Two nights ago we met at the tour place here in Leon called Quetzaltrekkers. They are a local non profit volunteer organization that arranges volcano tours to help fund local children projects. Once all the group had arrived (16 of us) we packed our bags for the trip with the provided sandwiches (for breakfast) along with several liter water bottles and all other personal belongings we´d brought. Once we were prepped we ate mac and cheese with garlic bread for dinner. Somewhere around 10:30 we crammed into two trucks and headed towards a nearby town situated near the base of the mountain. Arriving at the town, we set off on our hike at around 11:30 pm, walking stared off through dry farmer fields and cow and horse pastures between two mountains in order to get to the base of Talica. Even though it was almost midnight, it was really hot and moist outside. It must have been over 70 degrees or so, and with the slight incline, we were all sweating profusely. Mari and I were drinking a lot of water on the way up as our shirts were soaked through with persperation. We walked on dry, dusty paths that kicked up a lot of dust in the moonlight, with aid from hand held flashlights.
At around the two hour mark we took a long break near the tree line of the mountain and snacked on some food before heading off again. Here the trail started to incline a bit more, and was overrun with bushes and branches that pestered both legs and arms. In the dark we made our way up dusty sandy inclines, crawled over fallen trees, scrambled up rocky slants, and through open its of field that allowed the moonlight to once again light our path. Just about the time when everyone was really getting tired someone dared ask the question how much further? Our guide, an Australian named Connor, answered quite percisely that we were about 15 minutes away from the first crater, which we would dip down into and cross in order to reach the second, active crater. All roughly about an hour away, but most of it would be on level ground.
We entered the first crater somewhere around 4 am, and walked down into it to a small campsite where we made a fire to warm ourselves by and take a small respite. The looming crater of Talica was right in front of us, churning out a smouldering white smoke illuminated by the moonlight in the still dark night. We could have continued up the second crater at that time but Conner warned us not to go up too early for the sunrise as the winds are quite strong and cold above. We decided to wait a bit before heading up. Mari and I sat by the fire a bit to warm up, then laid down on the soft grass within the crater for a baby nap. An undetermined time later we were awoken to start the climb up the second crater.
Having left our bags below at the campsite, we forgot our flashlight and had a tougher time climbing the craters edge as it was strewn with sand and rocks and stones and boulders that rolled and moved underfoot, threating a serious ankle injury at any time in the darkness. Alas, we made it to the craters edge. Some brave souls neared the edge and gaped into the smoky bewildrment below. Mari crouched onher belly and put her face over the edge to peer inside. I decided to keep a safe distance of 5 or 10 feet just in case the edge decided to fall in on itself and disappear.
Connor was right, on top the wind was howling and cold. At first the inconvenience seemed do-able, but as we sat waiting for the sun to pop its head up over the horizon, cooling down from the climb, it seemed to get colder and colder. Here is a pic of Mari using a giant rock at the top as a windbreak in an attempt to escape the coat piercing wind.
As the sun was just about to rise, I snapped a few imaged of the crater right at the top, spewing out its white smoke that lingered and crept across the sky.
Then, in the distance the sun finally managed to lift itself into the sky. Illuminating the chain of valcanos stretching both north and south in the horizon.
After sunrise, we made our way back down the side of the crater and snapped this pic of the crater as the sun was just coming up.
Unfortunately for us, there was no lava to be seen, but it was still a great feeling to be standing on the edge of this ancient beast known to shape and alter our world. From the top I could also see both San Cristobal and Momotombo smoking in the distance. This chain is still active and keeping people on their toes.Once the sun was up and everyone was together, we started the long haul back down the mountain. At 7 or 8 am the sun actually feels good, but anytime after that and the heat just keeps increasing. The journey down was hot and dry, but we did it in about 4 hours or so. At one stop on the way down someone happened upon a boa constrictor in the brush, constricting and eating a small rabbit. A little gruesome perhaps, but a great thing to take in while on a nature hike in Nicaragua.
Other interesting creatures: On the way up we saw a scorpion scurrying to find protection, and tons of leaf cutter ants carrying their specific sized leaf pieces in streams back to their colonies, which were gaping holes near the our path. The ants make clear lanes, free of plants or debris, little highways that run into the forest - quite easy to make out in the dense forest undergrowth. We heard the travel up to 2 Kms in search of a certain leaf that they cut to size, take into their dens, and pile in such a way to foster mold growth. This mold is what they feed on. Impressive little creatures. Roughly 3 million or so in the colony near our feet.
Anyway, once we returned from the mountain we were filthy, covered in dust and filth and sweaty and sticky. We returned to Leon, washed our clothes and shoes and ourselves, drank a few cold beers, then quickly crawled into bed for a midafternoon nap. After being awake 30+ hours while climbing up and down a large volcano had wiped us out. Our nap quickly escalated into a massive sleep fest that continued til this morning.
As for today, all of Leon was without power most of the day and just recently turned back on. I guess a few times a week, the power, water and internet just go out for a while. Its an unreliable place in terms of what we would consider basic needs back home. Next time your internet slows a bit and it gets you a little bit annoyed, just remember Mari and I are in locations where internet is still in its infant stages. There are tons of internet cafes, and its relatively cheap, but without power everything shuts down. I heard the other day that Nicaragua is roughly 40 years behind the 1st world, I guess I can see that when I see power outages and such like today. Very interesting infastructure set ups they have here.
It was scorchingly hot today, and mari and I were forced to drink luke warm beer. The gall of this place! LOL
Hope all is well back home
T
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