“It’s time for another visit to the Highland Hermit,” announced my friend Mario Guerrero. “We’ll camp near his cabin and visit one of Jalisco’s most dramatic miradores (lookouts).”
As I reported in an earlier article, Alfredo Leal – who has been living on his own in the Sierra de Tapalpa for over three decades – looked in poor health on my last visit two and a half years ago. Since then, we were able to locate Alfredo’s daughter, who is now living in the United States and their subsequent reunion has apparently given the old-timer a new will to live.
Now we had come to tell the hermit that his daughter would like to build him a new cabin.
“That’s un idea muy buena,” said Alfredo with a wide smile. “When I have guests like you, they can stay in it instead of tents.”
“No, no,” we cried, “That cabin will be for you – the old one is falling to pieces.”
“I like it just the way it is,” he replied. “Sin embargo, it will be nice to have a guest house.”
What sort of guests would a hermit hope to see out here in the woods? During a conversation with him the next morning, I discovered that his thirst for knowledge has not diminished over all these years. “I would love to have a visit from someone who could talk to me about Confucianism,” he told me. And with a bit of enticement, I discovered he also wanted to learn about Epicureanism, the world view of the Greek Philosopher Epicurus.
“Where in the world I’m going to find experts on these not exactly popular subjects, I don’t know,” I told him, “but I’m willing to give it a try and see if it’s possible to organize a session of Philosophy Under the Oaks, right here around your campfire.”
Alfredo beamed at the idea and so, I hope to find lots of interested Confucians and Epicureans, especially the sort who drive Jeeps and trucks.
As has been our custom on all our visits to Alfredo the Hermit, we took advantage of the beautiful surroundings where he lives in the Tapalpa Hills and went for a little hike.
Skirting a picturesque lake just below Alfredo’s cabin, we headed south along a brecha featuring a little stream running down the middle with gargantuan ruts on both sides. Believe it or not, inside one of these ruts we found an All-Terrain Vehicle half buried in the thick black mud. Although in theory I’d like to see all the world’s ATVs suffer the same fate, we felt sorry for the two kids who had een driving it and actually helped them get their noisy monster out of the muck.
After admiring lots of horses and wildflowers, we came to a well-made, good-looking brick building which the local ejido apparently built as a shelter for people who might want to spend a night here, only a few steps from the lookout, which is called La Cruz de los Volcancillos, also known as La Cruz de la Paloma.
The giant cross is identical to many others on Mexican hilltops, but just a few meters beyond it, we came to a sight that really deserves to be called awesome. There are other places in the Tapalpa Hills with a spectacular view of the Sayula Salt Flats far below, but here you can sit on a rock overhanging a sheer drop of ... I calculate a full kilometer and a half. Yes, it’s just about a mile straight down and in the good old Mexican tradition, there is no railing to be seen anywhere. I swear, this is one mirador you are not likely to forget!
Any sort of car will get you to the town of Atemajac de Brizuela. After that, depending on the season and state of the roads, you may need a high-clearance vehicle to reach Alfredo’s cabin and the Hermit’s Lake. From here it’s a four-kilometer drive, hike or bike ride to the Volcancillo Lookout. Don’t forget to bring along some provisions for the hermit!
How to get there
Take Highway 54 southwest and follow the “libre” signs for Colima. About 15 kilometers south of Acatlán de Juárez, watch for the turnoff to “Tapalpa via Atemajac.” Atemajac is 32 km to the southwest. At N20 07.951 W103 43.107, turn off the Atemajac road onto a dirt road signposted for École. Follow this road southeast for 7.5 kilometers. When you reach N20 05.963 W103 39.712, don’t turn left for École but bear right to head for the Volcancillos Mirador. After driving east 4.5 kilometers, you’ll come to Alfredo’s cabin (at N20 05.594 W103 37.373). Continue south 4.1 kilometers to the lookout (N20 04.122 W103 36.469). You’ll find the route from Atemajac to the mirador on Wikiloc.com under “Cruz Volcancillos.”
Driving time from Guadalajara to the cabin: about two hours.