At one of Rio de Janeiro's hardest trails, one paraplegic athlete climbed into the clouds

RIO DE JANEIRO -- It’s perhaps Rio de Janeiro’s hardest trail, featuring one particularly daunting section requiring a perilous scramble that can cause hikers to freeze up with fright.

But this week, paraplegic athlete Ezequiel da Luz, 40, traversed jungle and surmounted rocks to reach Pedra da Gavea’s peak that towers over the Atlantic Ocean.

Da Luz had been waiting since 2021, and traveled more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) by bus from southern Brazil when his chance arrived to ascend with the assistance of an organization called the Inclusion Collective. Its volunteers on Dec. 18 surrounded and shouldered the weight of a specialized wheelchair, set inside a metal frame as they helped da Luz upward.

“What logistics!” da Luz exclaimed as their tightly packed throng helped him weave through one narrow stretch at the start of the trail.

Inclusion Collective started three years ago and has completed more than 50 hikes, 12 of which to Pedra da Gavea, plus others on less challenging trails, according to Bruna Souza, the group’s administrator.

“We can show that if we have the will, inclusion can happen anywhere, not just where there’s a ramp,” she told The Associated Press along the trail. “It’s not just shopping centers you can go to; you can go to other places. It can be fun for everyone.”

Volunteers on Wednesday were mostly trail and climbing guides already familiar with the route. They were joined by hikers who encouraged da Luz during his eight-hour ascent, with 800 meters (2,600 feet) of elevation gain. At the infamously hair-raising section, called Carrasqueira, volunteers used a system of ropes to hoist his chair.

“I’ve never seen anything like this in terms of accessibility, people helping,” said Adriele Neves, a 29-year-old hiker. “It’s beautiful work.”

With Carrasqueira conquered, it was straight on to the summit. As da Luz wheeled himself forward, waving a Brazilian flag in the air, volunteers and other hikers already atop the mountain erupted in applause.

“I didn’t know it had so many challenges, and so many obstacles,” he told the AP atop the mountain. “Today, to be up here on Pedra da Gavea, together with this group that promotes inclusion, is the fulfilment of a dream.”

Alas, the peak was shrouded in clouds, leaving Rio de Janeiro’s Ipanema beach and iconic Two Brothers Hill hidden away. It seemed da Luz wouldn’t get to enjoy Pedra da Gavea’s majestic view.

But within mere minutes, the clouds parted and some sunlight filtered down from the heavens, maybe just for him.

“Even in this, God was generous,” da Luz said. “Look there, what an incredible view. What a marvelous vision!”