What to do this weekend: Hike Mt. Solmar.

Have you ever been interested in trying something new or adventurous and just kept talking yourself out of it? That's what happened with me and hiking Mt. Solmar (also known as Mt. Cross... you'll see why). I've traveled the world solo, love going by myself to the movies, and definitely don't mind saying "a table for 1, please" at a restaurant– but sometimes I find it easier to avoid doing something "unknown" if I don't have anyone to do it with me. Enter in one of my good friends Kate.

Kate came to visit me in Cabo a few months after I moved here for New Year's Eve and my birthday! Here we are at one of my drink + sunset go-to's Sunset Mona Lisa having a birthday cocktail.

While she was here I told her I had been thinking of trying this hike... but didn't want to try it alone, so we agreed we would go together. It isn't an official hike and the property is technically private, so it is difficult to find information on how and where to begin this hike. I looked it up on TripAdvisor and there were an array of options– some mentioning going through a dog training facility with the "ok" of the owner and others mentioned scaling the fences in areas where the structure had decayed. I couldn't find any real information on the dog training option, so we opted to try and find a hole in the fence and climb through it...

...it didn't go well. Basically it took us forever to find a possible entry point, then there were marine officials all over the place, and finally the hole in the sharp fence just... we decided to walk around the marina instead, mission aborted! It wasn't until a year later I would ever attempt the hike again– by myself! Since then I have gone half a dozen times and wished I would have gotten over my fears sooner because it is such an awesome view from the top, and a nice workout to boot!

Sometime in May the cross (seen above in the middle, and why some locals call it Mt. Cross) fell from its cement stand, but it has since been taken back to the top and now jimmy rigged between two rocks. Slightly less impressive, but impressive and a photo-op none-the-less.

The easiest way to hike up Mt. Solmar is to go through the dog training facility across from the naval building. To gain access all you have to do is call or text Enrique, the facility's owner. His number is on TripAdvisor, so it is okay for me to share: MX 624-122 1316. Enrique is SUPER friendly and very hospitable. I have only seen him once in person and he definitely likes to chat, so plan to visit with him a bit if you run into him on your way through. When I went a week ago with León we found out Google Street View had just been there to map the hike, so cool! Enrique showed us the photos of the Googler wearing a backpack/head gear thing of the camera, can't wait to see the finished product.

This is the gate to the dog training facility. Behind the yellow building is a very clear road/path. You can't miss it. If you contact Enrique and he gives you the "thumbs up" to go through, you can unlock the gate by sticking your hand to the right of that orange paper on the fence– which reminds you to shut the door behind you!

Enrique visiting with some hikers who entered after León and me.

The dogs aren't always out and about. You'll usually find a few sleeping under (what I am guessing is now a permanent fixture since it has been parked there for as long as I've lived here) the white truck, which won't even bother to look up as you walk through. The last time I went Enrique was there so there were more dogs prancing around. I LOVE dogs so it was fun for me to visit with them.

Continue up past the dog training facility, following the very clear path, then you'll come upon the base of the mountain (the clear path continues to the left of the mountain– a nice view point as well– but don't let this confuse you. The first time I went in January there were no markings, just remnants of some past trails hikers before me had taken. This last time I went there there were two colors of ribbons tied to bushes and cacti all over the mountain: orange and yellow. I have usually always taken the "yellow" path up and down (even pre-yellow ribbons), but it is recommended for SURE to take this path down. If you want two sets of scenery take the orange path up. From my personal experience I would not recommend taking that path down– it is very steep with lots of sand on top of rock, fine for going up, but difficult for going down.

No matter which path/paths you choose, do exercise caution– especially descending. Going up the mountain is fairly easy because it is so steep you pace yourself, going down can create issues if you go too fast– I have seen several twisted ankles and hurt knees from going too fast.

About 1/2 way up the hill. The tiny spot of yellow below the naval facility/marina in the top left area of the photo is the dog training facility/entry.

The hike itself isn't long in literal length, but depending on how quickly you scale the mountain face, it usually takes about 30-60minutes one way. When you're planning your hike allow for at least 30 minutes at the top. It would even be nice to bring a snack or two to eat up there (pack out your trash!). The views are honestly breath-taking and it is fun to watch all the boats and water activities near the shore. During whale season I was able to see some whales breaching from the top, seriously awesome. You can see in the photos above the cross is now in a different location, hopefully its cement base will be replaced, but it isn't maintained by any city or government official, so who knows if that will happen.

While I definitely recommend spending some time at the top– be careful. This is what one side of the mountain looks like: a near-straight drop to the shoreline below. I have recommended this hike before in Facebook Groups to people looking for things to do and received a lot of negative comments for doing so– people saying how difficult and dangerous it is. I do think it is challenging, and you do need to be cautious, but it is not something I would ever say is too unsafe to do. I don't think I would bring children along with me– their exploring nature is best expressed not so far from the ground– but I would definitely take my mom! Now I just have to convince her to come along!

#todo #hike #nature #workout #outdoors #cabo #landsend #free #onthelist