Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 20.3989°S / 41.79409°W
Additional Information County: Minas Gerais
Activities Activities: Hiking, Mountaineering, Scrambling
Seasons Season: Fall, Winter
Additional Information Elevation: 8478 ft / 2584 m
Sign the Climber's Log
Me at Tesourinho Peak summit: 2584m
Me at the summit.

Tesourinho Peak (Little Treasure Peak) is another one of the main summits of Serra do Caparaó, inside Caparaó National Park. This is not an easy mountain just like others inside the park (easier than Tesouto Peak only), despite the fact there some trails and cairns to see the way to the summit, a long walkup waits for you to reach that summit, but not that long. It's a gorgeous mountain to me because from the trail, it looks like a volcano! It is quite hard to find water points at the trails, just on Terreirão camp site - 2370m at the Minas Gerais trail and at Casa Queimada camp site - 2160m at Espirito Santo trail. One thing: Hike this mountain is forbidden inside the national park, if you plan to hike it, don't tell anyone and just go. Don't expect some kind of rescue because there isn't any. If you get hurt, you're on your own.

The route: There is a good and well defined route for this mountain. First of all you have to reach Cruz do Negro summit. From that summit you walk straighfoward to the mountain. First descend Cruz do Negro, ascend a small unnamed one (which has a cross at the summit), descend again, left turn on another small hill, hike up Tesourinho Peak. In and out starting from Terreirão campiste can take up to 10 hours!!! From the high camp i suggested bellow is something aroung 6 hours in and out, if you're fast, not even that.


Panorama view to east at the base of the peak before the final push to the summit.




Panorama view to east from the summit of Tesourinho Peak.

Who said Brazil doesn't have mountains? Here we go, mountains of the photo (access the photo page and zoom in to see better and also link to all mountain pages here at SP):

*Pedra Roxa - 2.649m
*Bandeira Peak - 2.893m
*Cristal Peak - 2.769m
*Cruz do Negro Peak - 2.658m

Getting There

How to Arrive to the west entrance:

From Belo Horizonte - The Caparaó National Park is 330 km from Belo Horizonte (MG). The access from Belo Horizonte (MG) to Alto Caparaó (MG) is done integrally in asphalted highways. Leave Belo Horizonte (MG), by the highway BR-262, towards Vitória (ES), until the city of Manhuaçu (MG) (280 km from Belo Horizonte). After the entrance of Manhuaçu (MG), in BR-262, take, to the right, the highway for Manhumirim (MG) and Presidente Soares (MG). In Presidente Soares (MG), take, to the left, the highway for Alto Caparaó (MG).

From Rio de Janeiro - The Caparão National Park is 430 km from Rio de Janeiro (RJ). The access from Rio de Janeiro (RJ) to Alto Caparaó (MG) is done integrally in asphalted highways. Leave Rio de Janeiro (RJ), by the highway BR-040, towards Belo Horizonte (MG), until the city of Três Rios (RJ) (123 km from Rio de Janeiro). Take, to the right, the highway BR-116, towards Salvador (BA), until the city of Fervedouro (MG). In Fervedouro (MG), take, to the right, the highway for Carangola (MG). In Carangola (MG), take, to the left, the highway for Presidente Soares (MG). In Presidente Soares (MG), take, to the right, the highway for Alto Caparaó (MG).

From São Paulo - The Caparaó National Park is 910 km from São Paulo (SP). The access from São Paulo (SP) to Alto Caparaó (MG) is done integrally in asphalted highways. Leave São Paulo (SP), by the highway BR-381, until Belo Horizonte (MG) (586 km from São Paulo). Take, to the right, the highway BR-262, towards Vitória (ES), until the city of Manhuaçu (MG) (280 km from Belo Horizonte). After the entrance of Manhuaçu (MG), in BR-262, take, to the right, the highway for Manhumirim (MG) and Presidente Soares (MG). In Presidente Soares (MG), take, to the left, the highway to Alto Caparaó (MG).

From Vitória - The Caparaó National Park is 255 km from Vitória (ES). The access from Vitória (ES) to Alto Caparaó (MG) is done integrally in asphalted highways. Leave Vitória (ES), byr the highway BR-262, towards Belo Horizonte (MG). 15 km after the boundary of Espírito Santo and of Minas Gerais states, in BR-262, take, to the left, the highway to Manhumirim (MG) and Presidente Soares (MG). In Presidente Soares (MG), take, to the left, the highway to Alto Caparaó (MG).

