View Full Version : Hiking In Panama II
From prior trips to Panama and hiking around the jungles in* Panama in the Ell Valle area, I went back to hike up La India Dormida. It's not the highest mountain to be sure, but it's challenging hike that takes a few hours. I'll say this, there's various spots on the trail with shear drops of a few hundred feet or more just a few feat away from the trail that if you make a mistake, you're gone. There will be no highly trained rescue EMT or med flights coming. Your skeleton will be found some day... In the US, there would be danger signs, fences, etc, but not here. Here's some pics with link to more HERE. (http://s23.photobucket.com/user/willbrink/library/El%20Vella%20Panama%202015?sort=3&page=1)
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b374/willbrink/El%20Vella%20Panama%202015/DSC00057_zpslcdsj9qj.jpg (http://s23.photobucket.com/user/willbrink/media/El%20Vella%20Panama%202015/DSC00057_zpslcdsj9qj.jpg.html)
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b374/willbrink/El%20Vella%20Panama%202015/DSC00047_zpszsipc5iq.jpg (http://s23.photobucket.com/user/willbrink/media/El%20Vella%20Panama%202015/DSC00047_zpszsipc5iq.jpg.html)
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b374/willbrink/El%20Vella%20Panama%202015/DSC00052_zps8iyt92gz.jpg (http://s23.photobucket.com/user/willbrink/media/El%20Vella%20Panama%202015/DSC00052_zps8iyt92gz.jpg.html)
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b374/willbrink/El%20Vella%20Panama%202015/DSC00046_zps3y1hfeha.jpg (http://s23.photobucket.com/user/willbrink/media/El%20Vella%20Panama%202015/DSC00046_zps3y1hfeha.jpg.html)
* = https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?157736-Hiking-in-the-jungle-is-TIRING-!
Those are some awesome views nice pics!
Those are some awesome views nice pics!
Thanx. Forgot to add a link to the rest, so added above if interested in seeing more.
Thanx. Forgot to add a link to the rest, so added above if interested in seeing more.
Very nice, looks like some very interesting plant life great pics Will.
Very nice, looks like some very interesting plant life great pics Will.
Birds, plants, etc. Panama has some very pretty natural wonders to see. The "real" jungle however is The Darién Gap. That and another area are where our SOF guys did their jungle training, and it's no shit triple canopy jungle people go into, and are never seen again. Per usual, some think it's no big deal to go in there because they are "adventurer" types.
National Geographic Adventure contributing editor Robert Young Pelton, was kidnapped and held for 10 days in the Darién Gap wrote:
"The Darién Gap is one of the last - not only unexplored - but one of the last places people really hesitate to venture to... The basic problem of the Darién Gap is that it's one of the toughest hikes there is. It's an absolute pristine jungle but it's got some nasty sections with thorns, wasps, snakes, thieves, criminals, you name it. Everything that's bad for you is in there."
In short, you need to be living under the shadow of a death wish to attempt to cross between the two countries by land. Anyway, there’s not even an official border crossing to present your passport at if you do make it across alive."
He forgot to mention the bird eating spiders, big cats, and other critters. The only way I would go in there is with a group of armed men who knew how to survive in the jungle. Otherwise, no thanx.
Can't help but think Guns N Roses "You know where you are? You're in the jungle baby! You're gonna die!"
Yea I'll pass on the Darien Gap too. Sounds no bueno unless you are with some elite men.
Can't help but think Guns N Roses "You know where you are? You're in the jungle baby! You're gonna die!"
Yea I'll pass on the Darien Gap too. Sounds no bueno unless you are with some elite men.
Indeed. I like adventure, but don't risk fate by pretending I'm some survival expert either.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1tj2zJ2Wvg
Lol, I had to watch it haha! Damn I'm getting old.
Bird eating spiders, that just aint even right!
Big cats...well, you are probably being hunted.
Lol, I had to watch it haha! Damn I'm getting old.
Bird eating spiders, that just aint even right!
Big cats...well, you are probably being hunted.
