View of a cityscape with lush green hills on the left, buildings in the middle ground, and a distant mountain. Corcovado hike enthusiasts will note Sugarloaf Mountain on the horizon. The sky is overcast with patches of blue, adding to the scenes dramatic flair.

Hiking Corcovado To Cristo Redentor (Giant Stone Jesus)

LOOK! Up there on the cliff!

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no, it’s Superman! Well, actually it’s not Superman, it’s Giant Stone Jesus – sorry to disappoint you.

Although now that I am thinking about the two of them, Giant Stone Jesus vs. Superman in a battle to the death would certainly be entertaining (even though Superman would be the clear victor).

Inspired by this view (above – not the image of Superman v. Jesus), I decided that I would hike up to Senhor Jesus shortly after this picture was taken. Yes, from the spot this picture was taken up to Mister Jesus on foot; it took about 1 hour 45 minutes door to door.

Granted it may not have been undertaken at a decent hour (just before dark), and it may have been better to know where I was going prior to leaving (hint: the trailhead is in Parque Lage), but I would say that on the whole, the operation was incredibly successful. My time in Brazil would not be complete without a Corcovado hike.

Upon reaching the top I was not allowed to enter the monument without first taking a van down to the bottom and buying a ticket (that’s Brazilian efficiency for you).

Despite being ready for hand-to-hand monkey combat, I remained unmolested throughout the trip to the top.

Corcovado Trailhead Sign
The lone sign indicating where the hike begins.

The hike itself was more difficult than I had expected (aka all uphill – but when you think about it, there’s nothing else you can expect).

About two-thirds of the way up the mountain you hit the tracks that the tram runs on, and you just follow them up to the top (at least that’s what I did). I don’t think that you’re technically allowed to do this, but if I have learned anything here it’s that the rules are usually more a sort of suggestion.

Foggy Corcovado
Things got a little tense once the darkness and the fog set in.

Should you find yourself in Rio de Janeiro and you have some time to spare I would definitely recommend doing this hike.

As I said, it is challenging, so make sure you bring plenty of water and spare yourself plenty of daylight before attempting it.

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