Hike to Mount Liamuiga

MATTHEW: You should definitely hike to Mount Liamuiga.

ME: Okay, sounds like fun.

MATTHEW: It's sorta tough. I can't wait to see how exhausted you are when you're finished.

ME: Uhhhhh, should I be going on this? I'm out of shape.

MATTHEW: Oh for sure! You got this.

I can't say I 'got' or 'had' anything. In the simplest form of words I can manage: Mount Liamuiga royally kicked my ass. I am not going to say it was fun. Rather, I'd like to state that I'm proud of myself for making it all the way to the top—approximately 3,700 feet. The view at the top was amazing and I am happy to say that I've completed such a task.

As mentioned earlier, I am really out of shape. In the four years Matthew and I have been married, I've gained almost 30 pounds, mostly due to a love of food and a desk job I worked for three years. Inactivity and a husband who loves to cook is bound to make anyone round...right?

Anyway, we began the day meeting at Ross' campus around 8:15 a.m. We actually didn't end up carpooling and heading towards M.L. until 9:00 a.m. because our guide, Royston—although amazing—is on island time. It really wasn't a big deal, but it was nice to eventually be on our way.

Emily, me, and Michaelene

Mount Liamuiga---formally known as Mount Misery. 

Royston parked us at a great spot on the lower level, passed the area where most folks park their cars and begin the hike. I guess he wanted to save us as much unnecessary walking as possible. I wasn't complaining.

Once our group formed and we accounted for everyone, we began the adventure. I am *not* going to lie...I was already feeling the burn three minutes into the hike. At that point, I was pretty nervous about how the next two hours were going to pan out. 

The first section of the hike was a slow steady incline---which killed me. The second half of the hike was more so vertical---filled with boulders, small, medium, and large. I much preferred the second part of the hike. I was able to catch my breath and use both my arms and legs to pull myself up. Often times, I felt like I was climbing up a former river bed. 

We saw a ton of trees like this...huge in size with roots that went on and on and on.

I was so happy to have made it to the top. The hike was definitely tough, and at times, I wasn't even sure how I was still moving. Also---when I'd get to a particularly difficult section, I'd often think, "how the heck am I going to manage to get up there?" Thankfully, I wasn't the only person feeling that way. :)

At the top. 

Michaelene, Anna, and Warren.

View from one side.

I'm smiling here, but only for photographic purposes. I was *exhausted.*

Me and Emily---we didn't die. Yay.

Inside the crater. Check out the pond.

A random tree limb, with what looks to be a face...I love it!

The walk down was quicker than the trek up, but it was trickier than I had expected. It was very muddy and the boulders were slippery...I made it down eventually, but with much caution. Will I be making weekly trips to Mount Liamuiga? Definitely not. Will I, on occasion, hike it when visitors from the US prompt me? Sure---but there better be one hell of an incentive.