In the heart of Angola’s Cuanza Sul province, around eight hours south of the capital Luanda, lies Cumbira Segundo—a small village surrounded by towering granite domes. Between 200 and 400 meters tall, the ancient formations sprout from lush jungle into a world of their own. Some of these mountains have seen ascents, but many have not, leading to a recent surge in route development from local and visiting climbers alike.
Climbing for a Reason, a Chilean non-profit founded by the professional climbers Lucho Birkner and Mateo Barrenengoa, recognizes Angola’s potential as a global climbing destination, which could transform the local community.
The organization has built a public climbing wall to host introductory and safety workshops, and it’s donated climbing equipment to those who are interested. Alongside Climb Angola, led by Nathan Cahill, Climbing for a Reason has also worked diligently to develop sport climbing sectors in the area to help plant the seed of a local climbing community and sustainable adventure tourism.
“The potential of these rocks is vast, and the project aims to bring the local community closer to climbing, teach them about the sport as a whole, create a future volunteer system, and provide communities with a new tool in their local economy.”
/ Lucho Birkner
The local community is embracing climbing not only as another sport for fun, but also as a source of tourism, with the potential to create new jobs to support the local economy.
Up on the domes, many of the long routes involve mentally taxing, technical slab climbing with few options for removable protection, attracting more adventurous climbers. But the area is not limited to multi-pitch climbing. There’s vast potential for sport routes on smaller formations and even bouldering along the valley floor. Altogether, Cumbira Segunda—and Angola in general—has all of the ingredients to become a global climbing destination.
To recap a recent trip, Spanish climber Manu Ponce wrote in The Line, “Due to the incredible climbing and potential for route development, we are sure this place soon will be visited by people from all over the world.”
