Nicaragua > Climbing the Concepción volcano

At ten past five, my alarm goes off. With my flashlight, I gather my things for the volcano trek so that my roommate can continue sleeping. By half past five, I’m at the reception, and Horacio has just arrived. He picks me up in a tricked-out sports car—I wouldn’t have expected him to have a car like that. His dog bite is doing reasonably well. Just past the port town of Moyogalpa, Horacio turns off. At a local family’s property, a small table is set up in the yard, and my breakfast is prepared in the kitchen.

Nicaragua - Breakfast prepared at a local familys home

Here I also meet Louis, my guide for today—a 24-year-old enthusiastic young man. After breakfast, I am driven to the start of the hike. As I step out of the vehicle, my volcano trek begins. Louis says it’s about a twenty-minute walk to the base of the volcano. I follow him along the rocky country lane through pastures. When I arrive at the Concepción volcano, the narrow forest path immediately climbs steeply. The trail has been eroded by water streams, forcing me to walk through deep grooves and take big steps to ascend. I imagine it would be unpleasant to hike here in the rain, as the ground would become slippery and water would flow over the path. Today it’s cloudy but dry, with the sun occasionally trying to break through. Several times, I spot howler monkeys and capuchins in the trees—a beautiful sight on the mountainside. After climbing through the forest for two hours, I reach the tree line. From here, I have a view of the island.

Nicaragua - View over Isla de Ometepe from above the kilometer mark

From this height, it’s clear that the island is almost flat, with only the volcano rising 1,673 meters. I pause on a small plateau at the kilometer mark. The trek has been quite strenuous so far, and I can imagine few people make it to the summit. I’ll see how far I get. I’m past the halfway point, but the toughest section is still to come. As I continue, the forest transitions into a grassland, and the grassland into boulders. Louis remains endlessly enthusiastic. We talk about all sorts of things. I teach him Dutch words, and he teaches me Spanish. As I climb higher, the mountain becomes steeper, and the fog thickens. It’s hard to judge whether the stones are stable before stepping on them. Sometimes, a stone slides down, causing a small rockslide. I quickly brace myself with my hands to avoid falling. Behind me, a group of local youths is climbing. The boys ascend easily, while the girls struggle more. One boy even climbs in flip-flops—unbelievable! I’m glad I’m wearing good hiking boots. Above 1,250 meters, the terrain becomes more gravelly. My boots sink in, and I have to be careful not to slip. Just above 1,400 meters, I pass two American tourists returning from the summit—they made it.

Nicaragua - The 1673meterhigh Concepcion volcano on Isla de Ometepe

Louis tells me it’s still about an hour to an hour and a half to the top. By now, I’ve been climbing for five hours, and I decide that this point—about 250 meters below the summit—is a fine high point. Louis takes a photo to record the achievement. I head back. Slightly lower, on a less steep section, I sit for lunch, still in the mist. Surrounded by black rock, it looks like a lunar landscape—what a bizarre environment. The descent is trickier than I expected. It’s hard to maintain good footing, and it doesn’t take long before I slip. Fortunately, no significant scrapes. A few more times I slide or narrowly avoid it. Eventually, I reach the grassland, where grip is better. Even in the forest, I find the descent harder than the climb. Water grooves force me to cover large height differences, and fatigue makes it more difficult to absorb shocks, especially on the knees. Around three o’clock, I return to the plateau and walk back to the main road. I’ve hiked on the volcano for over nine hours. On the way back to the lodge, I thank Louis for his excellent guidance. I look back on a truly extraordinary experience. Back in my cabin, I quickly strip off my dirty clothes and take a shower—the cold water doesn’t bother me anymore. In the evening, during dinner, I share my experiences with the fellow travelers. Some had cycled across the island, which also proved challenging due to poor-quality bikes and the long distances. Everyone had a great time on Isla de Ometepe.