We just spent a week in the valley just up the road from Sao Bento.  The climbing is amazing and it seems as if the rock never ends.  The first few days we (Felipe, Joan, Gibara) were without a car so we hiked to the climbing.  About a heinous hour trudge, which seemed to put the RMNP approach to shame, we arrived at the boulders.  We started climbing and were able to try until our skin burned into the night- all thanks to a streetlight.  The rock is quite nice, fine-grained granite, similar to that of Cresciano in Switzerland, soft and comfortable at first, after a day or two sharp as hell!  The first day I managed to climb a classic, Salinas V12, the first half of a traverse Daniel opened about a month ago on his visit to Brazil called Power of Midium.  After the brief success we headed down to a boulder Felipe opened called Itaipava, after the Brazilian beer. I checked the moves out but was too tried to finish it up. We set our sights on a project to the right.  After about an hour the moves were done and the beta was set.  Unfortunately on a close attempt Felipe broke a hold.  Luckily, enough remained of the small gaston, now more slopey, to make the move.  We decided to call it a day and head home.  The following days were spent cruising around searching for boulders, enjoying the local food...BBQ, Acai, Itaipava, coxinhas- like a French tourton but with chicken and just as fried!  I found many new boulders and climbed a few.  Times are good!  Nate arrived on the 16th so the crew assembled and Sao Bento was put on hold.  

We just got to Ubatuba yesterday and have already had a great day.  After a long drive in the evening I stepped out and felt a nice cool breeze, untypical good conditions since I've arrived.   Beyond the nice breeze I noticed waves crashing the beach and in the distance the outline of boulders and little islands.  After a quick night's sleep (at the beach house!) no one was disappointed to wake up to the ocean, beach and boulders just down the coast.  We were off soon after breakfast.  The climbing at Ubatuba is unlike anything I have seen before, amazing granite boulders on the beach... being by the ocean they have formed such like the rock in Hueco, which for me was a great change!  We got to work immediately and after checking out the moves of the classic Os bacanas, a V13 Felipe suggested to me, I decided to give an attempt from the start and to everyone's surprise, even mine, I topped it out!  Soon after that, Felipe sent his project, a boulder traverse, similar to right martini, to create what could be Brazil's first V14 Into the Wild.  I gave a few attempts to check the moves but my skin was trashed so we packed it up and headed back to the casa for some beer and yet again, another BBQ.  Happy times!  The next day, with minimal skin, we headed out a bit earlier.  Felipe managed to send the last problem, for him in Ubatuba, the Brazilian Karma and I finished up the first V12 part of Into The Wild.  After sampling some more classics we packed it up and headed back again- skin completely trashed and psych high we are preparing for the next area.  We are departing now so I will be in touch shortly!  Until next time...check out these photos in the Rest Of The World album in the Gallery

Jon