I Climbed A Mountain and I Turned Around

Well, the good news is that I survived the hike! The bad news is that there is a very high likelihood that I’m going to be doing it again in the near future.

It was definitely the most physically taxing day I have had in a long time; possibly the most ever. I actually had to take a day off from school the next day so that I could recuperate.

Josh, Melanie, Sam, Myself, and Jess at the trail head in Vatia

In order to fully understand my experience hiking the Mt. Alava Trail, you really need a visual. So, I took the time to create this handy-dandy map. Hope it helps!

1. Home
I woke up at 6:30 am on Monday morning in the beautiful village of Gataivai (most of my students describe their village as “the beautiful village”. Why can’t I?).

2.  Matai Restaurant
From my house, Melanie and I walked to Matai Restaurant where we met the other four hikers (Josh, Sam, Jessica and Jill) for breakfast.

3.  Aua
We were planning on taking a bus from the restaurant to the village of Aua, where the road to Vatia is, however, we managed to hitch a free ride to Aua in the back of a very kind Samoan woman’s truck.

Hitching is so much fun.

4.  The Road to Vatia

The beautiful village of Vatia

From Aua, there is a long and winding road that takes you up over the mountain and down into Vatia where the trail begins. Being over a mountain, the road is rather steep. Luckily, we managed to hitch another ride all the way into Vatia before we walked too far up the mountain.

5. The Mount Alava Trail
Although the Adventure Trail starts on the road before it reaches Vatia (near the Sauma Ridge), we decided to start the trail in Vatia (technically the end of the Adventure Trail).

The hike up the side of the mountain was very windy and quite steep. Not having exercised in a while, I quickly fell behind the group. Breathing heavily and sweating profusely, I was devastated when the others guessed we had only gone about a quarter of a mile (out of 1.5 miles). I did not think that I was going to make it but I refused to turn back. 
Soon, we reached a split in the trail. To the right, was the peak of Mt. Alava. To the right, a brief walk along the ridge before a descent down to Sauma Ridge. As a group, we decided to head right. We would go to the peak and then come back down via the trail to the left. Little did we know what was awaiting us.
Remember the 783 steps? Well, apparently, the majority of them are after the split in the trail. No longer were we walking up steep mountainside. Now, we were climbing up and down the various peaks of the ridge. Step by step. Surprisingly, I preferred the steps to the steep inclines; likely because they switched from steps up to steps down as opposed to a constant upward hike.

6. The Peak

close up of my house from the peak

 Eventually, we reached the peak. We signed the visitor’s log, took some photos, soaked in the view, refueled, and then discussed our options for descent.

Vistor's Log

7.  Fagasa Pass
Although the plan had been to head back down into Vatia, we decided that it would be easier and safer if we just took the alternate trail into to Fagasa. While this trail is much longer than the Vatia trail, it is a straight shot along the ridge. No ladders, no steps, just a slow and steady descent. At the end of the trail, we were almost instantly offered a ride back down to the main road.

8.  The Main Road
From the main road, we walked a little ways before hitching a final ride back to my house where we grabbed some self-congratulatory ice cream at Samu’s (best ice cream on island…no question).

Pago Harbor from the top of Mt. Alava

All in all, it was a wonderful experience. I’ve really begun to enjoy hiking. It might be a hobby that I continue when I return to the states. But, as I mentioned, I’ve still got a few hikes left here. Specifically, I’ve still got to master the rest of the adventure trail, the one that headed left and down to the ridge. That, however, is an adventure for another day.

I Am On My Way. I Can Go The Distance.

Ho ho dear reader,

I have returned with some very exciting news. To celebrate President's Day (day off from school...Woohoo!), a group of us has decided that it is time to finally hike the Mount Alava Adventure Trail, aka the most difficult hike on island. Here is the original introduction from the National Parks Department:

http://www.nps.gov/npsa/parknews/upload/National-Park-Introduces-Adventure-Trail_041411.pdf

What worry me the most are those 783 steps. Living in a one-story house and working on the first floor, I don't remember the last time I walked up a full flight of stairs. My average daily step count is 6...to board a bus and then get off said bus. So, this should be fun. Wish me luck.

Check back later for the full story and pictures. Expect the worst.