Pedra da Mina - The Challenge

The Trip

Pedra da Mina 2008

The climb to Pedra da Mina ever was a dream for us. Me and Kelly since for the first time when we visited Itatiaia Massif, looked to the great group of mountains called Serra Fina and said “wow, maybe next year?”


So, we decided to go in 2008 to know just 1/3 of the area in Serra Fina, by Paiolinho trail (The shorter but, the most difficult trail). This access has 10km of a hard trail, without water sources, needing to carry all water for this long trail.

We arrived in Fazenda Serra Fina (Serra Fina Farm) at 8am and started the long trail to the top a little bit delayed, because in my rough estimate, we had to depart at 6am. Some climbers said to me that this route needs around 8 – 10 hours walking.

The first section, from Serra Fina Farm to the first summit, at 2350m is very hard trail, wasting part of energies, because my backpack was with 20kg, I was almost a Sherpa. After the 1st great ramp, we stopped by the top to take some pictures, and recovered the energies. I said to Kelly – “This trail is more harder than we thought…” She agreed. But we didn’t have choices, got up and put the backpacks and retook the trail to the next two hours ascending.


In this moment, the sun was high, the temperature in 25 – 28°C and no winds. The wearing was unavoidable and the steps turned slow, wasting more time to reach the top. After the first summit in the previous section, there are three little peaks before the main ramp, sometimes inside the forest, sometimes on the crest. The ascending started and we were exhausted, pausing for each 10 minutes to take some oxygen and refresh the body. After 1 hour, we reached the second false summit at 3:45pm and stopped by to rest a little while, at 2650m. The last ramp and the summit of Pedra da Mina was there, more than 1 hour far from us. I looked to Kelly and I saw in her eyes how tired she was… But one more time, we didn’t have choices – “Let’s go?”


We were near the summit, but a long trail ahead frighten us, but the time was finishing. The last sun lights were the advice to walk faster than we could. We reached the top at 5:10pm, fixed the tent in the best place (at 2797m), alone and very happy. We were realized! We climbed the mountain! We prepared the food to rest all night long…

The second day on the mountain was “the day to take the water”. We needed to drop to the West valley, called Vale do Rio Claro (Claro River Valley) 400m below the top. 2 hours walking in a sunny day and, we arrived in a clear stream, perfect to take a shower and to catch water for the next two days. I carried with me 4 bottles with 2 litres each one and, in the moment to return to the top, the weight advised me to walk slowly, to save energies. The rest of the second day was just to relax, taking some pictures from different places, looking for another groups walking on the trails of Serra Fina, talking with other mountaineers about the trail and, waiting the special moment in the day, the sunset. After the Nature show, we stayed free to wait the moonrise, listening good musics in a low volume, respecting others. The night was long and cold, below zero.
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The third day was the return for home, starting the descending at 7:30am, walking alone, me and Kelly. A very special moment, the only that we were alone in the trail and we could talk about the whole trip. We finished the trail at 2:40pm, changing the clothes and we decided to lunch in the highway, because we didn’t eat real good foods in three days on the mountain.
The trip to Pedra da Mina was perfect, and my lovely Kelly was a “warrior”.
Congratulations and I love you Kelly.
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