50 mph winds, sideways rain, 10 inches of mud, and near zero visibility. That pretty much describes 3 days of my life two weekends ago when two other volunteers (Andy and Gina) and I went on an insane hike in Podocarpus National Park, about 20 minutes south of Loja.
Hiking at about 12,000 ft above sea level along the continental divide the winds were literally blowing us over as we attempted to make our way to a site called the Lagunas del Compadre, a series of almost surreal looking mountain lakes 14 kilometers from the park’s ranger station. The trail first climbs through some pretty impressive cloud forest with hundreds of type of orchids, ferns, epiphytes (air plants), etc. This park is actually known to have the highest plant diversity in the world… growing on one tree they counted over 120 different varieties of epiphytes! After climbing for a while the trail heads south along a ridgeline, which is the continental divide, and through the paramo ecosystem which consists of lots of weird looking miniature spiky plants, grasses, etc. uniquely adapted to the harsh winds and UV radiation at this altitude. It’s here that nature unleashed her wrath on us! Our first night it was a challenge just to find a site to stake down the tents where there wasn’t a big sea of mud and where the wind wasn’t going to blow us out to the Pacific Ocean during the night. The whole night the tent was flapping so hard that we literally thought it was going to snap!
The next day we trudged along at a very sad pace, our feet soaking wet and cold inside our big rubber Wellington boots. The wind was nothing short of fierce and the rain pummeled our faces as if it were sand. At this point you’re probably asking why we didn’t turn around… and it was probably a combo of determination and stupidity! We finally reached a somewhat sheltered area where we set up the tents once again. Our original goal was to camp at the lagunas the second night but given our pace and the dwindling daylight we thought this was a better idea. Gina was on the verge of death so she decided to crawl in her sleeping bag for a nap, while Andy and I trudged along without all the weight of our backpacks towards the lagunas. We had already come this far so we HAD to make it! And it was worth it. Along the way, the skies opened up for a little bit, and although the wind was still whipping we had some incredible views, as if we were on top of the world. We didn’t make it all the way to the lagunas since the weather took a major turn for the worse, but we got close enough to see two of the lakes, one with some neat islands in the center and both with amazing 6-tiered waterfalls roaring down the hillside. The pictures do absolutely no justice, so you’ll just have to brave the conditions and see them for yourself next time you're in Ecuador ;-). Supposedly the weather is the best in November, but I think it’s pretty harsh all year round. That night we witnessed a phenomenal sunset, and had the best mac and cheese ever plus some hot chocolate mixed with whiskey. The tents flapped all night again but survived! The next day’s hike out was particularly painful since we were all pretty beat already, and the weather was on and off the whole time (mostly off!) but we were able to grab some good photos. The final descent through the cloud forest was excruciating and I literally thought my knees were going to give out. But we all made it back safe and sound, and I think I lost about 5 pounds on the trip due to all the exertion! Two weeks later, my knees still haven’t recovered 100% and I’m still popping anti-inflammatory pills…hopefully another couple days is all I need! Overall it was painful… but I think it was worth it! Next time though Mother Nature better be more cooperative.
Enjoy the pics below, all taken during the 2 hours or so we were able to see! And as always click a few times to enlarge and then click Full Screen to view full screen.
