Pico Cão Grande


The Pico Cão Grande is a landmark needle-shaped volcanic plug peak in São Tomé and Príncipe, in the Caué District of São Tomé Island in Parque Natural Obô de São Tomé. Its summit is above sea level, and it rises about over the surrounding terrain. The volcanic plug was formed by magma solidifying in the vent of an active volcano. The nearest village is Vila Clotilde, 3 km to the east. The district seat São João dos Angolares is 9 km to the east.
The first attempt to climb Pico Cão Grande was in 1975 by a Portuguese team of climbers, and the first successful climb was completed by a Japanese group of climbers. In June 2016, climbers Gareth Leah, from England, and Sergio Almada, from Mexico, established a new bolt-protected rock-climbing route on the peak. The pair spent four weeks on the peak producing a route which they named Nubivagant. The route is 15 pitches in length and is graded F8b. They climbed all but three pitches clean. The route is both extremely long and technically very demanding, and their climb was plagued with difficulties, including snakebites and blown battery chargers. The most difficult portions of the climb are in the first 100 meters, after which the difficulty drops considerably.
The climb has since been completed by Americans Sam Daulton and Remy Franklin following the first American ascents of Nubivagant and Cão Grande by Michael Swartz and Tyler Rohr.
The moss growing on the rocks due to high moisture content, and the presence of snakes, make the climb very difficult.