Stephen's 2013 Summer Blog: Climbing the Mount Babilonia Trail in Rio.

Trilha Morra da Babilonia. Mount Babilonia Trail.

I took one of the trails the city has advertised for visitors. They call the program E-trails and use a brochure filled with QR Codes. It was the one closest to my rented apartment and includes climbing through the very poor and old Babilonia neighborhood. I returned with Gabby for a second climb on July 11th.

Mount Babilonia on right, with Pao de Acar on left.

Mount Babilonia, looking from Botofogo.

Here is the movie trailer from the 1959 Oscar Award winning movie "Orfeau Negro" (Black Orpheus). A film about life in a Rio Favela. The opening scene is clearly filmed on "Morro Da Babilonia".

This has always one of my favorite movies and was the first "art" movie I ever saw.

Historical data about the film:

Black Orpheus won the Palme d'Or at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival as well as the 1960 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and the 1960 Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film (in those awards the film was credited as a French production; only in the 1961 BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Language Film was Brazil credited together with France and Italy). Lengthy passages of the film were shot in the Morro da Babilônia, a favela in the Leme neighbourhood of Rio de Janeiro.In 1999, the film was remade as Orfeu by Carlos Diegues, with a soundtrack featuring Brazilian singer-songwriter Caetano Veloso.

The trail starts in the Leme section, one of Copacabana's oldest and wealthiest.

My journey begins at the beginning of Copacabana, in an area called LEME, the wealthiest and oldest part. A small street goes off and up the hill.

This small side street leads off up the hill.

It continues to climb up.

The street ends and concrete stairs begin.

Views of the Babilonia favela.

Soon the stairs end and a muddy path goes on.

Up and Up I went.

I bought a bottle of water and was off. You climb up a steep narrow street until it ends. Everyone I asked said I would never find the path on my own, but I decided to try. At least this way I could climb at my own pace. The street turns into concrete stairs, then a muddy dirt path.

Rising above city.

The houses go from old and new two, three and four story buildings to shacks of ceramic brick and concrete blocks, Built helter skelter style with no plans or permits. I rest often, ask directions and drink a lot of water. It's hot but not uncomfortable.

Views of Copacabana become visible through breaks in the lush canopy.

Last house, made of mud and wood.

Finally you reach the final house. It's a kind of adobe mud structure with wood slats (the rain would make solid adobe impossible). It has make shift electricity and a small PVC water pipe outside (see video below). This type of house appears in the 1959 movie also.

An rather unimposing and dirty signs appears out of nowhere.

On second trip (July 11th), this cute dog adopted us and lead the way up & down.

You go from the wealthiest to the poorest in 20 minutes and maybe 300 feet in altitude.

The simple trail begins.

From there the trail begins. The sign announces you are now in a national reserve and should take care not to disturb the nature preserve. The unique Atlantic Rain Forest begins to emerge.

Almost at top.

The whole mountain/hill is 200 meters above sea level and made of solid rock with a Tropical Atlantic (different from Caribbean or Amazon) Rain Forest precariously clinging to part of it surfaces. The trail is just earthen steps and exposed roots to help one's accession.

Looking back at city.

As you climb, beautiful vistas of Rio, and the Copacabana section are glimpsed through the lush green canopy. I see no one else at all, I'm all alone. Large, friendly blue luminescent butterflies the size of a slice of pizza flutter all around you. These are exactly the same you see in framed displays on sale in stores and museums around the world. The thick green canopy above begins to thin out. The tropical flora changes to rough low bushes and the top of the mountain is in sight.

Trail leads through a lush "Atlantic Rain Forest". Who knew they even existed.

Finally I emerge from the remaining canopy and see the sky above. Suddenly you are out in the open and presented with an incredible view. The cable cars coming and going to the top of the Sugar Loaf Mountain are just ahead. All of the central part of Rio is below you. The Jet planes preparing to land at the domestic Santos Dumont Airport begin their approaches which is actually below you.

Finally at top. Botofogo section and Yacht Club in foreground. Flamango beach in distance.

I'm still all alone. I have the whole mountain to myself. Here I am in arguably the densest city in the world and I have the whole park to myself. The vultures are circling below. One lands near me and stalks me with hungry eyes. What does he know that I don't?

Vulture and me at the top.

Finally I think the vulture realizes I'm not near death, I hope, and takes off.

Rock surface is exposed and visible at top of mountain.

I hang out about another half an hour and start to descend. I would imagine going down will be easier. It is in one regard, but requires more attention not to fall.

Assembled Panoramic view.

About 5 minutes down I come to an area that is the Rio/south viewing area. In order to get a good shot I have to go under the wire. I get down to the ground to keep my center of gravity low and shimmy out on the exposed rock out cropping. I get some good photos of the southern zone, Copacabana and Ipanema and I crawl back to the wire barrier. I continue down back to civilization.