The big cats don't bother people and are rarely seen is my understanding. I'm not generally scared of most animals (two leg varmints are what I tend to worry about) but I never want to see a spider big enough to catch and eat birds.
The big cats don't bother people and are rarely seen is my understanding. I'm not generally scared of most animals (two leg varmints are what I tend to worry about) but I never want to see a spider big enough to catch and eat birds.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=klHDzIIrsjY
Wow! Yea don't try this man! :fie:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=klHDzIIrsjY
Wow! Yea don't try this man! :fie:
Well, you can see they are far from aggressive toward people but the commenter below that vid summed it up best for me:
"Nope. Nope, nope, nope. Nope, nope."
Since you have been looking for a place to hog hunt in Florida, what kind of hunting is in Panama? Just curious, sorry if I'm thread drifting.
Since you have been looking for a place to hog hunt in Florida, what kind of hunting is in Panama? Just curious, sorry if I'm thread drifting.
Not sure, never looked into that one. I don't think there's much of a hunting culture here. Fruit and cerveza is what they "hunt" for as far as I can tell.
The jungle gets thicker the closer you get to the Canal and from there on towards Colombia on both sides (Atlantic and Pacific). Generally speaking the western half of Panama is not as thick as the eastern half.
When my wife and I went back in 2013 she was looking out the window as we rode to our resort up near Rio Hato. She remarked "Maybe we can take a jungle tour or something". I replied "I already did my jungle tour, no thanks" (being the big dickhead party-pooper that I am!).
I detest snakes with a passion, so needless to say Panama was a helluva duty station for a young grunt! Sure, there are MANY other nasty critters in the jungla but the snakes creeped me out the most.
The jungle gets thicker the closer you get to the Canal and from there on towards Colombia on both sides (Atlantic and Pacific). Generally speaking the western half of Panama is not as thick as the eastern half.
When my wife and I went back in 2013 she was looking out the window as we rode to our resort up near Rio Hato. She remarked "Maybe we can take a jungle tour or something". I replied "I already did my jungle tour, no thanks" (being the big dickhead party-pooper that I am!).
I detest snakes with a passion, so needless to say Panama was a helluva duty station for a young grunt! Sure, there are MANY other nasty critters in the jungla but the snakes creeped me out the most.
I'm opposite, I've had snakes for pets since I was a kid. Racers, Rat snakes, Redtail boa, and a Ball Python which I had for almost 18 years before he died. But screw the giant spiders.
when I lived in Honduras the little kids would take bubble gum chew it up stick it on the end of thread and then drop it down into spider holes :)
spiders would bit it get stuck the kids would pull it out take the spider off and play with them !!!!
OK NOT FOR ME
That looks awesome, my only experience with anything like that was in Hawaii. Oneula was probably the best representation of what you described with the 300 foot drops on both sides, north side of kolekole pass was like that too. Its too bad Panama was closed the year I joined the Army.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v669/nf9648/PIC-0162.jpg
That looks awesome, my only experience with anything like that was in Hawaii. Oneula was probably the best representation of what you described with the 300 foot drops on both sides, north side of kolekole pass was like that too. Its too bad Panama was closed the year I joined the Army.
Well it aint close now! Quite a few ex and current mil here. I have not been to Hawaii but volcanic areas tend to have that in common.
when I lived in Honduras the little kids would take bubble gum chew it up stick it on the end of thread and then drop it down into spider holes :)
spiders would bit it get stuck the kids would pull it out take the spider off and play with them !!!!
OK NOT FOR ME
Wtf! That's crazy! Supposed to be "kids don't try this at home" Did they watch way too much Crocodile hunter (Steve Irwin)?
Instead of a new thread, here's some amazing pics from the Chitre-Las Tablas-Pedasi-Playa Venaso area I just returned from:
http://s23.photobucket.com/user/willbrink/library/Chitre-Las%20Tablas-Pedasi-Playa%20Venaso?sort=3&page=1
Those views are going to be what some people wake up to every day. My buddy is developing 25 lots in those "hills" and construction already under way. Approx 3 hour drive from the city.
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