Sunrise
Above a sea of cloud.
Lucas Antunes Braga Machado de Oliveira — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lucas Antunes Braga Machado de Oliveira — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bruna Letícia dos Santos — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Nilton Dantas Reis Junior — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ianes Cardoso — CC BY-SA 4.0
Pico da Bandeira is the highest point in south-east Brazil and the third-highest peak in the country, at 2,891 metres by the national statistics institute's survey as revised in 2016. It stands in Caparaó National Park on the border of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, the summit itself lying in Espírito Santo a few metres from the line. It has a rare distinction: no point on Earth as high or higher lies within 2,344 km, making it one of the most topographically isolated mountains in the world. The climb suits most ages with reasonable fitness: an eight-kilometre road inside the park, passable for most cars, runs from the Alto Caparaó gate to the Tronqueira area, then a trail of about nine kilometres climbs nearly a thousand metres. Many start walking at night from the Terreirão camp to reach the top at sunrise above a sea of cloud. Temperatures at the top drop below freezing in June and July, so bring warm clothes and a torch. The dry season from May to September gives the clearest skies, and park entry is charged, so check the current fee with the park.
Above a sea of cloud.
Night start point.
Rocks and alpine plants.
Caparaó National Park, entrance at Alto Caparaó (Minas Gerais)
About nine kilometres and nearly a thousand metres up from Tronqueira; many start at night from the Terreirão camp to reach the top at sunrise.
