Mount Tetakawi

This is the beautiful Mount Tetakawi. It is 200 meters above sea level and can be seen from almost anywhere in San Carlos Mexico. Its rugged beauty inspired and challenged us to a climb on Christmas Day. We have summited many mountains, so at a mere 650 or so feet we thought, "how hard could it be?" While many people in the area regularly climb here, it took us quite a bit of driving around to find a place to park near the base to begin our ascent. We were prepared for the climb in our trail running shoes and prepared for the sun and heat with hats and long sleeves, however, in hindsight long pants and climbing gloves may have been a wiser choice given the desert landscape and the amount of rock climbing this ascent entailed. The terrain included desert brush, loose rocks, steep terrain, and in a few spots some difficult rock climbing for someone who is not a rock climber. They say it is a marked trail, but it took some effort bushwhacking through the brush at the base to find it and additional effort to stay on it. It was, however, an endeavor well worth it. There are so many many beautiful panoramic vistas along the way! The beauty of which made the fact that I did not make it to the top, an easier pill to swallow. As we Climbed closer and closer, I was hot, tired, and beginning to feel that the rock climbing was beyond my skill set. Even Lily, our fearless four legged companion, kept trying to get us to turn back and was needing help to climb higher. When we reached a point that we now know was the final (and most difficult) spot to get beyond, I found myself stuck. Jim threw Lily to the top then pulled himself up, but because I couldn't find a foothold to get high enough to pull myself over an outhanging boulder I needed help. So Jim found a couple of "secure" footholds midway down and reached out a hand. As he was pulling, his foot slipped and clocked me in the head! Okay, I have a hard head, but at this point I was a bit shaken up and felt it was safer to stay put and rest while Jim and Lily continued to the top. Turns out it was only about 50 relatively easy yards from the peak! Maybe next time...