Advertisement
Published: August 12th 2011
Edit Blog Post
What do most people do before a hike? Maybe look for an acceptable distance for their fitness level, do some research, talk to locals and get a map? Well not these two. We decided on a particular trail that left from Riobamba mainly because it mentioned the words
“cloud forest”,
“hummingbirds” and
“hot springs” in the description….never mind the parts that talked about wet trails, run-down refugios and a general lack of trail maintenance. We didn’t even take much notice of the advice on bringing your own machete. Well I guess we read it because we brought one, but didn’t really put two and two together on that one.
Anyways, upon arrival in Riobamba we realized several other things: 1. It was
cold. Remedy =buy gloves and scarves. 2. Couldn’t find our torch. Remedy= Buy a new one. 3. We didn’t know where the starting point, Alao, was. Remedy= ask about 500 people until several finally agree on the bus you need to take, which doesn’t leave for several hours and is not actually in Riobamba but 2 hours away!
The town was quaint and clean, especially considering it was the literal end of the road. We set off immediately and
ran into the park rangers just as we reached the outskirts of the pueblo. Man I love towns that have trails you can reach on foot in mere minutes! We began by walking through a lush green valley that began with fincas and pasture land framing either side. We walked for hours until the sights, sounds and smells of the cows finally disappeared. What a relief!! However, for the remainder of the trip, not more than 15 minutes went by without seeing a reminder that cows had recently been on the same trail. Towards the end of the 3rd hour the sun was starting to set and we were getting tired. The trail had turned to mud and we had not found a single suitable spot to camp…the land was all sponge-like and very wet. Just before the sun completely vanished from view, Jeremy saw it!
the bridge! And on the other side of the bridge was a small, rundown Refugio. By rundown I mean that it had three walls, was sinking, and full of rubbish others had left behind. Yet there was no complaining from these two. We had our first (unbeknownst to us, it was also our last)
hot meal of the trip…beans, cheese and bread.
Leaving early the next day, we hiked up and up and up until arriving (por fin!) at Laguna Negra, some 4000+ meters up! Luckily we had a sunny and clear day and the frigid winds and soggy cold feet did nothing to deter us from taking in nature’s splendor. After a brief snack break we started the descent, hoping to reach the thermal springs that evening. However, by the time we arrived at La Magdalena in the late afternoon, we were exhausted and sick of muttering “
stupid trail”. The trail had lost all sense of being a trail and was actually just a small stream to wade through, full of thorny bushes and long spiny grass. With bloody ankles and arms we decided to take a break on the soggy ground. After consulting the trail book, we learned that the trail was only to further deteriorate for the final 2 km, such that it would take over 4 hours. Weighing our options we both realized we had come on this trip more to spend time together than to see some thermal springs. Hence our camping out for night two at La Magdalena. It
was wonderful to be able to awake to the brightness of the sun and lovely songs by the many birdies. The following morning, we lounged a bit and hiked up several hours to a different shelter, one which was in much worse condition than the first. While it did offer some protection from the elements it had many gaping holes in its mud and stick structure. No fire that night either.
The tricky thing about this “stupid trail” was with the excessive amount of water present; once in a dry spot neither of us had any desire to put on wet nor freezing cold shoes just to go explore. We passed the time chatting and playing cards and then witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets (which may have only been shown up by the following morning’s extraordinary sunrise) over the ridgeline. It was incredible. After another night of sleeping on the hard wood floor, we decided to get up early so that we could complete the 7 or so hour long hike back into town with the hopes of getting a bus back to Riobamba. We had also forgotten to ask when the last bus left to return to the city! Well, what started out as a ridiculously gorgeous and clear day, transformed into a misty and heavily clouded morning, which turned to icy rain by the late morning hours. All of the gorgeous views we had seen on the way in were no more. We snaked our way up through the many switchbacks and eventually arrived back at the lake, only to cross quickly and continue our descent. At one point we saw a large group of men who had just gotten off their motorcycles!! We had to follow the trail of their destruction (heavy tires + small trail +mud= lots of mud and gas!) all the way to civilization.
This hike was wonderful in that we got to spend a lot of time together enjoying ourselves and not feeling rushed. We saw some beautiful scenery and breathed lots of fresh air- the snow-capped mountains were a major plus. The downside- the poorly maintained trials, constant candy wrappers, lack of campsites and the wet feet. But thankfully we both still have all of our toes and enjoyed more than a laugh or two during our adventure away.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.134s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 12; qc: 60; dbt: 0.0794s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb