I am 6 days away from my trip to Nicaragua and I have been rejected several times to climb the highest peak there. It is a beautiful volcano called, Pico Mogoton and stands a whopping 6,913 feet!!! (I reside at 5,495 feet). I couldnt believe some local guides straight up told me no! No. No No. After a little more research and questions, I came across Si te atreves, nunca volveras (If you have the guts to go, you will never return). Back in the 1980s (Nicaraguan Revolution) the Sandinista government (which is now a social democratic political party in Nicaragua) feared a US invasion from Honduras, so they heavily mined the area all around the volcano. The Nicaraguan army has YET to clear all the mines. They now lay buried and forgotten waiting for some unwary hiker to step in the wrong place. I THINK thats a valid reason for me not to climb it. Haha! Only a handful of people have summited. There ARE some local guides that will take you up the trail, they are just very rare. Hmmmm...maybe Ill have better luck finding this rare guide when Im down there! :)
Posted on: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 00:11:33 +0000