Cold and the mountain: a trip to the wintery "Nevado de Toluca"

Beginning the trip. This was the view from the main plain. At this point, we were all fresh. The middle mini-mountain you see it is also called the " belly button" of the crater.

More than a trend, ecotourism is a way to travel the world without hurting him (and we should do this and love our planet every day).

In Mexico, we have many natural areas that worth visit them. One of them is the "Nevado de Toluca", the fourth highest mountain in our country.

It is an inactive volcano that holds two lagoons inside of him ("La Luna" y "El Sol", moon and sun) Its highest point is 4,680 m (15,350 ft) over sea level.

I had the chance to visit this beautiful place and here they are: my chronicle and some of my thoughts.

At left is the Sun lagoon and at the right the Moon lagoon viewed from above. We started our walk in the back vertex you can see (where the 2 roads meet). In this picture, we were almost at the top.

View from the side once we were almost at the top.

Chronicle:

First, we started in Mexico City, a two hours road, picking up some other people on our way to Toluca. At our arrival at the "Nevado" we paid our ticket entrance (the whole area is guarded by locals so you have to pay to them) then, we went up to the mountain in the bus (it will be like 3 hours walking). You get to a parking area (or kind of) and now you can begin the real adventure. We received instructions from our guides and prepared ourselves for the tour (there were 2 of them Javier and Carlos: the first one in their 30's, and the second one was 59 years old #respect. They were both really cool and nice). The group was tinny (14 persons that I got to meet during the walk, they were pretty cool and adventurous). We used a trekking pole (so useful for not falling down the snow).

The first up was about 15 minutes straight and it wasn't that hard. You get to the main area, where most people stay because it is easy to get there and you have a great view of the two lagoons and the sides of the crater.

But after that, comes the fun part. You have to descend to the volcano crater and that was no joke. I actually came to the conclusion that the way up tests your physical condition, but the way down tests your courage, because it was really scary to look down and knowing that you may fall and hit a rock (#boom #scarymoment). After that, it wasn't all fun and jokes but it was way better. We reached the Moon Lagoon (this is the next crowed area after the first plain) so, there are the lagoon and a lot of rocks, you can also see a type of flower called "Rosa de la montaña" (mountain rose) because in summer is all reddish but in winter remains gold (kind of dead looking, but no). We rest there for 10 minutes maybe (I learned that short breaks are better, otherwise your body relax too much and it gets harder to start walking again) and ate something.

The Moon lagoon:

The next goal was to go to the top of the mountain (spoiler: we didn't but we got quite close). On our way there, we made a few steps. I think the inclination was about 45º or 50º (no maths here, obviously), so we walked for 20 minutes and rest 5. At some point, half of our team was exhausted and they decided to take the other way with the second guide and appreciate the view from down (#alsobeautiful). So, it remained like 9 of us. We kept walking upwards. We were tired but we also felt really excited to see the view from the top. We got to a plain from where you could see a chain of mountains and the two lagoons from the top. There, we rest quite a while and we ate a delicious lunch (simple but being that hungry it tasted like heaven).

Then it came the hardest part: the last rise. We walked through some parts with ice so it was really slippery and I almost fall down twice (#isurvived but still scary). We had to walk through a narrow road and we had to be really careful to watch our steps to avoid a free rock. Once we got to the highest we were going to get it was marvelous. We only stood there for a few minutes but, boy, what a view. It worth every second. The snow looked beautiful resting in the hillside and the sky was so blue (I know, a cliché but seriously it was a deep gorgeous blue) and the silence was everything I was looking for. Lots of people don't get there so it's a really quiet place.

The view from above. The lagoon you see is the Moon lagoon.

The way down. PFF. For me, it was the hardest (I actually felt really proud I didn't fall) I am not afraid of heights but you can feel your body going down while your feet slide through the sand. That was the moment where I appreciated the most the trekking pole (#bless). Once we get to the beach we had a chance to relax and recover our breath. We meet the rest of our group and walked all around the Sun lagoon (basically we were the only ones there). The water was so clear that everything was reflecting. The sun burned, yeah, but for that view, I will take it. The landscape was stunning and I guess it was my favorite part from the trip.

