The Volcano

By Daniel Castillo
My legs were shaking because I was scared. I didnt know what awaited me. Is everybody on
board? asked the big driver of the little white bus. Before we answered, we looked around to see
if the twenty-one hikers were there. Almost at the same time we said, Yes, everybody is on
board.
The old vehicle started to move slowly in the direction of our destiny. From the bus, we could
see the monumental volcano call Misti that dominates the horizon with an elegant conic shape.
The white snow on the top of the volcano contrasted with the intense blue sky in the city of
Arequipa, Peru. It was the first time that I would try to climb a volcano. I was scared that it
would be too difficult for me to climb. I was imagining myself alone, left behind, and waiting for
the rest of the hikers to come back. My imagination kept going. I saw a huge wild animal trying
to eat me. Then suddenly, the bus stopped and everybody got off.
We prepared our backpacks with everything we needed for the hike. James, the guide, told us to
take just the essential things like sleeping bags, coats, food and the most important thing, water.
Each person needed four liters of water for the two days. If we took more than that it could be
too heavy to carry, less than that we could dehydrate. We also had candies and chocolates to give
us more energy to climb.
We said a prayer and we started to walk. It was very early in the morning. I could hear the
singing of the birds between the leaves and branches on the trees. It was a dawn I had never seen
before. It was beautiful.
We started to climb enthusiastically. We were making jokes and laughing all the time. The
incline of the land became greater and greater. We had to use a wooden stick in order to not
slide. We climbed the cold and rough rocks. Some of them were taller than the Statue of Liberty,
or at least they seemed so to me. Somehow I started to like the feel of the ground in my hands.
I had the desire to leave my backpack on the ground but I couldnt because everything I needed
was in it. By the time we were in the middle of our climb up the volcano, I had eaten half of my
tasty food. I had drunk more than half of my water. I dont know why I felt my backpack was
heavier than when I first got off the bus.
Past the middle of the first day, I was very tired. At 5:00 p.m., we finally saw what the guide said
would be our refuge for the night. He said, There it is! Over there is our hotel. When I heard
him, I imagined that the refuge was a comfortable place to pass the night; a refuge with a gush of
water coming out from the rocks where I could drink and wash my hands with crystalline water,
just like an oasis in the desert. There was a tall slope of sand between the refuge and us. It was
about 2,000 feet from us. Not too far, I thought, considering the long way that we had walked.
Ill be over there soon. And I walked as fast as I could but after one hour I still had a lot farther
to go to get to the refuge. Every three steps I took, I went one step back because of the sand.
You guys are really slow, said James. He is so annoying and mean I thought. He was close
to forty years old and he was one of the fastest people in the group. He was a 6.3 feet tall man
with long legs that allowed him to take long steps. He was very strict in every aspect of his life:
at work, school, and home, everywhere. Also he was strict as a guide. He knew all the things that
a guide needs to know to have a safe trip. His father was a commander of the Armed Forces of
Peru; maybe thats why he was treating us as soldiers. Looking at him, I thought that hiking was
not made for me. I am just 5.3 feet tall. My hands are little. I get tired so fast. What am I doing
here? I better go back home as soon I can tomorrow morning.
Two hours had gone by since the time that we saw the refuge. I couldnt believe that the short
section to the refuge could take us so long. While I was trying to walk faster, I saw the guide
carrying some heavy backpacks of the tired hikers. Going back and forth to the refuge three
times, he showed enthusiasm, fortitude, and love for the people that he was helping. Little by
little, my thoughts about him changed.
Hey Daniel there it is, the scary wild animal that you told me about, said Michael. I looked at
the rocks and I saw a little mouse about three inches tall. His body was cover with a lot of fur. It
looked like it was wearing a little grey coat.
Finally, following some flashlights that I saw, around 9:00 p.m., I arrived in the refuge called
Eagles Nest. It was all dark. And I couldnt put up my tent. I just spread it on the ground. I got
into my sleeping bag and I used the tent as a cover. James was the last person to arrive. He gave
his set-up tent to the last two girls and he decided to sleep outside with the people that couldnt
put up their tents. He looked tired. He got into his sleeping bag and asked Is everybody ok?
I dont know. I cant feel my legs, I answered. I cant either, said Michael. Dont worry
guys. Tomorrow you will feel your legs again, said James.
I dont wanna feel my legs tomorrow because I know all I will feel is pain, Said Michael and
asked How do you not get tired?. James answered I get tired too but I try to do my best. I have
been here many times. I used to come with my father and brothers when I was ten years old. The
first time I didnt want to come here because I thought I couldnt do it, but my father told me to
try to do my best and if I fall, try again. I told James about my thoughts since I got off the bus.
He said, You have done well. Just give your best tomorrow morning and you will be on the top
of the volcano by noon. I was contemplating the deep black sky and hundreds of stars, all of
them around us. I felt that I was floating in the air watching the lights of the city below. The
image of the lights followed me into my dream.
In darkness, at three in the morning of the next day, James was waking everybody up. I decided
to continue and give my best as James told me. I took an empty backpack and one liter of water.
It was the most difficult part of the climb. Because of the altitude, my backpack felt three times
heavier. It was difficult to breathe because of the low oxygen. The pressure made my ears feel
like exploding.
After seven hours of climbing, we crowned the Misti of almost 200,000 feet above the sea level.
We did it! I said. We are the champions. We are the champions Michael started to
sing. We saw the crater of the Misti. We took many pictures. We wrote our names in a rock. I
thanked James for what he told me the night before. I was very happy because I reached the goal.
I learned that everything is possible with desire and effort. I learned that sometimes our fears are
no bigger than a mouse 3 inches tall with a brown coat.
Since that wonderful first experience in October of 1998, I have climbed the Misti the next two
consecutive years. I have also climbed other mountains of the Andes Mountains in Peru.