Rock climbing and abseiling on Sugarloaf Mountain

Guanabara Bay shimmering at your feet, Christ the Redeemer hovering on the horizon, rainforest, bays and beaches all around: few urban locations in the world offer a more spectacular backdrop to a rock climb or an abseil.

While it looks like a single mountain, the Sugarloaf you see in the photographs is actually two – the lower Morro da Urca (Urca hill) and the higher Pao de Acucar (Sugarloaf itself). There are climbing routes up both, ranging from the beginner level Morro da Urca Overview (a popular training route) to the technical, advanced Via dos Italianos route. Views are spectacular on all climbs.

Rio has some excellent climbing clubs and schools with fully accredited climbers and state-of-the-art equipment.