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Curious about Cerro San Miguel but hesitant to climb?


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Have you ever been curious about what is up on St Michaels Hill or as locally called Cerro San Miguel, the hill rising up from down town Chapala? Well, here is a video that we made today of what you can see up there, and also the two famous crosses. It is a good climb, not too terribly difficult, one that you can do probably in like 20 minutes to reach the summit. It was quite steep in parts, but the views are worth it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSQF26rAP_I

All comments are welcomed. The history around the first cross in the video, the one facing the Parrish Church or Parroquia, as I understand it, is that it was from the first mass that was celebrated on the shore of lake Chapala when the first Catholic Missionaries arrived, it remained on the beach for several centuries, and later, within the last hundred years or so, was taken a top San Miguel hill, where it remains to day to remind all of the religious fervor of the region.

Whoever has more information, please add on...

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Neat video.. thanks! I thought it was funny that you were quite a ways up the mountain and could still hear the Zeta Gas song from down below. :)

Heather

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Interesting. I have been hiking all over the mountains above the North and South Shores of Lake Chapala, but have never done this one. Looks like a nice little jaunt, short and not too strenuous, but a good view. Thanks for the tip.

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I've been here for two years and have always been too chicken to climb it also, but two weeks ago I a met a group of young American tourists walking around the malecon of Chapala, and they asked me if I knew how to climb up the hill, I said I didn't but we asked somebody what was the best way up there, I decided to join them for the climb. We didn't see a soul up there, two weeks ago, and when I returned with some family members yesterday to take the climb and film it, we didn't see anybody up there either. A elderly lady in one of the last houses we past before starting up the trail told me to be on the lookout for cholos. But fortunately we didn't see any.

The way up there is lopez cotilla which is the street that goes next to the plaza, and crossing the avenue of madero and continues up the hill directly across from the la plaza. Walk up about a block and the first small street, callejon or alleyway that you see on the left, go down that about half a block, the alley will end and you will see steps leading up the hill.

My recommendation is to go in a small group, do not have any flashy cameras or stuff in view, don't talk loud in English and draw attention to yourselves, just calmly and quietly go up, more than likely it will be no one up there, but you don't want to draw attention so others may follow you up either. Also, go up sometime around noon when most likely no one will be up there, actually as you can tell from the video, it is quiet shady up there and cooler than walking in town. Don't go up in the evening or at night of course.

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Thank you for sharing and I'm so glad that you didn't run into any cholos...that's exactly why I wouldn't do it unless I had a group with me. What a cherished memory that you have with who looks like a grandson =) I've lived here 7 years and am not 45 years old yet. I'd go if a group is planning another hike and take my dog....he's trained to watch and knows what to do if there's a cholo. In fact, I had to give him the command this morning as we ended up with 2 cholos behind us on a morning walk. He started giving them the look and they decided to walk farther behind us :D

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Very nice. I liked it.

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