Arenal Volcano

This past weekend I made a trip to La Fortuna to visit the Arenal Volcano with four other students. We really lucked out because the weather held out and it never rained on us (while back in San Ramon, it rained all weekend..) We stayed in a hostel for $8 a night, and had our own rooms with access to a kitchen and internet. Not bad. 

On the way there, we had a little delay. Luckily no one was hurt, and the truck you see behind was able to pull it back. Sometimes, things just align and you get more than you asked for in a photo. I was half guessing, sticking my camera out in the rain and the person happened to be running by. In my opinion, he adds the perfect balance and overall feel to the photo.

We started out by hiking up a smaller volcano named Cerro Chato next to Arenal, which has a lake in the crater. Although it was only a little less than 2 miles, we gained around 3,000 feet of elevation. The hardest hike I have done, but one of the best too! Plus, now that I have conquered this I feel like I can do almost anything haha. They do not believe in switchbacks here..we counted a grand total of three throughout the hike. The rest is stairs and climbing straight up a volcano face. 

Luckily, the most strenuous part was in the forest, so it was shaded and cooler. 

After a good hour and a half of ascending (we got it done half hour before they told us!), we reached the top and could see the lake! Now, time to hike down pretty much a long ladder to get there. We got to the bottom and instantly jumped in. The water was nice and cool, perfect for how sweaty and hot we were.

Alec took a little slide on the way down to the lake

You can see Arenal peeking out from the fog

After swimming for a bit, we headed back up to the top and took a different trail that led to the observatory for Arenal. We stopped at a nice viewpoint of the lake to eat some lunch. Bagged beans, rice, and eggs in tortilla. It tasted soooo good!

As we were heading down, I started running because it reminded me of downhilling. There were so many cool lines and fun gaps, but I ended up pushing it a bit hard and fell, tweaking my knee and ankle. Nothing is broken or torn though, just sore. All is good.

Mid fall

Next stop was a waterfall. It was so sweet and there was a constant mist blowing in the air that was too good. Nothing that could be captured by camera, just a perfect moment to soak up.

After the waterfall we made it to the viewpoint. Clouds were covering the tip all day, but they managed to hold off a bit for us when we got there. Arenal last erupted in 1968, and is a very active volcano even today. There has not been lava flows in three years, but you could still see the flow marks on the sides of the mountain and it was a pretty spectacular sight.

We ended the day with a natural hot spring spot. The water wasn't too hot but certainly was not too cold, and was not only the perfect therapy for my ankle and knee, but the perfect relaxing way to end a day of strenuous hiking. All in all it was a day that I will always remember.