Rio Rocks

Rio de Janeiro is known for many things – the statue of Christ on the hunchbacked peak of Corcovado, curving Copacabana beach, sunsets, Carnival, football and dangerous encounters resulting in the potential loss of a wallet – but, for us, the most distinct memory will be dangling on a rope and clinging for dear life onto a rock surface known as Pão de Açucar (Sugar Loaf mountain).


Perhaps our increased enjoyment of climbing things (eg. Wayna Picchu and the odd Patagonian glacier), and the fact that in her comment on our previous post Laura called us "outdoorsy", led to a moment of overconfidence. Which may explain what possessed us to declare boldly “cable cars are for wooses!” and sign ourselves up for a 400m rock climb to the summit. Before we had time to talk some sense into ourselves - weh-hey! - we were strapped to a rock face and wishing we’d paid more attention to those arm muscles during our gym-going years…

Well, as we’re not writing this blog while still dangling from that rope, it appears we made it to the top. Although maybe next time we’ll take the cable car like sensible people do (although where would the adrenalin be in that?).