Climbing the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano is not for the casual hiker. Anybody in reasonably good shape can do the climb, but there are a few hazards, difficulties, and inconveniences to be aware of. The following list describes the climbing conditions:

• Length: The trail from the ranger station at the Las Pailas park entrance is listed as 8 kilometers in length.

• Steepness: The first six kilometers of trail climbs at a usually gentle slope through two different kinds of forest. It is tiring, but can be handled easily simply by resting when necessary. During my rest stops I was entertained by numerous sightings of birds, squirrels, and coatimundis. The last two kilometers of trail include long sections that climb at a fifty-degree slope. A couple of spots helpfully had ropes in place.

• Temperature: The rangers warn that it can get foggy and windy at the exposed upper portions of the trail. My short pants were adequate for the day I was there, but I carried a sweater, long pants and a rain jacket just in case.

• Visibility: If it is foggy on the summit, which happens often, you can easily get lost, as once you climb higher than the tree line the trail is just a faint line among the scattered rocks, ash, and gravel. If it is foggy, you may as well not make the climb, as you won't be able to see anything, anyway.

• Falling In: This can happen, so one must exercise caution. There are no guards to stop you from getting too close; only a sign in Spanish. When you are standing on the lip of the volcano, it is tempting to walk closer to the edge in order to get a better picture. You must keep in mind that you are on a sloping hillside made up of gravel and ash, and it would be easy to get caught up in a miniature landslide, resulting in a drop of about two hundred meters into a lake of boiling acid. Not worth it!