Description
The Pedras Brancas climbing area is located in the parish of Água de Pau (municipality of Lagoa), on the Island of São Miguel, Azores. It has more than 40 sport climbing routes, equipped in basalt rock, with lengths between 5 and 25 meters, and difficulties ranging from grade 4 to grade 8. The wall is oriented to the southeast and offers better conditions for climbing during drier days (if there is heavy rainfall it may take up to 3 days to dry completely; if it rains little, the following day may offer already favorable conditions).
[Topo and pdf guide](https://lagoa-acores.pt/menu/viver/desporto/instalacoes-desportivas/parede.escalada/m/8446b08e8ed0406db5b95441e1693e12). [Topos](https://27crags.com/crags/pedras-brancas). [Topo](http://climbingportugal.blogspot.com/2015/08/flor-da-rosa-agua-de-pau-s-miguel-acores.html?m=1). [Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=DIEse23DUQk). [Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QThjJodQsVc).
Approach
(🅿️,37.728840,-25.499818)
(mount fuji,37.731144,-25.495028)
The location of the wall coincides with point of interest No. 3 of the official trail “Rota da Água – Pedras Brancas” (PR41 SMI). By car, arriving at the Água de Pau Church, take the street that runs behind it, towards the football field. Follow this street for 500m, passing under the highway viaduct, after which you should continue for another 200m (do not turn onto the PR41 SMI pedestrian path). Turn right at the fork with a green gate and, a few meters ahead, next to a water tank, turn right again. Go up a concrete street for 700m, after which you will reach an intermediate access to the PR41 SMI route, on a section of street flanked on the left by a block wall. Try to park leaving space for agricultural machines to circulate. Continue on foot along the marked path (red-yellow signs) for another 700m until the first routes will appear on the left.
See [pdf guide](https://lagoa-acores.pt/menu/viver/desporto/instalacoes-desportivas/parede.escalada/m/8446b08e8ed0406db5b95441e1693e12).
History
This climbing area was born from the pioneering work of local climbers Pedro Melo, Ernesto Silva and Luís Guimarães. They started by cleaning and equipping the “Ratattouille” route, on June 3, 2012, returning a few days later to equip the “Trinca Espinhas” (also known as “Comprida”). In mid-July, moved by the potential that seemed great on that wall, Paulo Vaz joined, equipping classics such as “Fonte” and “Ode to Jóia”. João Pereira (local climber), made his contribution, leaving his name on the “Mulata” and “Chapa” routes. A couple of years later, Paulo “Jóia” Rego, Tarso Costa and Za Patxillas expanded the number of routes by equipping “Estica Estica”, “São Sebastião”, “Dolmen” and others. The scenery was much more composed, but there was still room for lines that would make the area more complete and diverse. Starting their equipment work in 2019, Tomás Fontes and Bruno Bagnari expanded the offer by opening routes such as the “Richter Scale”, “Saltimbrocas”, “Quarto Crescente”, “Horas Extra” and “Ode Triunfal”, placing this area climbing in one of the most interesting and well developed in the Azores. It is also one of the largest to date, with more than 40 equipped routes.
