Joāo

João was a fantastic guide. As an experienced climber traveling solo, I was looking for someone with local knowledge who could belay me, show me around, and help me make the most of my time. João was patient, easygoing, and clearly well-connected in the local climbing scene. On our first day my skin was wrecked from previous sessions, so I asked for moderate terrain. He immediately pivoted and took me on an amazing seaside multi-pitch that I never would have found without local support. He also accommodated my experience level and, after I explained my background with multi-pitch systems, trusted me to lead the entire climb, something not all guides are comfortable with, showing both confidence in his judgment and respect for my skillset. The climbing was engaging but mellow enough to let me recover, and the setting was both beautiful and exposed in all the right ways. By the second day I was ready to push a bit harder, and he brought me to a great hillside crag with more challenging routes. He patiently belayed me while I took falls and worked moves on a couple of harder lines. João also had friends at the crag, all of whom were welcoming and helped me pick the perfect project to cap my trip. With their thoughtful recommendations (and a few well-timed beta hints) I managed to send and end my trip on a high note. I really appreciated João’s hospitality, patience, and ability to tailor each day to what I needed in the moment. I’ll be back in Portugal and hope to climb with him again. Highly recommended for anyone, especially an experienced climber traveling solo, who wants a true local guide in the Lisbon area to help shorten the learning curve and make the trip both efficient and fun.

Joao was an amazing guide, showing me beautiful routes facing the coast. We did several excellent routes that gradually warmed me up, and some that pushed me in the best way possible. He was extremely encouraging and positive, helping with beta on the unfamiliar rock. He ensured a safe experience, and was kind and supportive the entire time. He also gave great recommendations for my general trip to Portugal. This was a bucket list item that I'll remember forever- Thanks Joao!

We had an amazing time - João was patient and kind and helped both myself and my children improve our climbing while having so much fun. We will happily book again when we return to Portugal.