Hiking in Ajijic
- V.Gray
- May 19, 2022
- 5 min read
You can do a lot of different day trips from Ajijic, whether it is going to Tequila for tequila tastings, horseback riding or going to Guadalajara. Local to Ajijic, one of the best outings to do is hiking one of the many different trails up through the mountains. Every route has different site to offer such as waterfalls, a small church and viewpoints and take different skill levels and time.
On one occasion Rhonda and I got up early in the morning and hiked the mountain for sunrise and before the heat. Starting our motivation that morning with a boost of coffee as we walked out the door towards the mountains. Our plan was to reach the waterfall before 8 am, while also hoping to go past the waterfall going deeper into the jungle.
We got 1 km into the hike and Rhonda showed me where here and Paul had turned around because they thought they had reached the waterfall and Paul did not want to go any further, talk about anti climatic. It was a small dam and honestly did not look much different than water falling over a street curb.
We were hiking during the dry season so the colours were not as vibrant as they could be, the plants were not as lush and big as they normally are and the waterfalls were dry too. This is fine, it makes for a different hike and it allows us to challenge ourselves in different ways.
Photo Credit: V.Gray
We hiked past the "waterfall"/ dam upwards into the valley between the two mountains. We stepped off the path several times walking up the river bed and stopping for Rhonda to flip rocks. Rhonda enjoys finding the creepy crawlies and creatures that the rest of us normally turn away from (spiders, snakes etc).
There are several trails up the mountains and honestly for the first 45 minutes we did not see anyone or anything unusual. We had our music low, looking at birds, walking the river bed, laughing, chatting about life and solving the world's problems. It was around the hour mark into our hike when behind some rocks we could hear loud chanting. This was a little off putting at first as we had not seen anyone else on the trail, but as we approached two large boulders out popped a man.
Photo Credit: V.Gray
This man is a local aboriginal man named Frank, he is a medicine man. He lives at the top of the mountain at La Tepola and he told us this is his mountain. He was very friendly and welcoming, he then proceeded to bless Rhonda. It was unexpected, beautiful and very moving to watch. He took his time and spoke softly to each of us, performing a blessing and not asking for anything in return.
I did not get Rhonda's blessing on film, but she did get my blessing.
Photo Credit: Rhonda M.C
Video Credit: Rhonda M.C.
As he finished our blessing he told us about his mountain and where he lives at the top (which we later found), he smiled, hugged us and continued on his way down the mountain. As we parted ways we could him start chanting again going down into the valley, as we continue our way up into the mountains. This was a very humbling experience, while also reassuring too. Humbling that a complete stranger can want nothing more than to do something nice for another stranger and expect nothing in return. Reassuring that people are still practising and teaching about their heritage, the ways of their ancestors and want to share that with others.
We continued our hike up the valley to the bottom of the first wall face. Dry season is fun for a few reasons; there are no bugs/mosquitoes eating you on your hike, the ground is dry so the rocks and paths are easy to walk (no mud or slippery spots) and you get an opportunity to see the waterfall faces without the water gushing over. Okay, that last one sounds disappointing but it's really cool because it allows you to climb up the face of the waterfall. The rocks are smooth from the water running over them during the wet season which makes it easy to pick your way up and some cool spots to stop and take in the view.
Photo Credit: V.Gray
We had left the boys in bed at the Air BnB, as we reached the top of the large waterfall and La Tepola we had to make a choice. Turn around and go back down the path we came (boring), or pick one of 3 paths. One path continuing up the mountain, one going down or the last one going into the unknown. Due to timing, getting a bit hungry and other plans for the day we picked the one path going down the mountain.
As we continued our walk down the path, we started getting passed by people running down the mountain. This was very impressive, as some of the corners were
pretty tight, dusty and slipper, but hey
Photo Credit: V.Gray they were rocking it! Rhonda and I however just moved to the side and let them pass as we were in no hurry. As we walked we absorbed the complete peacefulness of our surroundings and the magnitude of the power of volcanoes and what they can create. The slops, cliffs and the formations of the rocks and that life can still continue on after.
We came across a small farm, with cows grazing and a corn field. The way the sun came up over the mountain, the way the rays danced across the crops was really marvellous to take in.
Photo Credit: V.Gray
As we continued on turning the tight corners laughing at each other slipping or sliding in parts due to the steepness of the path, we slowly made our way the slopes. We came across a small shrine (similar to ones that are scattered through Ajijic) that someone had built off to the side, as either a memorial or place of worship.
Photo Credit: Rhonda M.C.
As we finished our hike, we took in one last outstanding view of Lake Chapala. I can attach so many pictures in this post, but none will ever do justice to what we actually saw that morning. If you get an opportunity to go to Ajijic, you should take time and go through the mountains. There are groups that go weekly or you can by yourself and follow the arrows/dots up the trails.
Cheers!
Photo Credit: V.Gray
**Please note that all opinions and views expressed in this post are my own, from my own experiences. If you would like to see more pictures follow me on Instagram vikki.gray **
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