Up just after 6am. Our group met at 7am. There were about 12 of us in the party, one of many to do the hike today. Soon we all piled in to a minibus and, after a quick tour around town to pick up some of the guides who had slept in, we hit the road for the mountain.
By 8.30 we were on the slopes and very quickly hit the snow fields which we would follow to the summit. There were three guided in the group. Already there were groups high up on the slopes above us. They looked small and distant against the vast white flanks of the volcano. The hike itself was a slow 5hr climb to the summit. But it wasn´t difficult. You simply had to concentrate on where you put your foot. It was simply a case of following the footsteps of the person in front of you. I found the slow rhythm of the climb became quite hypnotic and drifted off into daydreams every so often. Whnever this happened I was brought back to reality very quickly as I would miss a secure foothold and slip. I didn´t daydream very much!! It was important to stay alert as everybody at some point slipped in the soft snow.
The vuews were fantastic and kept improving the higher we went. Through certain phases of the climb the slope became very steep but we had been given ice picks to support ourselves and they were very useful when the footholds in the snow did give way. It was tiring but but when you paused to take in the views it was exhilirating. Mountains stretched away for mile after mile. Scattered among them were the higher peaks of major volcanoes.
Our group began to dwindle as the slower ones fell back and by the time we reached the summit one guide remained with 6 of us. I was with 2 American lads I´d been chatting to on the way up. The other guides were lower down, shepherding the stragglers to the top. Teaching the top was great. The crater was billowing out thick sulphurous clouds of vapour that stank of rotten eggs. The wind up her was strong with a cold bite. Very quickly we put on the waterproof suits we´d been given at the centre. Everybody suited up in preparation for the long slide back down the flank of the mountain. We wouldn´t climb back down. we would slide. It was going to be great!! After 20 mins of taking in the views we began the descent.
It was great sliding down. At times zipping through the snow. My suit leaked however so by the time we got down I was soaked. I wasn´t the only one though. 40 mins later we reached the bottom of the snow line. 20 mins later we were back at the jump off point. Everyone was buzzing after the adventure. Back in town we had a couple of beers with the guides. The two American lads, John and Jim were staying at the same hostel as myself. I had to go back and sort out a bed for myself and then I snoozed from which I found it very difficult to rise from.
After struggling back up I checked my email to find Fionnuala couldn´t meet up this evening as her group had made arrangements so I got a bite to eat. Wandering around town I had a quick chat with the American lads but feeling the effects of the day I called in early tonight as did the lads. It didn´t take long to get to sleep
1 comment:
Well Fran, that climb sounds xciting, but you could have been sliding down Benbo this last few days as temp. was -2.5 as we drove to Carrick yest morning. However enjoy, Mum n Da.
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