After being closed for two years, access to the Corcovado peak, in Ubatuba, at 1,100 meters high, was officially reopened last Friday (22), the result of long negotiations between the Fundação Florestal, the Federal Public Ministry, Funai and the indigenous people of Aldeia Renascer Ywyty Guaçu, today in the final demarcation process.
Founded in 1999, following the resumption authorized by the 1988 Constitution, the Renascer project already covers 29 villages across the state. In Ubatuba, there are 25 families and 120 indigenous people of Tupinambá origin. As one would imagine in an area with a high demand for tourist developments, the community still faces the prejudices of those who, as Cristiano Kiririndju, village leader and coordinator of public policies for indigenous peoples at the Secretariat of Justice and Citizenship of the State of São Paulo, says, “grew up with the school narrative that erases the historical massacre and the right to retake original lands”.
One of the most emblematic points of the Serra do Mar, in the state of São Paulo, the Corcovado peak had been closed in 2020 for restructuring work and was once again embargoed precisely due to a lack of consultation with the owners of the house. Reopened briefly in 2022, it was closed again under pressure from them, outraged by the large number of visitors who arrived without control or planning.
Finally, after many meetings between the parties involved, access is open again, but limited to up to 48 simultaneous visitors per day. The trail is not recommended for beginners. It is considered difficult because its almost 6 kilometers require, on average, 5 to 6 hours of steep climbs and, as usual in the Serra do Mar, slippery due to constant humidity. And then there’s the descent, remember?
The agreement between the parties defined that the unit can only be accessed on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. It is mandatory to hire accredited guides. And then, a detail: every week, the guides alternate between indigenous people trained as environmental monitors and non-indigenous guides from the region.
Those who like wild camping can bring a tent and camp on the summit — but be careful, there is no support structure up there, nor is it allowed to make fires. It should also go without saying that a shit tube is mandatory for taking your organic waste (guys, I love an understatement) away.
The person speaking for the original residents is Kiririndju. He says that the main concern was to ensure respect for the restriction periods (animal reproduction and fruit collection, from October to March, when access will be closed) and “the recognition of the indigenous role in the management of the attraction”. In the village, he says, 13 environmental monitors are available for work, at a cost of R$700 for up to 7 people who want to camp and R$500 if they prefer to take a day trip to the summit (it’s a pull, okay?).
“Before going up, visitors participate in a Tupinambá cultural ceremony in the prayer house”, says Kiririndju, remembering that the village also offers, for those who are not fond of pirambeiras, typical food experiences, crafts, dances, lectures and visits to the local cultural center.
And, if the indigenous people take care of the cycles of nature, Carlos Roberto Paiva, manager of the Serra do Mar State Park, remembers that the FF is responsible for any adjustments and repairs along the trail. “It’s a rope here, a parapet there, possibly a ladder”, he points out. And he remembers that access also requires that everyone wear closed shoes, long pants, in addition to their equipment and water.
LINK PRESENT: Did you like this text? Subscribers can access seven free accesses from any link per day. Just click the blue F below.
