Travel Story - "El Volcan"

Whenever I see an incredibly tall object, whatever it may be, I feel an irresistable urge to climb it. As soon as I spotted Volcan San Pedro from the boat, I knew I was going to climb to the top of it. Little did I know that it would be one of the most challenging and rewarding hikes of my life.

I started asking around, trying to figure out how long it would take and how difficult the climb was. I discovered that it was on National Park land, and that there was a hundred-Quetzal entrance fee. A guide was included in this price. Numerous local people kept trying to set me up with a guide, no doubt because they wanted a small fee for their services. "Why would I need a guide?", I asked myself. I have been hiking all my life, and there is no way I would take a guide unless it was an extremely difficult and dangerous trek. I figured I would pay the entrance fee if I absolutely had to, but I would definitely not take a guide.

I headed out the door the next morning feeling a bit more unprepared than I would have liked to have been. I didn't have a chance the day before to buy extra food and to locate the entrance to the trail. Also, the memory on my camera was full, so I didn't have a camera to use. So I packed the only food I had, which was a bag of granola, and headed out the door. I also picked some fresh oranges from a nearby tree, picled up some extra water, and started searching for the path. I could not locate the main entrance, so I just found a dirt road that led toward the base of the volcano. After the road ended, I continued on paths that led through rows of hundreds and hundreds of coffee plants. Every once in a while I would come across a local working in the fields, or hear voices in the distance. I followed these many trails, laughing to myself about the need for a guide or a hundred-Quetzal entrance fee. I came to a clearing atop a high ridge, and stood on a rock, looking out over the vast lake below. I thought about how much my life has changed in the last year. I thought back to when I was sitting in my bedroom in Santa Cruz, wondering what to do with my life, and dreaming about traveling the world. Now I was standing on a volcano, looking over the majestic Lago Atitlan in Guatemala. "Now I am truly living!", I thought to myself. It made me realize that you can do anything you could possibly imagine in this life if you really want to.

Eventually, the paths I was follwing came to an end, and I began walking through the rows of coffe plants. Then, the fields of coffee plants ended, and I was forced to look for another way up the slope. I spotted what seemed to be a dried-up waterfall. It was the only accessible path up the mountain,so I began climbing up the rocks. It started to get very steep, and I was forced to ditch my walking stick so that I could use both my hands to climb. I began questioning if I knew what the hell I was doing. I arrived at the top of the ridge and continued pushing my way upwards, even though there was no path. I pushed my way through the brush and tall plants, wishing badly that I had a machete. I was soon over-joyed when I came to a well-defined path. I was also very surprised when I turned a corner to see a local man hacking away at something with a machete. I said hello to him, and I think that he was just as surprised to see another person that far up there as I was.

Pretty soon, even this path became hard to distinguish. Sometimes I would find something that sort of resembled a trail, where some other crazy bastard, like myself, was also trying to hack a way to the top. The foliage became very thick and steep, and I grunted and clenched my teeth as I used all my strength to push through masses of vines and pull myself up steep inclines with loose soil. I began thinking how ridiculously insane this was, but there was nothing I could do except go up, and I was certainly not about to go back down. I just knew that if I could reach the top, I could take the main trail back down the mountain. There were times when I just wanted to give up, but my survival instincts kicked in, and I knew that I had to get back down before dark. I soon noticed that the sun had dissapeared, and when I looked up, I could see white clouds drifting through the treetops. This had to mean that I was approaching the top, and with this observation, I recieved a fresh burst of energy. The only thing that mattered, was going up. I barrelled straight up the steep slope, with disregard to everything except making the most prgoress in the least amount of time possible.

All of a sudden, I saw a clearing a few feet in front of me. I jumped out into the opening...THE TRAIL!!! I had finally made it, but I could not believe it. I used the last bit of energy I had to climb the remainder of the way up to the peak. I had never agreed with paying an entrance fee to parks...I mean, do they think they own the volcano or something? But now I seewhy they charge for it; it must have taken a hell of a lot of work to build that trail. I have built trails myself in the past, so I knew exactly what kind of work it entailed. And without that trail, you would need to blaze your own trail up the mountain, just as I did.

I would suggest taking the trail.

As I approached the top, I knew there was going to be a great view, but I could not have anticipated just how spectacular it would be. The tops of the trees fell away to give way to one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen. It felt as though I was looking down at the earth from outer space! The lake appeared to be miles and miles below, and the only company I had there with me were the surrounding clouds and the two neighboring volcano peaks. It was one of the most incredible views I have ever witnessed in my life, and I didn't even have a camera! I laughed aloud at this realization, and thought that maybe it was better that I didn't have one, because there was no way the magnificence and beauty of the sight could have been captured on film. I carved my name, "Zig-Zag", into one of the rocks, finished off the last of my food, and decided I had better head back down before it gets dark.

I passed two guys on the way down who were camping out, probably to see the sunrise in the morning. They probably saw me and thought, "crazy gringo", as I went rushing by. I had about an hour and a half before it was completely dark, and the sun was going down fast. I was basically running down the mountain, and my legs felt like rubber. My survival instincts were the only thing that kept me going;the fact that I had no warmth and no light. Whenever I thought I must be getting close, I would come to an opening in the trees and see the lights of the town miles below me. I was using the power of the mind to override what my body was telling it. My body was saying "stop", but my mind was saying "must keep going."

I came over a little hill and suddenly there was a building in front of me. The lights were on, and there was a man inside lounging in a chair. "What is this place?", I thought. My brain was not even functioning enough to think that it might be the ranger station. My water had run out long ago, and so when I spotted a water fountain, I went straight for it. One of the men working there came up behind me and started asking if I had a ticket, and if I had payed. I said no, and explained how I had went up a different route. They asked me to pay only fifty Quetzales, and so I did. I figured it was only fair, since I used the trail coming back down, and now I knew how much work had been put into making it.

I started walking down the nice, paved road back to town, and a car stopped within three minutes to give me a ride. I knew that the first thing I wanted to do when I got back was to get a giant burrito and a cerveza from Jarachi'k. I definitely learned a few good lessons from the adventure, such as:

1) Be more prepared.

2) ALWAYS bring a light, extra food, and a layer of warmth, because you NEVER know what may happen.

3) Don't be so stubborn; use designated paths when you don't know the area, and follow the guidance of others who have gone before you.

4) Don't be a cheapskate. Show respect when somebody provides you with a service, and pay up where money is due.

Until the next adventure, this is Zig-Zag signing out.