Melano Peak

Morro do Melano, or Melano Peak is 2.566m high, and that makes it one of the smallest peaks of Serra Fina range, since the highest peak of the range and fourth brazilian peak is Mina Rock. Very popular mountain since it is the second highpoint you'll reach before Mina itself on the traverse route (page I'll do in some days). A lot of brazilian mountaineers summit Melano on the traverse program but they not even know they do. The first summit of the famouns Serra Fina traverse is Capim Amarelo Peak, followed by Melano Peak, before you reach the huge valley wuch separates the Mina massif from Tartarugão Peak massif.

Melano has a amazing sequence of five summits, all between 2.250m and 2.545m, and the highest is the last one, which rises a little bit higher than that to be the true summit of the mountain. The views are breathtaking of course since it's possible to see at first hand Point 2667 very close by, Mina Rock, and on the right of the valley Morro do Tartarugão (or Big Turtle Peak).

That mountain is one of several summits of Sierra Fina range, but at this place, most of the mountains not even have a name. I saw and photographed myself at least ten different summits worthy of a name. But the only ones with a name and the proper registry are:

Pedra da Mina - 2.798 m. (4th highest peak of Brazil)
Pico dos 3 Estados - 2.665 m.
Pico Cabeça de Touro - 2.649 m.
Morro do Tartarugão - 2.631 m.
Pico Alto do Capim Amarelo - 2.500 m.

Getting There

There are 3 possible ways to get to that mountain, and for each one of them, first of all, you have to manage your way to a little city of Minas Gerais called Passa Quatro. From there, get yourself a private transport to one of the spots in red, depending of your choice:

First: SPOT: TOCA DO LOBO FARM: Starting the Serra Fina traverse from the west side. First summit: Alto do Campim Amarelo (this mountain). This is a direct route to this mountain only, sine it is the first one you do on the traverse route.

Second: SPOT: SITIO DO PIERRE: Starting from the Serra Fina traverse from the northeast side route. First summit: 3 States Peak (1 night) and go from there in the next morning.

Third: SPOT: SERRA FINA FARM: A never used route for this mountain: Starting from Serra Fina Farm, hike up to Pedra da Mina by the north side, 1 night. Go from there and be ready for a really tough task, it is 13kms hike to go and come back. 10 to 12 hours, full day job.

Red Tape

Take your garbage with you!!!
Be careful, Serra Fina has a well known problem with water, find a gps archive to get the water spots, you don't wanna run out! During day time it is hot, but at the night, winter time, it can drop to -13°C. Cold!

Camping

Camping is permited anywhere you want inside the Sierra, and there are 29 camping spots along the traverse route. Please look for ready camping sites along the traditional trailhead.
>There are a couple campsites along Paiolinho route at around 2.000m high, good if you wanna break the ascent in two days.
>Toca do Lobo (a little cave at the beginning of the traverse route at 1.560m high)
>5 or 6 camps on the route from Toca do Lobo to Capim Amarelo summit
>Alto do Capim Amarelo summit
>Maracanã camp site
>Valley after Morro do Melano (by the red waterfall)
>Pedra da Mina summit
>Pedra da Mina base
>Ruah valley (coldest place to camp on Sierra Fina at 2.515m high)
>Small summit after Ruah valley
>Base of Cabeça de Touro Peak
>3 Estados Peak summit
>Alto dos Ivos (the very summit of this mountain)Peak,
>Sítio do Pierre
>Plenty of places! There are 29 registered campsites along the traverse route.

Some photos...

Weather Forecast

PS: The weather forecast on this link is not for this mountain but it will do just fine since the mountain from the forcast (Mina Rock) is close enough, around 5kms away. The same mountain range.

Legal Issues

To hike/ climb is a dangerous activity and requires proper equipment and clothing, the owner of this page cannot be blamed by injuries caused to anyone who read this page for its info about the mountain, and eventually got hurt by doing so with reckless behaviour or bad weather conditions.

Paulo Roberto Felipe Schmidt – AKA: PAROFES

External Links

A brazilian website to get mountains info, including gps files to download:http://www.rumos.net.br/rumos/

My youtube channel: www.youtube.com/parofes - Now with 260+ videos online!

The biggest brazilian website about climbing and mountaineering, for which I'm a columnist:

Images

View Melano Peak Image Gallery - 9 Images