Text by Bethanie Walder

Brazil: Hiking in style, Serra Fina, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

In mid-September, we escaped the 99°F heat in Piracicaba by heading to the mountains with Fernanda and Gamba. Our plan was to climb Argulhas Negras, the fifth highest mountain in Brazil. We arrived just in time, grabbing one of the last permits of the day. But we were too late for a spot in the campground.

The climb started mellow enough – a dirt trail through otherworldly rocks and “alpine” bamboo. After a short while we encountered rocks, and more rocks and then more rocks. We walked straight up several rock faces and eventually came to a very short, very steep rock that required ropes and harnesses. Gamba, of course, was prepared (and the Park Managers had checked that we had the proper gear before issuing our permit, too). Marcel decided that carrying his big camera up such a climb was not a good idea, and he was right (we did not realize, when setting off for the weekend, what type of mountain we were climbing, or he might have left the camera behind). So Marcel stayed put while the three of us continued bouldering and scrambling up the rock face to the final ascent, which also required ropes. It was a glorious day and the view from the peak was stunning! The mountain was full with people (apparently only 100 people are allowed permits on any given day, and now I understand why, since there are so many tight spots along the trail and at multiple times we had to wait for others to descend before we could ascend and vice versa). Though it was nice to see so many people outside, it was not a “wilderness” type experience.

Hiking down the steep rock faces was even more challenging than hiking up. We met up with Marcel and tiptoed our way back down the last steep sections of the trails. We stayed in the park until sunset, hoping (successfully) for some good late afternoon sun to light up the rocks. We also hoped to find some sapo flamenguinho frogs, which are endemic to Itaitaia. But the rainy season has yet to begin, and the frogs won’t be back until the water is back.

We left the park and headed to Refugio Serra Fina – a beautiful and incredibly comfortable lodge at the base of the Serra Fina mountain range. Since we missed out on a campsite, we opted for a serious upgrade. Gamba is good friends with Mauricio, who owns the Refugio. It was an absolutely perfect place to spend the rest of our weekend. We arrived just in time for dinner on Saturday night.

Image below: Bird of Paradise flower, Refúgio Serra Fina, near Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Bird of Paradise plant Refúgio Serra Fina, near Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, BrazilBird of Paradise plant Refúgio Serra Fina, near Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Image below: Hammocks on the deck of Refúgio Serra Fina, near Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Hammocks on the deck of Refúgio Serra Fina, near Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, BrazilHammocks on the deck of Refúgio Serra Fina, near Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Mauricio built the Refugio specifically to accommodate hikers and to create a calm, tranquil refuge for post-hike relaxation. He’s also working hard to protect water quality and wildlife habitat. He owns a lot of the land above the Refugio, and as long as he owns it, it will not be logged or otherwise degraded, thus ensuring high quality water both for the Refugio and for those below it. The Refugio is perfectly located for those who might want a nice place to start or finish the four-day hike across the Serra Fina mountain range. It’s also perfect for those who just want to spend a nice weekend day hiking, visiting waterfalls, relaxing, meeting other hikers, birdwatching, and eating great food. As with many of the places we’ve been here, the wildlife are very shy and hard to see.

After a blissfully quiet night, we hiked to a smaller peak, Quartizito, with Fernanda and Gamba. It’s the first part of the trail across Serra Fina and it was beautiful, though crazy steep, and with no switchbacks. We returned to the Refugio for lunch and a post afternoon nap in the hammocks. By the time we got organized to leave it was nearly sunset, so we procrastinated for just a few minutes so Marcel could take some photos, and then we piled into the car for the long drive back to Sao Paulo/Piracicaba.

Image below: Fernanda Abra hikes Serra Fina (a section of Serra da Mantiqueira), near Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Fernanda Abra hikes Serra Fina (a section of Serra da Mantiqueira), near Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, BrazilFernanda Abra hikes Serra Fina (a section of Serra da Mantiqueira), near Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Image below: Fernanda Abra hikes Serra Fina (a section of Serra da Mantiqueira), near Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Fernanda Abra hikes Serra Fina (a section of Serra da Mantiqueira), near Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, BrazilFernanda Abra hikes Serra Fina (a section of Serra da Mantiqueira), near Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Image below: Fernanda Abra hikes Serra Fina (a section of Serra da Mantiqueira), near Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Fernanda Abra hikes Serra Fina (a section of Serra da Mantiqueira), near Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, BrazilFernanda Abra hikes Serra Fina (a section of Serra da Mantiqueira), near Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Image below: Hikers in Serra Fina (a section of Serra da Mantiqueira), near Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Hikers in Serra Fina (a section of Serra da Mantiqueira), near Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, BrazilHikers in Serra Fina (a section of Serra da Mantiqueira), near Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Image below: Hikers in Serra Fina (a section of Serra da Mantiqueira), near Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Hikers in Serra Fina (a section of Serra da Mantiqueira), near Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, BrazilHikers in Serra Fina (a section of Serra da Mantiqueira), near Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Click here for more images of Serra Fina and the Refúgio Serra Fina

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