We may have bitten off more than we chew.
The hike was to the top of Pico de Pescado. It was only 2.2 miles (3.5 kms) one way... but it gained 3000' (900 meters) in altitude over that short distance. And of course we were already at 8,500' when we were starting the hike.
On the trail.
It was wet and muddy in places.
Heading higher.
Things sure are nice and green.
Starting to get a view.
Cuenca.
Pretty Ennealophus foliosus, which is in the Iris family
I took a short video for you...
I'm sure that parts of this trail were used by the Incas!
We were sitting on a rock taking a break when I heard some barking and saw a pack of dogs in the distance running towards us. There was a local guy as well. The dogs arrived and when they saw that we were friendly, they instantly became friendly as well. It was pretty funny.
Ruth, the dog whisperer.
Too funny,
Heading higher.
One of the very few flat sections.
Beautiful scenery.
Cuenca.
Came around the corner to see that the path went straight up this hill.
That's where we called it quits, at 10,770'.
View from where we sat and had lunch.
Zoomed in on the city center.
Cuenca airport is located right in the city.
You can see the runway.
Where we sat and had lunch.
We were a bit disappointed that we didn't make it to the top. But we haven't done much hiking lately, so weren't in the best of hiking condition. Plus, it was going to be a difficult and slippery climb back down. I think we made the right decision not to continue further. Still, for a couple of 64 year olds, we did pretty well on a tough hike.
We only saw two locals, and one expat on the entire hike... a younger guy from Colorado who has been living here for 8 years and does this hike regularly as a training exercise.
Making our way back down.
Pretty flowers.
On the way back, we were lucky to get a taxi going the opposite way. He dropped us at a Supermarket where we picked up some beer and wine.
We saw this rig with Swiss license plates parked at the grocery store.
Roadside food stand.
Roast guinea pig is a popular dish.
This is a common sight in Ecuador as well.
Overall, a great day despite not making it to the top!
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Wow! Views of Cuenca that probably most locals haven't seen! We've done hiking in Wyoming and coming "down off" is always much more difficult, in my opinion. You did fantastic especially for that altitude. Thanks again for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWe had some great views for sure and yes, probably most of the locals have never seen those views. Therre were a few local houses up there but those houses had no electricity and they were the ones that probably had a few of the cows and horses that we saw in the meadows that we walked through.
DeleteAgreed, sometimes coming down is harder on the legs but easier on the lungs than going up. In this case going down you really had to watch your footing so that you didn't slip from the mud or the slippery rocks but going up sure worked the lungs.
OMG, they eat guinea pigs? And after all those cute painted ones!
ReplyDeleteGreat hike, you two. Definitely looks hard. I don't like walking or hiking in mud one bit, especially when it gets into my boot treads and feels squishy and mucky. Just a personal pet peeve, but you did great. Such nice views from up there!
Yes, they eat guinea pigs here, they don't look at guinea pigs as pets here but as food. We haven't tried them yet but I am sure that we will at some point but more likely when we come back driving here.
DeleteThanks, Emily, it was definitely a very steep hike. We gained almost 590 m (1,900 ft) in 2 km (1.2 mi) and then when you add in the high elevation it is considered to be a very strenuous hike, so although we didn't make it to the top we are really happy with how far we did make it and we really enjoyed the beautiful views. We don't enjoy hiking in mud either but we did our best to keep our feet out of the mud as much as possible. I was happy that we found a couple of sticks to use as hiking poles because I am not quite sure how I would have come down that steep trail otherwise.
Beautiful....beautiful...beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you we are glad that you enjoyed the post and the pictures.
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