Day 6: Hiking the Mombacho Cloud Forest

Mombacho reserve and our hiking trails

And so, sadly, our trip to Nicaragua is starting to draw to a close.  Today was the last of our organized trips with Tierra Tours - a hike round the Mombacho volcano.  Mombacho is the big cone-shaped volcano that I can see from the balcony of my room - its a "stratovolcano", is 1344m high and is considered extinct, having last erupted back in 1570.   Our hike was to take us into the Mombacho Volcano Nature Reserve, one of the 78 protected areas of Nicaragua.  There were several different tour options that we could have picked - Lisa had read all about the "Puma Trail" in her Lonely Planet guidebook, so was up for doing that one.  However, we soon discovered - on talking to the guy from Tierra Tours - that that particularly hike was the most extreme version of those available, taking about 6-8hrs to complete and was "very challenging".  Instead, we opted for the middle version - not the easy peasy hike, but instead a 2hr or so one, which would still take us to some of the highest points of the volcano and still likely kick my out-of-shape ass.

It was a good call.  

I think if we'd opted to take the most challenging hike (called, we later learned, the "Mombacho Extreme" which no-one ever chose) I'd either still be up there or would be dead.  No kidding.

Our guide picked us up at 9.30am, so there was time for a leisurely breakfast and a couple hands of C&F before we set off (Loopy - you got the "F" right…close with the C, but not quite right…).  Fortunately, Lisa's beginner's luck winning streak appeared to have worn off and, combined with an unprecedented run of lucky deals, I'd been well and truly whuppin' her ass and had pulled level again in our unofficial championship stakes.   There was still hope for an ultimate Holloway victory.  

You are…riiiiiight….here!

Our guide Byron was particularly good today - perfect English and very knowledgable about the area, its history, population demographics, flora and fauna - you name it, he knew it.  The drive to the Mombacho Reserve took about 30 mins to the base of the volcano, where we then started to climb steadily upwards.  The vehicle we were in was a 4x4 All Wheel Drive - the reason for which became apparent, the higher we climbed.   Our ascent upwards was temporarily halted for about half an hour, though, as a tree had come down in the huge thunderstorm the previous day, so we had to wait until a local clearing crew chopped it up enough with a chainsaw so we could pass.  From their, the cobblestone road got progressively steeper and steeper, until you were having to hold onto the seat in front of you to stop yourself sliding backwards off your seat!  Not sure what the steepest gradient was, but it certainly reminded me of some of the more heroic hills in San Francisco, thats for sure!

Cloudy forest.   There's a volcanic
crater hiding in there somewhere….

It was a fun drive and, as we slowly chugged our way to the top, we passed through acres of coffee beans, all part of the Cafe Las Flores plantation http://cafelasflores.com.  Unfortunately we weren't going to have time to do a tour of the plantation today - however, I did manage to pick up a few bags of their organic, locally roasted coffee beans from the local supermarket on the way home, which would serve as a good reminder of our trip once we got back home (bargain price too - only $7 in the supermarket, vs $11 at the plantation's store!).  It was a good 15kms from the base of Mombacho to where the little hiking lodge was and was a solid half hour drive, so we were very very grateful we hadn't gotten any crazy ideas to try and hike all the way up.  We did pass a couple of people doing just exactly that and, without exception, they all looked utterly miserable.

So we get to the lodge and hop out of the van, have a quick pee and a look inside at the map of the hiking trails.   The first part of our hike was going to be relatively flat and, where we had to go up or down, the trail was carved out into little steps using chopped up slabs of wood.  Some neat recycling, right?  Well…..not so much.  Though having little steps made out of chopped up tree trunks certainly sounds like a good idea (and looks very authentically-foresty), it becomes less of a good idea really rather quickly when you factor in the following equation - smooth wooden round discs + heavy continuous mist + a forest's worth of dead leaves = Mother of All Potential Slip-Fests.  And I know Slip-Fests.  As anyone who has ever hiked with me knows (just ask Lisa), I can trip over air.  I am the Queen of Klutziness.  The Master of Mis-steps.  If you need any more proof, just check out my previous blogs from Patagonia.  All the proof you would ever need is there.   It wasn't so bad on the not terribly steep bits, but boy - further on in the hike, when we hit the Puma trail proper - ay carumba.  As your legs got progressively more tired and the steps got steeper and steeper (at its worst, it was a full on 45 degree slope we were slogging up), the Discs of Death got more and more treacherous.  Its a testament to the endurance and perseverance of my hiking poles that I didn't go skidding off the trail and tumble headlong towards an unfortunate arboreal ending.  

Getting our Indiana Jones on.  Fortunately no
 massive boulders in sight heading our way….

Anyway, that bit of the trail only lasted for about 40mins or so.  I can't remember how much we ascended by in what distance, but it was a lot, in a little.  Again, we were VERY grateful we hadn't tried to do the whole thing - the little bit we'd done (and that had done us in!) was only about a fifth of the hard bits in the whole trail.   Probably some of my insanely fit Swiss colleagues from the Zurich office could have done it - us mere mortals, however?  Not a chance. 

Puma trail bouncer.  No guide, no glory….

Unfortunately, at the top of our insane Dice with Death climb, the view was completely shrouded in cloud so we could see precisely bugger all.  However, we'd seen some other lovely views along the way plus enjoyed the warm embrace of a fumarole - an opening in the ground which issued forth wonderfully comforting swirling mists that enveloped you, soothing and warming your aching limbs and bathing your face with a spa-like dewiness.  Slightly sulfurous smell aside, I could have stood there all day, it was that relaxing.  

But, onwards and upwards (and downwards) - we continued along our path through the forest, our guide pointing out various plants and animals of note.  Unlike the Forest of Death and Spiky Things, there seemed to be much fewer things designed to kill us this time (slip-fest steps aside), so other than the burning agony in my exhausted legs and crushing ache in my chest through trying to breathe, I could relax and enjoy the scenery.  There were lots of bromeliads everywhere (the red poker type plants - and pineapples too, apparently) and dinosaur-era ferns, just to remind us of how recent an introduction to this planet we humans actually are.  We also saw a sloth - a real, pukka, live, in the tree and Not Moving Sloth!!!  It was very cool.  Not sure why, but something about that lump of fur, up in the tree completely oblivious to its surroundings (or aware but not giving a rats ass) reminded me of Dylan.  Not sure why.  Also, as we were in the van on the way down, we FINALLY got to see some Howler monkeys too!  There were about 4-5 hanging out in the very tops of the trees - unfortunately I wasn't able to get any really good pics, but it was great to be able to say that I'd now seen them.  My Nicaraguan Wildlife Checklist was now complete.

So, with that, we headed back to town where we bid a fond farewell to Byron and got a late lunch of fish tacos washed down with the local specialty of rum with orange (I think), before finally making our weary way back to the hotel for a last evening of cards.  

I am delighted to report that - I won.  Better luck next time, Malandro….

Spectacular view that we could actually see.  View
from the top of Mombacho down towards
Granada and Las Isletas

Close up of Las Isletas

The source of the wonderfully warm
steamy mists of the fumaroles

Tree covered in bromeliads

The amazing view from the summit. 

Sloth ball