Walking by the beach.

The Sun lagoon:

After that glorious moment, we started our way out.

First, we had to climb up all the hillside to get to the main plain again and then, the car. The last half hour on our way out we were all pretty exhausted. We walked for 6/7 hours straight and we traveled 6 kilometers or so, and I am happy for e-v-e-r-y step.

Chain of mountains viewed from the top.

Part of the team resting a little bit and having some lunch:

Now, some tips I learned from this trip:

1. Planning the trip: First of all, consider to do your journey with someone experienced. This may sound a little obvious but a lot of people assume that mountains are not that "risky" and they just go with their intuition, but no! You will be safer -and happier- if you just ask help to someone that knows the field.

I went with an ecotourism agency (Ecotura) because it was my first time climbing a mountain and I have no regrets! Definitely was the smartest decision, because the guide took really good care of the group. We were 14 people walking around throw snow and cold and none of us knew much about hiking, so it was really helpful his expertise. Also, the agency knew exactly what we should eat and wear to be prepared and they provided us with the required equipment. The trip with them was really enjoyable and easy, I didn't have to worry about anything on the road and I only had to keep my self-focus on keep walking.

! Beginner's tip: Don't eat chocolate. It seems that I may help you with all the sugar, but it is so high fat that it actually makes your body works more trying to digest it. So, go for high carbs food, such as sandwich, nuts and berries, tortillas, fruit, maybe some candy (like gummies), and avoid red meat or any heavy food.

2. Physical condition: If you don't exercise regularly, go with an open mind and accept the fact that you might not get to the top of the mountain. Don't get frustrated. Good news is that you will have an incredible view of the lagoons. This trip is physically challenging (not expert level but still). And if you do exercise, also go with an open mind and be extra careful where you stand. Although you are gonna get tired, it is more about not being scared of heights and being super focus on not falling. The field is really slippery because of the snow melting (I went at the end of winter).

3. Fashion ¿? Wear proper clothing and equipment. Obviously, this is super important, even though I saw a few people on heels and purses (I don't get it). Jeans are not the best options (I thought it was the way to go, but no), choose sports clothing (not cotton, but polyester) such as lightweight fabric that dries fast and dress you in layers, that means having at least three layers of clothing that you can take off and on in case you need it. For example, a t-shirt, a hoodie, and a windbreaker. Carry with you your globes and hat. Use boots that protect your ankles (you will love the extra support) and sports socks.

4. Protect your skin. The sun was burning (literally). Even though it is really cold, the radiation in this part was so high that my skin hurt at some point. At midday, we were at the highest point we reached and the sun was burning all over my face and hands. That is why it is so important to use sun protector and a hat. My skin is particularly dry, so the combination of cold and sun was damaging, that is why I took body cream with me and apply it once in a while.

5. Packaging. I think the biggest mistake I made was over packing. I had a lightweight backpack (specially made for hiking) but I overfilled. I thought I was gonna be super hungry because all of the exercise but actually, you can't eat that much or drink a lot of water because there are no bathrooms or anything, so... one liter of water is more than enough and a light lunch is excellent (a sandwich, a fruit, some berries and nuts, and some candy for energy). But I also did bring some useful stuff, like toilet paper because my nose was running a lot due to the cold, and some meds because I usually suffer from car sick.

6. Enjoy. In this trips, usually, people come from all around the globe. So you will have the chance to meet new people, share experiences and make new friends! Ecotourism is a great activity if you love nature, and also if you don't. It really helps you to disconnect from our digital media lives for a while and be relax. The complete silence of the mountain is peaceful and beautiful. Actually, one of the best feelings was the sun on my face and the thought of my body walking that much and still be working. Last week I saw an image with the phrase: Exercise is a celebration of what your body can do not a punishment for what you ate. And that was totally what I felt like. I felt my body was awesome and I really loved it so much during that trip. I loved my legs and my feet for getting me so high...

7. Try it. Trips like this may help you to know you better.

Me at the Moon Lagoon.

Peace.