EL SALVADOR'S HIGHEST PEAK, EL PITAL

From Honduras to El Sal, Liz and Phil fist bump.

What is it about tall things that makes people want to climb them? 

We're not sure either, but when we read about El Pital, the highest mountain in El Salvador, we knew it had to be done. And our friend Phil knew he had to join us.

The touristic trick to "climbing" this mountain, which rises more than a mile and a half toward the sky, is that you can drive nearly the entire way to the top. Not exactly a Himalayan adventure, by any means, but still worth a look.

If you're slightly more ambitious, as we decided to be on a chilly, fog-coated morning, you can hike from Rio Chiquito, a small town near the summit, at around 7,600 feet. 

Hard core. But not.

The border marker. And Liz's feet.

We prepared for a serious mountaineering day, loaded down with cliff bars, water and wearing our best hiking shoes. And the hiking was totally strenuous...for almost the entire 30 minutes it took to reach the summit.

Our reward was a misty view of the barbed-wire fence border with Honduras, which we climbed under, standing proudly in both countries.

On our way back down, not far below the summit, we passed through a camp ground.

There, we found a few local families cooking out, playing stickball, having beers. All we had were granola bars and water. 

Next time, we'll be better prepared.

Kip hikes into a split between two massive rocks near the peak of El Pital.