We have been waiting to hike Pedra Grande until this month when we would have the time and the weather wouldn’t be blazing hot. We loaded up the car with the interns and headed out.
Labeled the City’s Postcard, Pedra Grande, or Large Stone, is a main attraction for the city of Atibaia. Raising to 1,450 meters (4,757 feet) it has magnificent views of the city. It is also popular for paragliding, rappelling, trails, etc. Surrounded by the Serra do Itapetinga, the mountain was listed as a state natural monument in 1983.
It is kind of hard to get a good picture to the show the majesty of the actual mountain but you can easily tell which mountain it is, as the stone outcrop at the top is pretty easy to spot anywhere in town. It makes me think of Stone Mountain in Georgia.
It was fairly hard to find information about the mountain, how to get to the trails, etc… well, at least for this non-Portuguese speaking American. But I finally found a website, http://www.atibaianovo.com.br, which Google translated for me. That website provided plenty of information about where to go if you’re hiking, driving, or requesting a professional assistant for paragliding, etc.
You can drive up to the top but it is recommended, but not mandatory, that you have 4 wheel drive and NEVER try to hike or drive during or right after rain. Access to the hiking trail is granted by entering the Condomínio Arco-Íris, or Rainbow Community. Once you check in at the gate, you follow the simple directions to the back of the community and park at the trailhead.
The hike is rated difficult, not for the length, as it is only about a mile and a half to the top, but it is straight up the mountain.
Combine the steep ascent with the primitive trail and heat, and it becomes harder than many other longer trails. The hike up had all our hearts pounding, even the interns and the boys.
Make sure you take PLENTY of water. Even though we were going in July (winter here), it was still close to 80 degrees and when you pair that with relatively low humidity it makes for an easy way to quickly become dehydrated. We all wished we had brought more than one bottle of water.
The hike was great if you like a little challenge. This is not your leisurely walk through the woods. But it was definitely worth it. Remember, you can always drive and walk on the stone top if you are unable to hike.
We took our time enjoying the views from the top and ate some lunch.
After lunch, we went finished our ascent by heading out the super short trail Pedra Rachada, or Cracked Stone.
The views are amazing. It’s so peaceful. I love being out in nature like this.
With our bodies fed and rested, we headed back down.
There is a lot of loose dirt that makes the descent, although way less strenuous, much more perilous. I slid on the smooth packed trail covered in loose dirt multiple times.
Tuck found it easier to squat down and slide in some spots rather than try to walk.
The trail is pretty rutted out from when it rains, trail signage is minimal, and some places are snug to fit through.
Although there were a few complaints hiking up, everyone was glad they did the hike in the end. Nothing like the feeling of accomplishment to erase the memory of momentary pain.
Oh yeah, you’re going to want some cool açaí after this hot hike.
So after making the stroganoff last week, I decided to tackle rice and beans this week. Let’s just say, I’m going to need some help with those beans. It was the first time I had ever in my life used a pressure cooker. Brazilians love their pressure cookers. The beans and rice turned out edible but by no means wonderful. The rice wasn’t as fluffy as we would have liked and the beans, despite the onion, garlic, seasonings, and bay leaves, were pretty bland. I will need reinforcements for next time. But we paired it with some skin on, seasoned, and grilled chicken thighs for a pretty Brazilian meal.
Tuck had a loose tooth that had been frustrating him for a week or so. Well, this week he had finally had enough, and he yanked that thing out.
Next week will probably be pretty uneventful, as we are just working on school and resting, so I might not post anything. We’ll see. But after that we will be gearing up for the kids to come back and a another team to arrive.
NoHurryCains 
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