What I Learned on My 10-Day Hike in the Costa Rican Rainforest

As my feet take their first steps on the gravel trail in Santa Maria de Dota, I can think of 10,001 reasons why I will not be able to survive the ten-day hike through the Costa Rican rainforest that I’ve just embarked on with Outward Bound Costa Rica.

I am not “Jungle Jane.” I am not Katharine Hepburn in the African Queen. I am not Princess Leia in Star Wars.

In fact, I am merely Lauren Salisbury, a 26-year-old who has never before been on a backpacking trip and is not as brave as I sometimes think I am or pretend to be.

At this moment in time, I think of those famous female explorers of fiction and their real-life counterparts from history: Sacagawea, who led Lewis and Clark through the American West; Stacy Allison, the first American woman to climb Mount Everest; Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space; and endless others who paved paths forgotten about by most history books.

What I Learned on My 10-Day Hike in the Costa Rican Rainforest

Standing on this path, in borrowed hiking boots and carrying an 80-litre backpack for the first time, I realize I don’t begin to understand how brave these women were and are.

And yet, my feet move.

For ten days I hike with a group, and at first heavily rely on the energy and enthusiasm of my comrades to get through the hours, placing much weight in the small victories of making it to the next water break.

For the first three days, my pack feels heavy, digging into my shoulder bones and stomach as we roll up and down the small hills in the valley, entering the Reserva Forestal Los Santos, a 150,000-acre reserve where we will spend much of our hike. My mind is dark and my body sore. I collapse into a deep sleep as we set up camp for the evening.

And then somewhere along the trail—I can’t say exactly where—the pain fades away.

In the next days, onwards we move from the rolling valley hills to the cloud forest, a tropical forest nearly always covered by low-level clouds and filled with steady, drumming rain. We ascend and descend, weaving toward Piedras Blancas, a remote village where we will be doing homestays with local families to learn about Costa Rican traditions and customs.

The families exude kindness. Their warm homes provide welcome shelter from the rain, and their warm meals fill my belly with substance and hope. Learning about their customs and way of life distracts me from the pain of walking.

And then somewhere along the trail—I can’t say exactly where—the pain fades away. I stop counting down the days, minutes and hours until the hike is over and begin to actually enjoy the act of walking and taking in the beautiful rainforest. My wet clothes don’t bother me anymore, and my pack doesn’t feel so heavy.

But I move slower, looking back at the trail and taking a moment to say goodbye and thank it for all the lessons it taught me.

I rappel a waterfall and find myself soaked with fresh water and adrenaline. A river rushes loudly below me as I cross a bridge that looks like something from Indiana Jones or some otherworldly adventure. My heart pumps fast as I reach the summit of a mountain trail and pause to look at our entire route stretching below, seeing exactly how far I’ve come in these days.

On day ten of the hike, the mountains give way to an uninterrupted view of the Pacific Ocean. We ascend and approach the van that will take us away from the trail. My fellow hikers fling their backpacks down, removing their hiking boots, pulling out water and snacks.

But I move slower, looking back at the trail and taking a moment to say goodbye and thank it for all the lessons it taught me:

• How to hike with a backpack—to tighten the straps and to clip on water so that it swings less
• That yoga pants and a non quick-dry tank top are terrible clothes for hiking
• The names of dozens of plants and animals
• That you can wear wet hiking shoes and socks for ten days straight and not get blisters

I learned a million little things on my 10-day hike in Costa Rica and they all added up to this – even if I do not always feel brave, I am much stronger and capable than I ever thought I was.

 

What I Learned on My 10-Day Hike in the Costa Rican Rainforest 

Have you traveled to Costa Rica? How was your trip? Email us at [email protected] for information about sharing your experience and advice with the Pink Pangea community. We can’t wait to hear from you. Photos by  Lauren Salisbury.