Our ascent of San Cristóbal, the highest volcano in Nicaragua, ranks second among the toughest ascents of our trip, right after the Iztaccíhuatl volcano in Mexico. And yet, it’s neither the longest nor the highest!
Saturday, June 10, 2023
Our evening prayers have been answered. When we stick our noses out of the soaking tent early in the morning, we’re greeted by a beautiful clear sky with a faint red glow on the horizon. Even better, we can make out the summit of San Cristóbal volcano above the trees, crowned by its plume of smoke. It’s very promising 🙂
No time to waste, as the good weather won’t last at this time of year. We put on our hiking boots and at 5:30 AM, we set off to conquer the volcano. San Cristóbal is the highest volcano in Nicaragua, but it only reaches 1,745 meters in altitude. It’s one of the most active volcanoes in the country, but it seems relatively calm at the moment, and that’s a relief. Its last eruption was in March 2021. To reach its summit, we face a hike of just 3 kilometers, but with over 1,000 meters of elevation gain. It’s going to get intense!
The ascent of San Cristóbal starts through the woods, then along low vegetation on the slopes of the volcano. We cross paths with dozens of parakeets singing cheerfully in the rising day. We quickly gain elevation. The summit is still far, but we can already spot the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Chonco volcano 4 kilometers to the west. In front of us, a wall.
Once the last traces of vegetation are behind us, the real challenge begins. Climbing 1,000 meters of elevation in less than 3 kilometers is an intense, very intense effort. But what makes it even worse is that we’re moving on volcanic sand that slips beneath our feet. There’s no solid footing. Three steps forward, one step back. It’s so tough! The slope is incredibly steep. Every step is a terrible effort, and we’re progressing very slowly. Charred pieces of wood mark our path, remnants of past eruptions and the soil’s acidity.
We climb 700 meters of elevation in the last kilometer. The summit never seems to get any closer, and it’s very discouraging. But we don’t give up, and after 2.5 hours of climbing, including 1.5 hours for the final push 🥵, we reach the top of the volcano. Yes, we’ve made it to the summit of San Cristóbal! The feeling is one of pure happiness. Of pushing ourselves beyond limits. Of pride. We exchange a smile that says it all. We know why we’re doing this. The view before us is worth every ounce of effort. Truly. And we savor it even more after such a struggle.
The gaping mouth of the volcano opens before us, releasing a continuous, massive cloud of smoke. How beautiful! And impressive! What power once again. The volcanoes of Nicaragua truly leave us speechless.
The 360° view around the crater is also worth the trip. On one side, we can see the Pacific Ocean, and on the other, the Caribbean Sea. But not for long! We’ve been at the summit for barely 5 minutes when clouds begin to gather in the valley, blocking the view. Within minutes, we can see nothing. What timing! If we had arrived 10 minutes later, it would have all been for nothing. We don’t linger, especially since the summit is swarming with thousands of insects that don’t give us a moment’s peace. It’s in the mist that we begin our descent.
The descent is incredibly fast! The volcanic sand that was such a struggle on the way up now lets us slide down the volcano’s slopes in the blink of an eye. No need for a sled, just surf on the sand and let ourselves glide down with a few quick strides. The result: 2.5 hours to climb, 1.5 hours to descend.
We arrive at the Finca exhausted but happy to have completed the ascent of San Cristóbal. The volcano is once again hidden in the clouds, and it’s drizzling. But it doesn’t matter anymore. We’ve seen it. We cook a nice breakfast of French toast and enjoy the cold, rustic shower to clean up. Then we don’t waste any time: we head to the valley to find the sun and warmth. When it’s hot, we crave the cold. When it’s cold, we want warmth 🤪 We drive non-stop to our evening spot, where we plan to take a well-deserved rest. And what a view!
We’re by Lake Xolotlán, also known as Lake Managua. In the background: the incredible cone of the Momotombo volcano, which rises to 1,297 meters. Yes, we wanted to climb it too. The problem with the Momotombo is that to reach its summit, you have to cross the property of a geothermal power plant, which charges $30 per person to pass through. That’s a bit pricey. Oh well, we’ll settle for admiring it from afar.
The place is very peaceful. We settle among the cows, sheep, horses, birds, and trash (unfortunately inseparable from Central America) and spend the afternoon watching the fishermen at work. It’s calm, the weather is nice, the villagers are friendly and welcoming. In short, everything is perfect. Another beautiful wild camping spot in Nicaragua! What a country, truly 🤩
Sunday, June 11
Today is Sunday, and we’re not doing much. We hit the road late in the morning to head to Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. Well, not really heading there—we’re just passing through. Like all Latin American capitals, it doesn’t offer much of interest. It’s a very Americanized capital, where everyone drives properly on wide avenues lined with big American brands. We come across the very controversial trees of Managua. They were ordered by a close associate of President Ortega and are said to have cost €20,000 each. There are 140 of them! 🤑
It’s early, and we decide to go explore the shores of Lake Masaya to find a nice spot for the night. We drive along a well-maintained track around the lake and explore several paths before finding the perfect spot by the water. However, no swimming in the lake despite the heat—there seem to be more trash than fish!
As evening comes, we make an attempt to visit the Masaya volcano. After 30 minutes of waiting at the park entrance, it’s already dark, and the guard informs us that in case of heavy rain or a storm, they evacuate everyone without a refund. Since the entrance fee is $20 and it starts to rain, we decide not to take the risk and head back to spend the evening quietly by the water. The evening is stormy, but when isn’t it these days?
Monday, June 12
This morning, it’s at the Masaya fire station that we fill our water tanks.
When it’s time to go, it’s time to go. After two weeks of hesitation and discussions with the supplier, it’s with a heavy heart that we part ways with our battery module. The one that allows us to charge the battery via the Jeep’s alternator while we drive. Our connector is deformed and overheating dangerously. The good news is that everything is covered under warranty! 🥳 The bad news is that we have to send the module and its cable… to the United States! 😭 And that’s a real obstacle course!
Our supplier refuses to receive the package directly from Nicaragua due to potential taxes, so we send it to Victor and Kuan, whom we met last year in Alaska and now live in Utah. They will then forward it to the supplier. The new package will make the reverse journey to come back to us. So, we’re looking at 3 weeks to a month of processing… A nasty surprise when we send it: the cable alone weighs 1 kg, much heavier than we had anticipated. In the end, the package is sent with FedEx for the modest sum of $230! 😢
Without the module, we are unable to recharge the battery while driving. We can only charge it from a power outlet, and for that, we need electricity! Unfortunately, it’s not on the deserted beaches of Costa Rica that we’ll find an outlet! As a result, to make the battery last as long as possible, we’ve decided to unplug the fridge 😧 No more fruits and vegetables, yogurt, cold drinks, and other delights that are so nice in 38° heat. From now on (and until Colombia, though we don’t know it yet…), we’ll be eating only products that can be stored at room temperature (which means over 30° 😅).
Our spirits are at an all-time low, so we end up at McDonald’s. We stay there until late afternoon, when it’s time to try our luck again at Masaya volcano. No long, exhausting climb here, but a unique spectacle that we won’t soon forget!
