Ascending Beyond

The story I am about to tell is not technically the first camping trip, but it could be said that it established the foundation for many more. It was the second excursion, but you have to admit that it sounds better for a story to say that it was the first.

I must establish the parameters of the story. The characters, including myself, are athletic college students trying to balance their lives with school. None of us had a serious job yet; we dreamed of achieving greatness without really knowing how. Our first camping trip was to Picacho de Galipán. Like all our excursions, it was planned without much notice, and everything was done on the fly.

I could tell that story, about how we climbed late and had to travel a half-hour path in an hour because it was already dark, and we could see the city lights illuminating our way. It would be worth it, but there is a second route that is more valuable to me. It marks the difference between leadership and the tenacity to achieve a goal.

I had heard a lot about Pico Naiguatá, that it was beautiful, something I needed to see with my own eyes. Our first camping trip went great, but I felt that for this second one, we had to step up our game. We would be walking about 14 km, there wouldn't be a jeep to take us to the entrance of the summit, and it wouldn't be 1 or 3 hours, but almost a full day or two days depending on the pace of the group. It wouldn't be an easy task; I would need to have excellent physical condition. The truth is, I had set high standards to achieve that goal; it was a dream at the time.

Then the opportunity presented itself. A group of mostly female environmental students wanted to go to Pico Naiguatá, and there was a specialized guide to take us. I remember a friend of mine got me involved, and I was ecstatic. I invited another friend, Wolfgang, who had gone with me on the first camping trip. Both of us knew it would be different, and we were excited for the day to come.

Then the worst happened: many people started to back out, and even the guide dissociated himself. We decided to improvise a mission. No one knew the way, and the few people who were determined to go had doubts.

"We know the way," Wolfgang and I said.

I remember they asked us if we really knew and why we hadn't spoken up before. We made up an excuse that we were waiting for people to regroup. With the group consolidated, we proceeded to the next step.

There were seven of us, and none of us knew the way, but we weren't going to go blindly, as everyone thought. I had a map of the route to Pico Naiguatá, and we also watched videos on YouTube to memorize the way. Finally, to know how to get to the entrance of that part of the park, we went there one day before to inspect the area. The day arrived, and the two of us were playing our role as guides. They asked us how much longer it would take from one point to another, and we said the routine phrase, "15 minutes left," so many times that they hated us. However, that climb was tough, but it strengthened something that I didn't know could be strengthened. We didn't reach the top on the first day, but we made a campfire at the first point and slept in the middle of the forest. It also rained that night. Even so, I slept like a log; I was in my element.

It wasn't the first camping trip, but it was the first camping trip where we did everything:

• A place far from the city.
• Walk for more than 12 hours through the forest.
• Face various challenges.
• Impressive views both day and night
• Enter a prehistoric and wild world.

Nowadays, I see myself reflecting and thinking that climbing Pico Naiguatá is the cornerstone for those who want to face greater challenges. The area is signposted and not entirely wild. Due to human activity, our essence has been imposing itself, which is unfortunate. It's not like going to the Amazon, it never will be, but it's a first little taste that will leave you wanting to live more adventures.

We were lucky, I admit it. Bad things could have happened by going that way, not knowing the way, but everything turned out well, and each of us took a piece of "we want more." That time we ate cake, and salad, and made arepas and bollitos. We stayed there for three days, resting all that we had climbed, and without any signal, it was the biggest reward. Being without the addiction to checking our phones. There was so much to explore and do.

Later on, we climbed again a second time, and then a third time. However, in the end, I was the one who kept climbing almost every year. The others stopped going because they were busy or had lost their shape. I didn't stay just with Pico Naiguatá; I started exploring all of Ávila. Additionally, I took a one-year first aid course to acquire more tools that would help me in the mountains.

"Take me to the mountains," they say when I post my photos on social media. But they don't know everything that needs to be faced: sweat and pain. It has been so many years since that first camping trip to Pico Naiguatá, but I still see my reflection and the changes that have been harvested.