The night before...
I was in Ilha Grande in August 2000 for a geology students meeting. At that time I had no much interest and experience on mountains. I was at the island almost a month, and those days are unforgettable! Every night party, beer, cachaça (a destilated beverage from sugar-cane, very strong), girls and in the next morning, with a insuporttable headache went to the workshops! And the night before wasn't different, but worst: it was Saturday night...
Going to the mountains (without water)
That nigt I came back to my camp at 7:30 am, and I met two friends ,there were ready to hike the pico Papagaio (they weren't at the party). One of them asked me: "What do you want to do today?" I said: "SSSSLEEP!" I don't know how, but both had me convinced to hike together (maybe I was too drunk to say no).
I ate something and one hour later we started our hike. I remember that I want to take a bottle water together, but they said me:
"No, we don't need to take water! There are many rivers that crossed the trail. And we going up there and coming back in two hours!" So, I didn't take water, and this was one of my greats mistakes I ever done!
We walked trough the earthroad beetween Abraão village and Dois Rios beach. The trailhead to Pico Papagaio is near the halfway of this road. Till this point we needed about one hour and I started to have thirst, but I was no worried, because "There are many rivers..."
The trail going through the jungle, and at that hour was cool. And we have found the first river, then the second, both were dry! Worst signal.
We walked and walked, ever higher, the trail was ever beauty, but no signal from the precious liquid. We had walked almost two hours in the trail, and no signal from the summit too. At that moment was hot, and I was desperate, I thought I gonna die! Then we went through a bamboo forest, lots of them, one bigger then other. I even heard that bamboos have many water inside, but I never thought to drink it. Well, with a little pocket-knife I cut one bamboo, and flew my salvation! The taste was horrible, but was the best thing I ever drunk!
We walked still half hour to reach the summit, my first mountain, my first summit, it must to be an unforgattable feeling, but no. I was exhausted, tired, thirsty, hungry, with sleep, I saw nothing, because there were clouds. And the worst thing, I got at this mountain a virus, an inexplicable virus, that give me everyday the wish to go to the mountains... (Maybe was this virus on the bamboo water).
We were on the summit a half hour, and started the descent. After a small pause to drink more bamboo water, we ran down. And after six hours on the trail, we came back to the camp!
This is a very beautiful trail, there are many rivers, one and other valley, a luxuriant forest and the view from the summit, whit clear wheather, is wonderful! But, remember yourself
TO TAKE WATER TOGETHER!
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