Anorther Two Hikes Go Bust
Panama Travelog #11
El Valle, Panama - Tue, 24 Dec 2024. 10:30am.
Today's Tuesday, our second full day in Panama and our first full day in El Valle de Antón. We had a full day planned of fun hiking trips on trails around the northwest side of town. Emphasis on had. As in, we had plans. Now they've joined the maddeningly long, and still growing, list of plans that have gone to shit in less than 48 hours in Panama.
Two of the hikes are out a small road outside of town. As we turned off the well-paved road onto a road that alternated between concrete and gravel I sensed trouble ahead. The road descended a steep hill. "It's paved with concrete, though," I figured. "There should be no problem coming back up, so we I can always turn around later if it gets worse ahead."
Our rental car is a weeny piece of shit, I'd already decided, but I figured it could handle this road. I mean, there are houses on the road, and the hike is next to a school. If a school bus can pass this road at least twice a day, we should be able to, as well.
Nope.
We got stuck trying to climb a steep hill where there was only a concrete two-track surrounded by rocks. The car's shitty tires couldn't get enough traction on the concrete skids. I rolled back and tried again several times but couldn't coax the car up the hill.
Dejected, I turned around and headed back toward the fully paved road. Then trouble struck again.
That steep concrete-paved slope we drove down that gave me the first inkling of trouble? We couldn't get back up it.
Ironically the car did okay on the concrete two-track and cobblestone surface on the lower half of the hill. It was the concrete apron at the top where the tires couldn't get enough traction. The tires spun in circles as the car slid side-to-side. I backed up and tried a few more times, trying different sides of the road, including the grassy verge. Nothing worked.
A man in a pickup truck stopped at the top of the hill. It seemed he wanted to drive down. I rolled back down the hill and parked to the side at the bottom while Hawk went and asked him for help. Unfortunately he spoke no English. I walked up the hill and tried talking to him for help. My Spanish is a bit stronger, but it took me 4-5 tries to understand him.
"Back up and go fast up the hill," is what it boiled down to. (If all he'd said was that, I'd have understood. But he gave flowery instructions I couldn't follow.)
Holy shit, going fast worked. That bump where the concrete apron starts halfway up the hill hit hard, but the car had enough momentum to get to the point that all 4 tires were on the concrete. I think it was trying to pull the rears over that lip that the fronts didn't have enough traction for. The fronts still started spinning as I got up the last bit of the hill, but with aggressive throttle work I made it.
Well, at least the day's not totally ruined by having to wait out here for a freaking tow truck. And one of the hikes on today's list we already passed on the way in. That was #3-4 on the list... I guess now it's #1.
El Valle, Panama - Tue, 24 Dec 2024. 10:30am.
Today's Tuesday, our second full day in Panama and our first full day in El Valle de Antón. We had a full day planned of fun hiking trips on trails around the northwest side of town. Emphasis on had. As in, we had plans. Now they've joined the maddeningly long, and still growing, list of plans that have gone to shit in less than 48 hours in Panama.
Two of the hikes are out a small road outside of town. As we turned off the well-paved road onto a road that alternated between concrete and gravel I sensed trouble ahead. The road descended a steep hill. "It's paved with concrete, though," I figured. "There should be no problem coming back up, so we I can always turn around later if it gets worse ahead."
Our rental car is a weeny piece of shit, I'd already decided, but I figured it could handle this road. I mean, there are houses on the road, and the hike is next to a school. If a school bus can pass this road at least twice a day, we should be able to, as well.
Nope.
We got stuck trying to climb a steep hill where there was only a concrete two-track surrounded by rocks. The car's shitty tires couldn't get enough traction on the concrete skids. I rolled back and tried again several times but couldn't coax the car up the hill.
Dejected, I turned around and headed back toward the fully paved road. Then trouble struck again.
That steep concrete-paved slope we drove down that gave me the first inkling of trouble? We couldn't get back up it.
Ironically the car did okay on the concrete two-track and cobblestone surface on the lower half of the hill. It was the concrete apron at the top where the tires couldn't get enough traction. The tires spun in circles as the car slid side-to-side. I backed up and tried a few more times, trying different sides of the road, including the grassy verge. Nothing worked.
A man in a pickup truck stopped at the top of the hill. It seemed he wanted to drive down. I rolled back down the hill and parked to the side at the bottom while Hawk went and asked him for help. Unfortunately he spoke no English. I walked up the hill and tried talking to him for help. My Spanish is a bit stronger, but it took me 4-5 tries to understand him.
"Back up and go fast up the hill," is what it boiled down to. (If all he'd said was that, I'd have understood. But he gave flowery instructions I couldn't follow.)
Holy shit, going fast worked. That bump where the concrete apron starts halfway up the hill hit hard, but the car had enough momentum to get to the point that all 4 tires were on the concrete. I think it was trying to pull the rears over that lip that the fronts didn't have enough traction for. The fronts still started spinning as I got up the last bit of the hill, but with aggressive throttle work I made it.
Well, at least the day's not totally ruined by having to wait out here for a freaking tow truck. And one of the hikes on today's list we already passed on the way in. That was #3-4 on the list... I guess now it's #1.