For our Tropical Terrestrial Ecology course, we were given a week to dry off and explore on land. On our trip to the Pacific side of Panama (Coiba National Park) we stopped off in the town of Boquete to climb Volcan Barú. One of the most intense and rewarding hikes I have ever done was to the top of this volcano, which is the highest peak in Panama and allows one to view both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. While the entire trip was about 18 miles long and lasted for 15 hours, each way felt like a separate journey and so Jackie and I have decided to split the post.
The afternoon before we began, those of us crazy enough to try the hike stocked up on snacks and water in town, made enough peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to last a week, and tried to sneak in a quick nap. Just after 11pm, the bus shipped out, and we were at the base of the volcano just before midnight. Our plan was to begin the hike in the middle of the night and watch the sunrise from the top of the volcano.
After an invigorating pep talk from our leader, Sal, we set off en masse up the trail. The large group quickly separated into smaller sections based on walking speed, and everyone had a buddy for the hike (just like when we dive!) so we could keep track of each other.
The earlier parts of the hike were beautiful and very rewarding. We frequently passed into clearings that allowed us to see countless stars and the Milky Way above us, and the lights of Boquete below, which were getting farther and farther away with each turn of the path. We kept careful track of our pace and distance traveled, so that we didn’t strain ourselves too much but still reached the summit in time for sunrise.
The path up Volcan Barú is actually a fire road. That being said, I would not want to drive a car up (or down) this “road” as it is steep, covered in rocks, and quite unpredictable. Part of what made the walk so difficult was navigating the terrain and working through the variable gradient in the road. The hike up the mountain took the better part of six and a half hours and was one of the most physically challenging activities any of us had ever undertaken (which is saying something considering the amount of diving we do and that members of our group have run marathons and rowed in the World Championships, among other things). The buddy system turned out to be extremely helpful for moral support as well, and we’ve all said since the hike that we would not have gotten through it without each other’s encouragement.
Just when it seemed like we couldn’t walk any more, the sky began to lighten, and we had the summit in sight. Those of us that were further behind could also see the lights from our friends who had already made it to the top. After a final push – 10 minutes that felt like hours – we reached the summit.
The sunrise was beautiful, and we gratefully huddled together to keep warm, taking a minute or two to enjoy the scenery before thinking about heading back down. After a necessary 2 hour nap at the summit, we refueled on PB and fluff sandwiches, cookies, crackers and other assorted snacks.
Sal ambitiously estimated our arrival down the mountain for 12:30pm (4 hours) but our sore legs and feet disagreed. A party of 11 began the descent after breaking down our “hobo camp” but we slowly broke off into smaller groups. The morning sun revealed everything we missed the night before and slowly warmed our freezing selves.
Our descent began above the clouds and the hike down was beautiful but steep. We were amazed and thankful for the darkness that hid just how sharp of an incline we were climbing up just hours before.
We took several breaks on the way down, to rest, re-hydrate and, of course, take pictures. We eventually reunited back at Casa Pedro (our favorite home away from home away from home) and proceed to sleep for about 12 hours.
Everyone who went on the hike made it to the summit and back down safely. Like many of our experiences in Three Seas, Volcan Barú was an intense adventure that none of us will forget any time soon.
~Jackie and Sarah
Photos courtesy of Ryan, Paul, Nathaniel, and Trevor
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