To the south entrance, you should to search for the town called Pedra Menina, on the south border of Minas gerais and Espirito Santo states.

From the entrance of Caparaó National Park to Tronqueira ( The first campsite and the last parking lot,6 km of highway), you can do with your own car or a rented jeep (for rent in the city).

The mountain is not easy to see it. From Terreirão campsite you wont be able to see it. You have to be at Bandeira Peak summit, or Pedra Roxa summit, or Cristal Peak summit to see it.

Red Tape

The Caparaó National Park has hard rules.
Don't bring drinks; Inflamable fuel; Knives, Fire arms and if you do not have apropriates equipments to camp, the guards advise you of some danger.
There is no electric power or snack bars inside of the park. Therefore, take the whole equipment that is needed, like flashlights, headlamps, stoves, food and proper clothing.
The trails are relatively easy, but for the unexperienced mountaineer it can become tricky, mainly after Terreirão (2370m) and Casa Queimada (2160m).
Taxes to visit and to climb Caparaó mountains
US$ 3 person per day to camp and US$ 6 for entry (once);

There is a parking lot at the trailheads: Tronqueira (West) and Macieira(South).


Thanks to my friend "Mountainfriend" here at SP for the almost ready text.

Camping

Arriving in Caparaó National Park, you can choose where to camp.

Minas Gerais side :

Tronqueira – 1970m

The first campsite by Minas Gerais side on the route to the summit is called Tronqueira, and is 8km from the park entrance – uphill all the way, a hike that takes about three hours, or two if you’re a seasoned walker. You’re rewarded by stunning views, as the road winds its way out of forest into the alpine zone, with panoramic views of the Caparaó valley below. The trail culminates at Tronqueira itself, where a viewing platform has been built to allow you to appreciate one of the finest views in the country, as the hills far below recede to the jagged horizon. Just before you get to Tronqueira, a second trail to the left takes you to Cachoeira Bonita (Beautiful waterfall - 81m high), where the José Pedro stream, which forms the state border between Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, plunges eighty metres down a rockface into a thickly forested gorge; another viewing platform allows full appreciation of the Nature’s spectacle. The campsite area accepts around 50 tents.

Terreirão – 2370m

 
Tents and people at Terreirão campsite
Camping at Terreirão campsite. Night shot.

Halfway to the summit you come to Terreirão – 2370m, the second official campsite and a good spot for lunch. A path to the right leads to a point overlooking a valley dominated by two mountains, the rocky crags of Pico do Calçado – 2821m to the left, and Pico do Cristal – 2769m to the right, both only a few meters shorter than Pico da Bandeira, and with trails leading up them if you felt so inclined – though only to be attempted if you are camping at Terreirão, or you will find yourself still on the mountain at nightfall. Fill your water bottle at Terreirão, as there is no drinking water between here and the summit. This is the best campsite on the trail by this side, wild views, security, protected by the National Park guards. 1,5 hours from Pico do Calçado.
This camp can take up to 120 tents!





Option "B":
 
High camp inside Caparao National Park
 

High forbidden camp nearby the summit of Cruz do Negro Peak. Camp at 2.616 m. Best point to start the hike for that mountain.


Espírito Santo side

Macieira campsite – 1800m

After 3km of Pedra Menina entrance, beside of São Domingos river, has a plain and big area for many tents, hot showers, sanitary and bathrooms. The acces is by asphalted road. From this camp as possible to see Pico do Calçado and another great mountains of Caparaó.

Casa Queimada – 2160m

8 km after Pedra Menina’s entrance. The access is by land road. A good choice to camp to climb Pico do Calçado by night. There are drinking water, bathrooms and hot shower with solar heating. 2 hours from Pico do Calçado.

If you are an expert mountaineer, you can bivouac at the top of the range, choosing a protected place to sleep. If the weather is rainy, stay on the oficial campsites.





Weather forecast

This website I believe some of you guys know already, it is one of the best to see mountain weather forecast, and it has on its list Bandeira Peak, and this one is good to check the weather forecast for all the park:




Click at the image for weather forecast page.

Legal issues

Due to the prohibition of the Access to this mountain, I am the one responsible for all the information displayed here, and also the one to answer for whatever legal issues related to this mountain page and its content, at the url: https://www.summitpost.org/tesourinho-peak/725745

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

The website https://www.summitpost.org and its owners do not endorse or encourage routes that are officially prohibited.


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:



Parents 

Parents

Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.

Caparaó National ParkMountains & Rocks