Volcanista

Roostah's crowing like a clarion this weekend. I am pure city folk, but yesterday I added something very outdoorsy to my résumé: I climbed Volcan Villarrica (more pictures here) in Pucon, Chile. The transcript of the video clip:

So...ummm...I climbed the volcano. And I had to take a video to prove that I did it. Pretty hardcore.

Hardcore, to say the least. I've got a new callus on each palm from the ice pick, two bloody toes (one from a blister, one from the toe nail), and the story of a lifetime (the real roborant for the exhaustion). I climbed a volcano. To the summit. A volcano. It was hot.

To give you an idea of the taxing nature of the ascent, I'll tell you that I felt it was quite steep, not to mention the difficulty of hiking upwards on cinders--for every two steps forward, you slide back a step. To add to the challenge, I decided (along with two others of some 25 odd hikers who were much better prepared for it than I) against using the chairlift. Although I'm no Michigan State fan, I wanted to be a Spartan. I recently saw 300, the new Frank Miller flick, and have been inspired to awaken the Spartan in me. Sometimes this inspiration kicks in at the wrong time. This would have been one of those times.

I had hoped for sliding down, as many do, for the descent, but the ice was too hard. Instead, we trekked--which was nearly as difficult as the climb. But now, although they feel like putty, I expect my legs and backside are well-sculpted works of art. Not that they weren't before. But now, well, it's for sure.

Still, while some didn't make it, and one person told me it was the hardest thing she'd ever tried, the relentless pursuit in me didn't allow any backing down. You see, before a Spartan, I'm a Teach For American. And this definitely isn't the hardest thing I've ever done.