I couldn’t tell whether the dark matter oozing from my feet was mud or blood, but I took in a deep breath of crisp air and let out a laugh that came all the way from my stomach.

I was in Nicaragua, 4,500 feet up Maderas Volcano on Isla Ometepe, facing a six-hour descent barefoot. Somewhere between bad planning and bad footwear my shoes had broken as we approached the summit, leaving me with no option but to climb down using only the soles of my feet.

To read the full article, see: Tripbase.