist turned to slight drizzle and the rock was getting wet. The route follows water grooves and the bolting was just sufficient on the first 8 pitches. We all met up atop pitch 8 – the first decent ledge – to consider our options. Adilio set off leading pitch 9 but reported wet rock and lowered down from partway up. We took an hourlong break waiting for things to dry out a bit. For a while, the drizzle did in fact subside and we were all optimistic that we might make the planned bivy ledge atop pitch 12. Adilio set off again on pitch 9 and reported dryish conditions. I led the pitch and found it challenging with the damp conditions and spaced out bolting. The drizzle resumed as Shirley was following the pitch and the two of us were strongly leaning towards bailing. We then heard our companions yelling from top of pitch 10 that they too decided to bail due to worsening rain.

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We combined our forces for the rappels the first few of which went smoothly. The rain was increasing and somewhere at pitch 4 or 5 our ropes got hung up as it got dark. Shirley, Didi, and Igor were already a pitch below us. Adilio prussiked up the ropes (a full pitch length as it turned out) to free a rope twist that got jammed in the rap rings. We continued on our way down till again Adilio and I got our soaked twins hung up somewhere on pitch 3. Pitch dark and now raining, the remaining two ropes were fixed down the last two pitch and we all made it to the ground. The water grooves were swollen with running water by this point. We bushwhacked our way out – the jararaca run-in from the previous evening never far from my mind – and made it to town before the last of the dinner places closed. Not exactly all beaches and caipirinhas.

Photos

Go to Pedra Riscada To Itatim.
Go back to Brazil II.