Arturo Montalván
OAE 2008-2009
Canta Photojournal
My last ordeal as part of the Outdoor Adventure Education Class began with a delicious burger and a satisfying nap as we departed the school campus aboard an amber bus at around 4:45 p.m. on Friday afternoon. The hours whizzed by as I slumbered and I awoke to find that night has fallen and the bus was meandering along the contour of the valley for its final approach to the town of Canta at 2750 meters over sea level. We passed through the silent settlement and went on to disembark at Obrajillo, where we had to jump a fence swathed in cacti to access our comfy campsite, which featured indulgent luxuries like toilets and running water. After setting up our tent with no major setbacks, I quickly munched through a tasty cereal bar and unfurled my snug sleeping bag for a night of deep sleep.
The next day I awoke rather refreshed and ready for some hiking, albeit nothing as intense as the death march to the campsite at Rapagna. With some light breakfast in my digestive system, I joined the group as we set of for a reconnaissance of the surrounding area and the town of Obrajillo. The walk was a rather agreeable experience, with no ridiculously precipitous gradients and no swiftly crumbling terrain, as so many hikes in OAE seem to have. With a D’Onofrio ice-cream vendor willfully stalking us along our route, we stopped for a water break at a stream and took a moment to contemplate the vast landscape and enjoy the serenity of the ample vale.
From the stop onward, the hike grew even easier and, after dodging under an aqueduct and rushing down a steep slope, we found ourselves back at the campsite with lunch on our minds. The following hours were spent engaged in general vagrancy and lazy lounging while we awaited the set hour to practice some jumaring. Despite our best attempts to stay quiet, Mr. Arredondo awoke and we set off on a brief stroll to a tree that provided an exquisite spot for jumaring, with an ample horizontal branch jutting out. I was limited to watching others have their fun, as I would only get to ascend the set day. A few fellows got stuck, so that we had to pull on the rope to disengage the camalots holding it in place, allowing the climber to be belayed down.
After most participants had a go, we headed to the local “piscigranja”, where trout were sold all around. I did not buy any, as the recollections of last year’s fish-cooking attempts proved too repulsive to be ignored. A couple of hours and a few hotdogs later, I joined the class for a relaxing moment of contemplation around the campfire and then headed to bed, hoping for another relaxing night.
Unfortunately, my repose was cut short by a rather bold and vicious wind, which battered ruthlessly at our tent, tearing our porch off its pegs and slapping the sides of the tent’s fabric against our weary bodies. Consequently, I was not as keen on physical activity when I awoke the next day, so I limited myself to watching the sun mount the surrounding hills and chomping on an apple for nutrition while others bustled to prepare a hearty breakfast.
Soon after I had a go at jumaring, which was even more entertaining than I recalled, but I had to think twice before installing the newfangled rappelling device to make my way down. Safely on the ground once more, I watch the last few people try the activity and then headed back to the campsite for final packing procedures. With the tent packed and my equipment crammed into my backpack, I sat on a large boulder to enjoy the view, before joining everyone else to scour the ground for all manner of inorganic rubbish that might taint nature.
The final walk from Obrajillo to Canta was quite relaxing, except for the times when I had to carry an equipment bag, which unfortunately totaled about half the hike. However, the pleasant weather and aesthetic view compensated for the constant downwards tug on my left arm and the brief trip ended with a stop at a restaurant named “La Retama”, where I had the immense joy on rendezvousing with the mythic Niño Jesus Mariscal Chaperito, who certainly brightened my day and made my meal quite enjoyable. Thus my last memories of OAE were quite fond ones as I boarded the bus for the final return trip and took one last nap.
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