This may very well be the most beautiful place I have ever seen. When I look back at the hikes I’ve done, I rate them based on how difficult they were for the end destinations. If a hike is too easy, I don’t consider it to be much of an accomplishment once I arrive at the final destination. Contrastingly, it absolutely sucks to complete a very tough hike only to find a puddle at the end when you expected a majestic jungle lake. That being said, the hike up Cerro Chato is at the absolute top of that scale. Cerro Chato is an inactive volcano next to the active volcano of Arenal in La Fortuna, Costa Rica. At the top of this volcano is a lake nearly untouched by man. Once we reached the top, we then had to descend 500ft into the crater to reach the lake. It had the most amazing view and relaxed spot that I’ve ever seen, while at the same time being the most difficult place to reach I’ve ever been to.
I looked up this hike online, and from the pictures, it was exactly what I wanted to experience. This was my first jungle hike, and the steepest hike I’d ever attempted up until that point. The word underprepared fails to even touch on the state my readiness. I departed with one bottle of water and a pack of trail mix, wearing khaki shorts and a tank top. Never have I ever wanted to quit so badly while on a hike. There were multiple times when I just wanted to stop. Not turn around, not continue, but STOP. Luckily, by pure chance, the night before, I met seven travelers in a random encounter and spent the next several hours from the evening into the early morning playing volleyball. When the time came for us to head to bed, I realized that they were doing the exact same hike as me the following day. If it wasn’t for these amazing, seemingly superhuman individuals, I am certain that I would not have made it. They made sure I kept moving, they gave me some of their food and water and motivated me to continue and fight through the unbearable leg cramps. Once we reached the lake, we were in absolute awe of this place, and grateful to relax in the surprisingly cold water in this sweltering jungle. The two things I learned most from this hike are that no matter how tough a hike is, you are more than physically capable of completing it. And that you better be darn sure you’ve done your research before you hike up a volcano with just a bottle of water!
