Panama Adventure: Climbing a Volcano

Many people come to this part of Panama with high hopes of climbing our volcano, Baru. I am not one of those people. I appreciate Baru, and the lovely views he provides, from afar. My husband, on the other hand, is one of those who finds joy in challenging opportunities, like climbing a volcano! Sit back, like I did, and enjoy the photos of his hike up the volcano.

It all started as he ventured out in the dark at 5:45am with two friends from the neighborhood. Our neighbors are from Canada and are here for five months. They have a family member in visiting who wanted to climb Baru, so the challenge was on. Within a few days, the plan was made and they were off!

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_{My gift from the hike}

Apparently there is a new rule that you must be down before 4:00 in the afternoon so that you don't have to be taken out by careflight. With it being sort of rainy season, you never know what you're going to get as you climb the mountain. Thankfully they did not get rained on yesterday!

They arrived at Paso Ancho where they would begin their climb up around 6:15. They encountered some great photo opportunities along the way, but it started getting cloudy around 11. If you make it to the top on a cloudless day, you can see the Caribbean Sea on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other! At a height of 3,475 meters high, Baru is the highest spot in all of Panama.

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The Paso Ancho side of Baru is said to be the more difficult side to climb. Most people go up the Boquete side and come back down there. The Paso Ancho side is also the more scenic side. The Boquete side now has a road that a 4x4 vehicle can drive up almost to the top!

At times, he said it was like climbing up a ladder where you had to be using hands and feet to go up. Sometimes it was just a hiking trail. One of the friends who went said he was tired of the breathtaking views as he had to stop every few feet to catch his breath!

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Around 12:00pm I received a text from him that he had made it to the top. It took them around 6 hours to go up the Paso Ancho side, which isn't bad! He said no one younger than 13 should try to make this climb. The very top of the volcano has a ridge with cell and satellite towers that are visible on a cloudless night from our house. They sure look huge in these pictures!

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The crater of the volcano is visible in this picture. It is the part where the lava would come out if this volcano were not sleeping (and we sure are glad it is). Baru erupted about 500 years ago and is about 1600 years old. It has erupted 4 times in the past. Let's keep that number at 4 eruptions!!!

At the TOP of the volcano, you will find this sign telling you the rules of climbing Baru. Rules like, follow the guide you should have and don't pick flowers. Probably would have been good to have one of those signs at the bottom as well as at the top! Again, tourism is not where Panama gets its money (the Canal is).

The very top of the volcano has a cross placed in the ground. It definitely makes for a nice picture! If you make it this far, you've done a great job and your reward is a hike back down! Thankfully the hike back down should only take about 4 hours if you go on the Boquete side.

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About 12 hours after leaving the house, the husband arrived back at home (and that included a 1.5 hour ride back from Boquete). He said he is a little sore and got some blisters on his feet. He ate a few protein bars and drank lots of water while climbing the volcano. I know he's happy that he went and I'm happy that I stayed home with the kids! We sure were happy that he made it back alive!

If you're ever in our part of Panama and you're really itching to climb Baru, know that I'll send my husband up with you and watch your kids while you're up there! Ha! Perhaps I can convince @panamapilgrim to start using his account again and post the other pics and tell his side of the story!!

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