AIDS Hike

Now three weeks ago, a woman came to our weekly tuesday night meeting with a proposal to participate in an AIDS awareness initiative happening all over the world. The organization´s goal is summit the highest mountain in every country to raise publicity for the AIDS epidemic. At the top of each mountain, they snap a photo with a banner showing the number of residents infected with AIDS in each country. The idea is that because we can´t go any higher in each country, then, symbolically at least, neither should the number of AIDS infected individuals.

We had that week to think it over and about 10 of the volunteers, myself included, decided to venture to the north of Nicaragua and summit Mount Mogoton over last Monday and Tuesday. So the adventure begins...

We left from Parque Central in Granada with around 20 people: 10 of us, a couple organizing the event and some others who operate a hotel in the center of Granada. We traveled about 5 hours by microbus straight north and first stopped in a canyon, whose name is escaping me at the moment. The canyon is in a national park of Nicaragua and certainly one of the most beautiful places I´ve been while here. First, we walked about a half an hour descending into the canyon and then were met by some locals who were waiting for us to paddle-boat us across a small river/stream thing to where we could walk again. From there we embarked on a 2 hour or so, swim/walk right through the center of the canyon. Stone walls shot up at least 100 feet on either side as we swam through the narrow passage. After quite some time we reached our destination, although none of us knew it to be that- we thought we were just swimming around- when our guide said ¨OK, here´s the cliff jumping spot.¨

OK was right. We spent the next half an hour or so doing just that, jumping off cliffs. The main spot where people were jumping was pretty manageable, maybe 15 feet up. Then one of the guides pointed up, way up, to a perch that had gone unnoticed by me. Needless to say, I, along with some other brave (stupid?) volunteers, scampered up this huge cliff and took the plunge. It was exhillirating and pretty painful on my feet. I asked one of the locals later and he informed me that it was 19 meters up, about 60 feet.

The rest of day one was uneventful as we prepared for an early morning start to our hike of the highest mountain in Nicaragua. Tuesday morning, we awoke at 5:30 for breakfast in order to start our trek by 6. The thinking was that we would be all wrapped up around 12 or 1.

This is where the Nicaraguan flavor of the story shines through. We ended up leaving our hostel at 630. (half hour late) Then we drove to the local red cross to pick up our guides, who had their own van. (few more minutes) Then we went, obviously, to the local army base to pick up our 3 ejercitos, or armed infantry, to come with us. (just a few more minutes) By the way, the mountain is the sire of the 1969 war between Honduras and Nicaragua and the countryside is still laiden with active land mines. We brought Nicaragua´s finest to let us know if we were about to step on any.

We arrive at the base of the mountain, or at least where our bus can´t go any farther. Then the Red Cross took half of the group in their van to drive ¨a short way.¨ Well they got back an hour later while we chilled with our bus driver Elvis. (1 hour more late) Then my half made the bumpy trek to the place where cars really couldnt go anymore. There, the other group rejoiced at our arrival and the opportunity to finally get going. But wait, we must wait for our local guide man to arrive. OK, half an hour later, he arrives. He is an older guy, clearly a man of the mountains. He brings with him no water, no food or supplies, save a machete, for his day long hike. We finally set off. We go about 10 minutes only up a really steep part and take a quick break to catch our breath. There we find out encouraging news. Our guide man, who has lived in these mountains his whole life, has never summitted Mogoton, doesn´t really know anything about it, was just going to wing it for the day. Someone decides that is vaguely unacceptable and so sends for another guide. He gets there almost another hour later and brings big news. Since its now almost 11 (started this at 6:30) and we haven´t started hiking, its too late in the day to do Mogoton because if the rain comes we´ll be trapped up top.

Cool. ¨Instead we can hike this other mountain nearby that sorta kinda tall. Sound good?¨ Yes, sounds fabulous. Maybe not so fabulous for the goal and idea behind the initiative but be that as it may, we were hungry and ready to walk. So we ended up summiting the hill about an hour and a half later of some of the hardest hiking I´ve ever done. We got to the top took our picture and went back down, with out any major event.

On the way back, on the part where cars could drive, a friendly group of Nicas offered a ride back in their pickup. Yes to all 22 of us. That´s correct, 22 adults,15 of them gringos, 3 with rifles, and an old man with a machete all fit in the bed of an average sized pick up.

TL; DR (too long, didn´t read): Tried to summit highest mountain in Nicaragua, failed, climbed a hill instead and made some lasting memories.

written by  mls12 on May 26, 2010 from Granada, Nicaragua
from the travel blog: Volunteering with La Esperanza Granada in Granada, Nicaragua
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