Trip Report
Brazil Granite Bouldering By The Ocean
Monday November 29, 2010 11:56am
I went to Brazil for six days of surfing and six days of a wedding party for Corey and Marina Rich. I didn't think there would be much if any climbing but I threw in my climbing shoes just in case. Turns out, there was bouldering 30 feet away from the surf break!

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Chris McNamara bouldering at Guarda Brazil above a great surf break.
Chris McNamara bouldering at Guarda Brazil above a great surf break.
Credit: Lita Collins
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The rock was similar to good Joshua Tree rock. A little gritty at times but mostly solid and tacky. I got lucky in that whenever the wind kicked up and made the waves less ride-able... it made bouldering conditions that much better.

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Bouldering in Guarda, Brazil.
Bouldering in Guarda, Brazil.
Credit: Lita Collins
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The next day I continued down the coast and found a complete deserted beach with even better boulders.

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Deserted beach north of Guarda, Brazil
Deserted beach north of Guarda, Brazil
Credit: Chris McNamara
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Bouldering in Brazil.
Bouldering in Brazil.
Credit: Chris McNamara
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Credit: Chris McNamara
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Credit: Chris McNamara
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Getting ready for a problem with surfers in the background.
Getting ready for a problem with surfers in the background.
Credit: Lita Collins
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Natural Brazilian Infinity pool by the ocean
Natural Brazilian Infinity pool by the ocean
Credit: Chris McNamara
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Natural Infinity pool with occasional big wave next to bouldering.
Natural Infinity pool with occasional big wave next to bouldering.
Credit: Chris McNamara
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There are a bunch of towns on the coast. But we felt Guarda was one of the best. It had amazing surf that was sheltered from the wind. Great bouldering. Not too many people.

If you are thinking of ever doing a trip to this area, go when we did. Late November/early December. After December 26 and before March the place is a zoo with Argentinian and EU tourists. We pretty much had the place to ourselves.

We stayed at an amazing Pousada (aka Brazilian Bed & Breakfast in Guarda) . Not expensive with views of the beach so you could see when the surf was good or when it was too windy. There is also a slightly more famous surf beach nearby called Praia Do Rosa. It was made popular by a recent Quicksilver surf tour. However, when we checked it out, we found the town not nearly as cool as Guarda Surfing and the surf is much more fickle because it gets much more wind (kite surfers would dig it).

parting shot, they really know how to make beer cuzzies in the tropical climates!
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The ultimate way to keep a beer cold.
The ultimate way to keep a beer cold.
Credit: Chris McNamara
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They know how to throw a wedding party in Brazil!!!

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Credit: Chris McNamara
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  Trip Report Views: 8,604
Chris McNamara
About the Author
Climbing Magazine once computed that three percent of Chris McNamara’s life on earth had been spent on the face of El Capitan – an accomplishment that left friends and family pondering Chris’s sanity. He has climbed El Capitan more than 70 times and holds nine big wall speed climbing records. In 1998 Chris did the first Girdle Traverse of El Capitan, an epic 75-pitch route that asks the question, “Why?”

Outside Magazine has called Chris one of “the world’s finest aid climbers.” He is the winner of the 1999 Bates Award from the American Alpine Club and founder of the American Safe Climbing Association, a nonprofit group that has replaced more than 5000 dangerous anchor bolts. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley and serves on the board of the ASCA and the Rowell Legacy Committee. He has a rarely updated adventure journal, maintains BASEjumpingmovies.com, and also runs a Lake Tahoe home rental business.

Comments
skywalker

climber
  Nov 29, 2010 - 12:11pm PT
Hey thanks for posting. I'm off to Panama. Wonder if I should toss my shoes in as well.

S...
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
  Nov 29, 2010 - 12:13pm PT
Always toss your shoes in.

Thanks Chris!
Morgan

Trad climber
East Coast
  Nov 29, 2010 - 05:15pm PT
Obrigado, Chris.
drunkenmaster

Social climber
santa rosa
  Nov 29, 2010 - 05:16pm PT
Nice!
Porkchop_express

Trad climber
Springdale, UT
  Nov 29, 2010 - 05:35pm PT
thanks for posting this, Chris. I had been wondering about the climbing opportunities in Brazil.
harihari

Trad climber
Squampton
  Nov 29, 2010 - 05:46pm PT
FYI, there is something similar on the coast of Colombia. In the enormous Tayrona National Park, there are amazing granite boulders, thousands of them.

I did a bit of bouldering when there. If I were to go back and be serious about it, I would bring more pads, and some gardening tools (clippers, machetes, rakes) cos there is a bit of cleanign to be done. But that said, these boulders are incredible (and not all of them are in the forest-- there is stuff in the water, on the beach, etc, too): big, solid, cool lines, and most landings are soft and flat.
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
  Nov 29, 2010 - 06:26pm PT
good stuff
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Nov 29, 2010 - 11:16pm PT
Awesome chris,
thanks for sharing, quite the bikini pics, thanks....:)
2 l l

Sport climber
Rancho Verga, CA
  Nov 30, 2010 - 01:22am PT
oh!
Gym Birdwall

Gym climber
Santa Rosa, CA
  Nov 30, 2010 - 09:50pm PT
Your life realy sucks, don't it Chris?
ontheedgeandscaredtodeath

Social climber
Wilds of New Mexico
  Nov 30, 2010 - 10:28pm PT
I have to confess to enlarging one of the photos.

Nice trip, how were the waves?
this just in

climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
  Dec 13, 2010 - 10:54am PT
Hell yeah Chris. Looks relaxing.
Doug Robinson

Trad climber
Santa Cruz
  Dec 13, 2010 - 12:03pm PT
Nice, Chris.

Thanks!
A5talvez

Big Wall climber
Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
  Jan 4, 2011 - 05:28am PT
Hi, I'm a climber of Brazil live in Rio de Janeiro, here bouders, bigwall, sports, beaches and surf and a beautiful place for a safe trip from climbing and surfing.
J. Werlin

Social climber
Cedaredge, CO
  Jan 4, 2011 - 09:32am PT
A bit of paradise, eh? Thanks for the post CMac.
mike m

Trad climber
black hills
  Oct 31, 2011 - 12:03am PT
Looks pretty rough.
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