Slovakia - Spi Castle
Foto: View over the island from Concepcion volcano (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
Nicaragua - At a local family’s home, a small table is set up in the yard. In the little kitchen, my breakfast is being prepared. I also meet Louis here. Louis is my guide for today, an enthusiastic 24-year-old guy. After breakfast, I'm driven to the starting point of the hike. As I get out of the vehicle, my volcano trek begins. Louis tells me it’s about a twenty-minute walk to the foot of the volcano. I follow him along a rocky country path through meadows. When we reach the Concepción volcano, the narrow forest trail immediately starts climbing steeply. The path has been eroded by water streams, so I have to walk through deep grooves and take big steps to move upward. I can’t imagine hiking here in the rain — the ground would be slippery and water would be trickling down the path. Today it’s cloudy but dry. The sun is trying to break through the clouds. Several times I spot howler monkeys and capuchins in the trees — a beautiful sight on the mountainside. After two hours of climbing through the forest, I reach the tree line. I get a view over the island. From this height, it’s clear that the island is nearly flat, with only the volcano rising to 1,673 meters. On a small plateau at the one-kilometer mark, I take a break. The hike has been quite tough so far. I can easily imagine that few people actually reach the top. I’ll see how far I get. I'm over halfway, but the hardest part is still ahead. As I continue, the forest turns into grassland, and the grassland into rocky terrain. Louis remains enthusiastic throughout. We talk about all sorts of things. I teach him Dutch words; he teaches me Spanish. The higher I go, the steeper and mistier it becomes. It’s difficult to tell if the rocks are stable before stepping on them. Sometimes a rock slips, causing a small rockslide. I quickly use my hands for support to avoid falling. A group of local youths climbs behind me. The boys ascend easily; the girls have a harder time. One boy is even climbing in flip-flops — unbelievable! I’m grateful to be wearing sturdy hiking boots. Above 1,250 meters, the ground becomes more gravelly. My shoes sink into it, and I have to be careful not to slip. Just above 1,400 meters, I pass two American tourists coming down from the summit — they made it. Louis tells me it’s another hour to an hour and a half to the top. By now, I’ve been climbing for five hours, and I decide that this point — about 250 meters below the summit — is a great high point to end my ascent. Louis takes a photo to mark the achievement. I start the descent. A little lower, on a slightly less steep section, I sit down for lunch. Still in the mist. Surrounded by black rocks, the place looks like a moonscape — what a bizarre environment. Descending turns out to be harder than I expected. It's difficult to maintain grip, and it doesn’t take long before I slip and fall. Fortunately, no serious scrapes. I slip a few more times or barely manage to stay upright. Eventually, I reach the grassy area again, where the grip is better. Even the descent through the forest proves harder than the climb. The water-carved channels sometimes require me to step down steep drops. Fatigue starts to kick in, making it harder to absorb the impact. My knees especially are taking a beating. Around 3 p.m., I arrive back at the plateau and walk to the main road. I’ve spent over nine hours hiking on the volcano. On the way back to the lodge, I thank Louis for his excellent guidance. I look back on a truly extraordinary experience.
Video
By car to the Masaya crater
Nicaragua - After about half an hour, Belisario turns off the main road, and the bus drives into the parking lot of Masaya National Park. The gate is still closed. It turns out the staff is in a meeting, so we have to wait. The Masaya volcano is one of the most active ...
Kayaking among the Isletas de Granada
Nicaragua - I take a minibus to the lake to go canoeing among the Isletas de Granada. Off the coast of Granada lie numerous small islands, which were formed by a volcanic eruption of the Mombacho volcano. Francesco is the guide this morning. He hands me a life jacket ...
Lava at the Telica volcano
Nicaragua - After more than an hour and a half, the Jeep stops at the base of the volcano. I see the mountain giant towering in front of me. A thick cloud of volcanic gas rises from the crater. Miguel, my guide for this volcano, hands me a flashlight. He also distributes ...
Sliding down Cerro Negro
Nicaragua - Cerro Negro is a relatively young volcano, formed in 1850. The 400-meter-high volcano is very active. In recent years, it has erupted frequently. Like the Telica volcano, Cerro Negro lies on the boundary of tectonic plates, about 35 kilometers outside ...
The historic city of Leon
Nicaragua - In just over an hour, I arrive in León. On the way, I have a view of the Momotombo volcano. The old city of León used to lie at the foot of this volcano. When it erupted in 1523, the city was completely destroyed. The old city, León Viejo, is now on ...
The old town of Granada
Nicaragua - I’m on my way to Granada, an old colonial town located on Lake Nicaragua. Granada was founded after the Spanish invasion in 1524 and named after the Spanish city of the same name. Thanks to its favorable location 20 kilometers inland, it was an ideal ...