Angels and Devils

There are spectacular places all over this great Earth. Most of them that are worthy of their name and reputation are not so easy to reach. There are big names that connote big places, and their are average names that belie the magnificence their name represents. When you here the words Sahara, Siberia, Amazon, or Antarctica, you think of vast, surreal places of extremes in temperature and desolation which are matched only by their beauty. These 4 places few will ever see. Those who have, know that they have reached the extraordinary corners of the planet. However, if you never make it to one of these 4 places, don't despair. This Earth carries with it some magical places that will make you forget you never made it to 4 others. Every continent conjures up incredible scenery. The Himalayas are the tallest mountains, but there are mountains in Peru that are just as spectacular. Huascarán is a magnificent mountain, but relatively unknown compared to Everest or K2. There is a canyon in Mexico called Barranca del Cobre which rivals the Grand Canyon in scenery but few are aware of its existence. Many of my favorite places are relatively unknown hikes, mountains or villages. In fact, on every trip there is a surprise place that appears to fall out of the sky in front of me, as if to say "Here's what you've been looking for". While I have hiked and climbed to the top of some tall mountains, most of my great experiences have been modest peaks. One such peak in South America is an active volcano of only 10,000 feet. We climbed it in the winter with boot crampons and an ice axe in case we slipped due to the steep slope of snow and ice. Once we arrived at the summit we were not only afforded a view of 100 miles of the Andes, but we were also given a view into the belly of the Earth. We were staring face down into the crater of one of the most active volcanoes on the planet, live with bubbling red and orange lava mixed with sulfuric fumes billowing into our faces. Every couple of minutes some lava would erupt a few hundred feet in front of us. Were we looking down into hell? The scene certainly conjured images of the devils work place. Was the lava the hand of the devil reaching up to grab us and drag us down into the boiling abyss? One of my favorite hikes is a very unusual hike in Utah called Angel's Landing. It is a small peak surrounded on all sides by much taller peaks. This gives the summit a fantastic 360 degree view to all the peaks above and the valleys below. What is even better is the narrow and precipitous trail that drops off a thousand feet on both sides of the footpath. You need to hold onto a chain link that is loosely bolted into the red rock. Once you arrive at the summit you are rewarded with an exceptional view. Every time I have ever needed the help of a chain to hike a trail I have been rewarded with exceptional beauty. It is as if someone is sending down a helping hand from the heavens to help you reach the best view of what is above. Was it an angel that was making sure we arrived at the landing? One thing is for sure, you do not need to go the far reaches of the planet to experience extraordinary beauty. The angels and devils of the world have made sure that we can look into the heights of the atmosphere, or the depths of the Earth. Either way, we can see the magnificent extremes of the Earth without having to travel to the vast, well known places. However, I still want to see what the angels and devils have in store for me in the Sahara, Siberia, Antarctica and the Amazon. A vast heaven or a vast hell? I can't wait to find out.