Mestlitepe: The Menstruating Mountain

Volcano Conception, the larger of the two volcanoes on this island, has a very active history. She has erupted several times in the last 150 years and was last producing ash, etc., in 2004-2005. Due to her activity and the pouring hot red lava flows (when she is erupting), she has earned herself this name. What a

This morning my friend Sarah (she is a Canadian) and I got up at 4:30 to meet our guide at 5:00. We were off on our 18 km hike from the side of the lake to the top of the Mestlitepe/Conception. It was a nice 3km hike to the trail base and then 6 to the top. The volcano is famous for being almost a prfect cone to see and is pretty amazing. It is also known to be very windy and cloudy at the top (notice the foreshadowing). You start the hike through banana plantations on a dusty uphill path. It is about 5:30. Seems great! We get to the 'real' trailhead about 5:50 and we can´t go up until we see the guy who youhave to pay. Our guide said he will be here soon. About 6:20 or so we left and didn´t pay; no worries, he got us on the way down. As soon as you start the trail it is rocky, steep, and challenging. It was great. We took it slow and all was good. You are climbing on loose rock/gravel, all volcanic (obviously) and you need to be careful not to turn an ankle. We hiked up through lava flows, through short trees, through scrub bush, through mud. All the way we were happy because it was early and there was plenty of cloud cover to protect us from the sun. It gets windier, and wetter. Even the plants don´t grow any more due to the wind. All three of us are now soaked through our clothes; who knew youcould get so wet from clouds whipping by you. By about 10:15, we are ready to make our final assault to the top of the volcano. We go for it. Our guide said (en espanol, of course)you won´t see much too cold and too cloudy! We went for it any way.

The summit was amazing. Not only was it extremely windy, cold, and wet, but it was awesome to be on the very edge of an active volcano! There were patches of sulfur that had blown out on the ground, the views were stunning (for about 2 seconds when the clouds opened up). It was just truly a very cool thing to have done. The guidebooks all say this is a strenuous climb and that you should be in good physical condition. They weren´t lying!

The way down, however, was a bit treacherous. While going up the path you are able to scramble a bit and pull your self up and over. On the way down, you don´t have that same luxury. It was a rough climb down. Sliding, slipping, falling. In fact, I have never been on hike that took the same amount of time going down as it did going up!

All in all another great day on this island paradise. With my walking stick, hiking up a volcano, I felt a little like Gandolf, so I did throw a reed ring into the Volcano.

Tomorrow, I am off...still deciding where. Maybe Managua, maybe Leon, maybe San Juan del Sur. I have to make up my mind soon!