Cerro Chato

La Catarata de la Fortuna, a fifty six foot high waterfall, plummets through a crevice in the wall into a deep but narrow pool of crystal blue water. The force of the cascade on the surface of the pool creates an outward surface flow similar to what it felt like in the rapids in el Rio Pacuare. We tried to swim directly at the water column but were slowed exponentially and tossed back like drift wood; it was a natural safety design that kept us from swimming under the crashing pillar.

After relaxing on the sunbathed rocks around the picturesque waterfall, we got up to go on what we expected to be a “jog” up the trail to the crater lake and onward to the national park. After hitting the cloud line and the 50 degree incline, the idea of running the trail was abandoned quickly and we continued trudging up the slope. We couldn’t see more than 20 yards ahead of us through the eerie haze. Before too long, we entered the dense forest that surrounded the top of the dormant volcano. The broad leaves and mossy stalks dripped with condensation from the clouds squeezing through the cracks. Our hike thus turned into a climb when the trail fell away and exposed soggy roots became the path markers.

Another hour passed before the clouds began to replace overhead foliage and the trail quickly made its summit and begin a comparable decline. Soon the green wall of vegetation fell away and was replaced by an endless expanse of whiteness that faded into a jade mirror-like surface. It looked like we had reached the boundary of a dream between what had been constructed by the mind and what had not yet been imagined. We descended to the shore side and as we looked across the water the surrounding crest of the crater loomed warily behind a wet veil. It silently exposed itself as the clouds were whisked upward and we could see the full expanse of the lake. Its mysterious untouched beauty gave us all a profound sense of discovery. I tried to take as much of the experience in before I had to peel myself away and head back down the mountain. I hope my description and the visual aids can help you know the feeling!