What next ?
Elisabet had also had an interesting experience on day two. Her group were climbing very high when she started to struggle with altitude sickness. Unfortunately where she was in the climb, meant she had to go up in order to get down. That took quite a long time, as she had to keep stopping to get her breath. As a nurse, she was fully aware of the danger she was in and was having visions of helicopters coming in to airlift her to hospital. Not quite sure how they would land! They got her down eventually and took her back to Movara to rest. She was as surprised as I was when I got back to the room early to find her there.
After the events of day two it was decided that Elisabet would do a hike called West Canyon, which is a walk through the Snow Canyon with some small slopes but no climbing. I decided to go with her. It was a special day too, Elisabet’s birthday, there was going to be no cake, even more reason to be together. The question was would I be able to keep up with her. I knew it was unlikely, but we could still share the experience.
West Canyon
There were four of us altogether doing the hike, and the setting was very beautiful. Snow Canyon has both white and red rock. The landscape changes all the time as you make your way down the road. The guides don’t escort you on this hike, the objective is to get to the end where there is a hut with no road beyond, its about 7 kilometres away and then back again of course. You are sent on your way and told to turn around at 9:30 and make your way back for the bus. Its just a straight road, which becomes more of a track, so you cant get lost. We started out as a foursome, chatting about the landscape, children and life. Elisabet and I were always being asked questions about Iceland, good job I had the expert with me, I have learnt a lot from her.
Eventually we pulled away from the other two and then Elisabet said to me do you mind if I go on. This was inevitable and didn’t mind one bit. I walked alone at a good pace stopping occasionally to take a photograph. The odd a bike rider or runner would pass me or be returning in the opposite direction. There was always a good morning and a smile.
Walking alone
It was an absolutely wonderful experience walking through that canyon, alone with my thoughts only for company. I felt very spiritual, as though both of my sisters were with me, floating along in the air beside me, urging me on. As you walk through the canyon it’s like the back canopy of a stage setting that just keeps changing, unfolding. I can’t think of any other way I can describe it. There are small areas of plants, and I came across a patch of large cacti. I saw a hare running across the gravel track. I also saw pipes sticking up out of the ground alongside the track which were gurgling. What I hadn’t noticed until I came back was there was a large covered reservoir just at the beginning of the walk.
older snakes only use enough venom to provide a warning… nice !
The sun was shining and all was good with the world. It is just so fantastic to be walking in the magnificent canyon, words cant really describe the feeling. I managed to walk 5.5 Km by 9:30 and I was really pleased with that, now I just had to get back. I met the two younger women who had not turned around a few minutes later, but still carried on alone, just me and the canyon. As I approached the van Elisabet caught up with me, she had made it right to the end, but I was very pleased with my 11 km, it was the longest walk I had done in a long time.
Ravine One
On day four otherwise known as Thursday, some people were going kayaking instead of hiking. We had spoken to the manager of the resort the night before about the hikes the following day. Elisabet had developed something of a cough, and so we wanted to know where we were going. She was very disappointed that she wasn’t able to join in with the more advanced hikes, and I can certainly empathise with that. It was the part of the experience she had been looking forward to the most. We were told that there were two hikes happening the next day, ravine one and ravine three, and we were going to do the first one.
The van set off in a different direction this time through a little town called Santa Clara. A lot of the houses and businesses had wooden decorated cows outside. I asked what that was about. It had recently been Swiss Day. They commemorate the fact that a lot of the settlers in the town are from Switzerland by displaying these cows. I snapped a few cows whilst driving back through, not really doing them justice, but you get the idea.
Walking and Talking
We arrived at the ravine and the other three went off with their guide and our guide led us up a hill for quite a while. He then took us down a little into the desert and we walked through the desert for some time. The conversation was varied and interesting, from Iceland, England, and on to how the Mormons were run out of so many cities before they settled here. He showed us a plant which is used to make Morman tea and both he and Elisabet chewed on it for a while.
Snakes, another topic of conversation and how expensive it is to get treated for a rattlesnake bite these days. But we were OK because it was too cold for them to be out at the moment, phew. However he told us a story about finding a baby rattlesnake in the pathway once in the Spring whilst out hiking with his wife. He covered it with sand to warm it up and then poured some water on it to get it moving. Eventually it went back into the vegetation and out of harm’s way. Apparently the young ones are the most dangerous because they don’t know how to control the venom they pump into you. Whereas older snakes only use enough venom to provide a warning… nice !
Billy and the Coyote
He also told us a story about a coyote and a goat they spotted on a hike once. They had passed a farm and were on a trail when they heard a goat bleating. When they got closer the saw a goat cornered by a coyote which ran away when all the people appeared. They then realised that the goat had bite marks and blood on its head. It had a lucky escape and they led it back to the safety of the farm. I haven’t seen a coyote yet, but there are apparently plenty about where we are now. When we were going to breakfast one morning Elisabet said she thought the noise we could hear was coyotes, howling in the mountains.
Whilst walking in the desert our guide got a call on his radio form the other guide asking where we were. His party had reached the highest point which was on a mountain alongside us. They were trying to see us, and we looked up and we could see them. I imagine it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. We waved frantically until they spotted us in the middle of the desert. Even though it’s the desert we are on a well-marked trail and there is a significant amount of vegetation.
Squeezing and Climbing
It was time for us to turnaround and make out way through the ravine. I am not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t what I got! The ravine wasn’t too bad to start with. But it soon became an interesting exercise in how to get past the huge boulders in our way. Sometimes we just squeezed through. Others we clambered and climbed over the rocks to find a way to the other side. There was a point when I thought what happens if we can’t get through, but of course we had an extremely experienced guide, and in his 70’s I believe. He always found a way and gave me a helping hand when I needed it.
My biggest problem is that one of my knees is not properly supported by the muscles in my leg. The result of being knocked down by a motor bike in London a few years ago. It was only when I started to train with Thomas that I realised I had an issue. I finally got a diagnosis on it this year and am working to build up the muscles. Earlier in the week I could hardly bend it enough to clamber down the rocks, or to sit on one to do a small jump. But I realised today that it is getting much easier, even though some of the climbing down was really quite difficult. Eventually we made it out of the more difficult area of the ravine and back to the bus and home for the daily lecture and lunch.
