We returned to the Cerro de la Muerte, this time to see the trails of Iyok Ami that are tucked in a forest, it's those types of trails that we love so much where each part of the landscape constantly changes, you feel a magic, seriously those forests are something taken out of a story, the only thing missing is are some hobbits.

**How to get there?

Take the street to the Cerro de la Muerte and about 10km before Los Quetzales National Park, you´ll see the entrance on the left.

Waze: https://waze.com/ul/hd1squ4gdx

Distance: 7km Total

Difficulty: moderate / difficult

Accessibility: Not accessible

What to bring?  Comfortable clothes to do alot of walking, waterproof jacket, sweater, food, hydration, snacks for 3 hours, excellent attitude, a spare set of legs and lungs.

Vehicle: Automobile

Parking: Yes

Pets: No

Camping: Yes

Contact: Bedrich Sruta 8408-0048

Cost: ¢ 3000 per person - Includes parking

On the spot you can book lunch for an extra charge

We left Tres Ríos at around 7:00 am because we wanted to be in Iyok Ami as early as possible so that there could be good weather. There was a threat that the storm “Iota” was going to happen, but since we woke up we saw the sky completely clear, we continued with our plan.

After making the two classic stops, the gas station and supermarket to buy snacks, we began to drive up the hill. It was beautiful and sunny so we enjoyed the trip seeing those landscapes, there is nothing like good weather. We arrived and were welcomed by Bedrich the owner of the farm, who has a great energy, radiates that love for the mountains. He explained the trails to us with a little map, there are several options for all tastes. We wanted to hike the longest, so we took a photo of the map. Grabbed out stuff and headed out.

It starts with a little drop and then it gets pretty with those climbs that remind you you´re in high altitude weather, because breathing starts to get a bit difficult.

These forests of Cerro de la Muerte are very cool because they change a lot, you go through parts that look very mystical because the trees are too covered with moss, then you reach a viewpoint with incredible views of the mountains. We kept walking and the trails were well marked until we reached another lookout where the view was still incredible. Then we began to go down until we reached the river where Bedrich had told us that we had to go upriver 400 meters to reach a small waterfall. The entrance to the waterfall is very cool because it is a small canyon. We took photos and our friend Jorge got in the water but It was so cold he could hardly breathe, but he came out like a newborn. We followed the path and began to go through a very beautiful part that went to the bank of the river, in fact we had to cross it several times. After this part we began to climb again until we reached the oak grove, that is to say, a very cool oak forest full of little birds fluttering all over the place.

Near the end we reached a part where the forest opened up a bit and we saw that we had reached the Jurassic valley, which has a rest area to have a picnic.

And to finish with cherry on top, we reached the thousand-year-old tree that is a giant tree, perfect for some good photos. Passing the tree we saw a waterfall in the distance but could not be reached.Once back, we went straight to the dining room where we ordered a ¨casado¨ with trout and fresh blackberry, which was delicious, recommended for after that walk.

Taking advantage of the fact that the weather was still incredible, we sat for a while in the little chairs that they have right there in the dining room to talk and digest our food before making the return trip.

Another Sunday well spent!

• DATE OF HIKE: November 2020