Pedra Riscada: How to Plan a Big Wall Trip to Brazil's Largest Granite Monolith

Pedra Riscada is not a route most visiting climbers know about. It should be. A monolithic granite wall rising 1,260 meters from the Atlantic Forest of northern Minas Gerais, it is the largest rock monolith in South America — a claim that tends to surprise people who associate big walls with Yosemite, Patagonia, or Norway. When American climber Sasha DiGiulian made the first free ascent of Planeta dos Macacos (8a+, 5.13c) on the south face in 2014, the international climbing press noticed for about a week. Then silence. Pedra Riscada returned to being known only to Brazilian climbers and a handful of Europeans who had seen the photographs.

The monolith sits near the town of São João da Glória in the Grão Mogol region of northern Minas Gerais. The nearest significant city is Montes Claros, a 3-hour drive north of Belo Horizonte. Access requires a car — there is no public transport within reasonable distance of the trailhead — and the approach from the nearest pousada to the base of the wall takes 2-3 hours on foot depending on the route you are accessing.

The most accessible multi-pitch route for visiting climbers is Moonwalker, a 19-pitch line rated 7a (5.11d) at the crux, with sustained sections in the 5.10 to 5.11a range. The route was established over multiple seasons by local climber Fábio Assis and his partners and represents the standard by which other Pedra Riscada objectives are measured. Moonwalker follows a natural crack and face system on the southwest buttress, staying on relatively clean rock with solid bolted anchors at each belay. Budget a full day car-to-car for a competent team. A bivy on the wall is possible on longer routes.

The Planeta dos Macacos route (the line Sasha DiGiulian freed) is 5.13c at its crux and should only be attempted by climbers who can project hard sport in the 5.13 range at altitude. For most visiting climbers it is an objective to observe from the base, not to attempt — the crux pitch alone requires sustained 5.13 movement with no rest holds. However, the route below and above the crux pitch involves 5.10-5.11 climbing that is well within reach of competent multi-pitch leaders, and some teams have climbed it in a combination of free and aid on the hardest section.

Logistics for a Pedra Riscada trip are not simple and reward thorough planning. You will need to arrange a guide — independent route-finding on the wall is difficult and the consequences of getting lost on a 1,260-meter face are serious. The most established guide operator for Pedra Riscada is Guias de Grão Mogol, which can be contacted through the Montes Claros climbing community. Prices for a full-day guided multi-pitch run R$600-800 for a two-person team. Accommodation in São João da Glória is limited to a few pousadas — call ahead, especially during Brazilian long weekends when local tourism peaks.

The best time to climb is May through August. The Grão Mogol region sits at a latitude where the dry season is pronounced and the temperature on the wall is comfortable — typically 22-28°C at the base and notably cooler on the upper pitches. Outside the dry season, the rock can become slick and the approach trails are muddy and difficult.

Why go? Pedra Riscada offers something you cannot find in any other climbing region: big-wall granite in a setting of Atlantic Forest that has no infrastructure, no crowds, and no established tourist economy. You will share the wall with nobody. The approach through the forest involves wildlife crossings, birdsong, and on lucky mornings the sound of muriqui monkeys in the canopy above you. It is remote, committing, serious climbing — and the payoff is one of the most dramatic granite environments in the world.