When driving from the Capital, each time I approach Purulhá (Km 164) I reassert that I want to climb this one mountain. It is an awesome sight and the perfect shape. This is it at 8:20 this morning with the mist still shrouding it.
So, in an effort to achieve goals (notably #81) and to be a good host to Will who is visiting, I invited him to climb the mountain with me this morning as I had it open from work. We drove to Purulhá and asked around if we should ask permission from anyone before making the climb. We talked to Don Roberto and he said "Dele!" So we did.
We crossed the barbed wire fence and began our ascent through a thicket of thorns, vines, ferns, alders, and muck. We would run accross a path every now and then, but they usually ran horizontal and didn't give us any hope of reaching the summit. So, without a machete, we scratched our way up the mountain.
After an hour, we were level with the tops of some of the smaller mountains level with us. My goal was to get to the top and see over into other valleys. After scrambling up some rock faces and more scrub brush, we had to quit and enjoy our achievement about 20 minutes short of the summit. We still had to get down, drive home, clean up and then I had to work all afternoon.
The hike down proved more difficult than the one up. We ended up going down the wrong side of the mountain after finding a favourable route, but we would end up a couple kilometres from my car. So we pushed and at a rate of about 2 metres per minute, we bushwacked to the other side of the steep mountain. It was quite demoralizing. It took us just as long to get down as up.
This is Purulhá.
We shot for a corn field that was up the mountain and trudged down the steep hill between 50 cm high corn plants. From there we walked half a km to the car at the base of the mountain.
There was no water for sale at the corner store, so we each downed a freezing Pepsi. My forehead contracted. Both Will and I are very scratched up and sun burnt.
But it was worth it.
After an extensive shower, I went to work deworming children and taking a team to visit their sponsor children in San Antonio.
4 comments:
Oh man...I can feel my joints hurting just from reading your accomplishment. Be thankful that your young body can still do that climb. Oh, I probably could do it...but I will know for a few days that I did.
Wow, what an awesome adventure. That is some great scenery. I hope you had Will go ahead and bushwack at least some of the time. That is a great memory you created for the both of you. Congratulations on your accomplishment.
Kind of reminiscent of the bike trip spirit? You guys are crazy and amazing and tenacious.
I was thinking of times when I've undergone similar ...yet on a smaller scale trials of endurance...and when I've thought how cool to do something and set my mind to it and done it...and the great feeling of acheivement....ahhh! Hats off to you and Will!!
Breathing in thru clenched teeth, I can feel the stinging of the cuts all over you guys mixed with sweat and then burnt by the sun. but you persevered and reached your summit. Well done ...well done.
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