Thursday, January 08, 2009

The hike up Mt. Cristo Rey




On the edge of El Paso, right on the border with New Mexico and Mexico is a shrine that's been a part of the landscape for nearly seventy years.


Along the path are the stations of the Cross. Some worshippers carry wooden crosses, rosaries or flowers. Some hike barefoot. Others climb on their knees. When they reach the summit, they pray before a 42 foot high statue of Christ.

Because of its border location, a safe hike to the peak can be accomplished only as part of a large, organized group. Lent is a popular time for an organized round-trip trek of 5 miles. For several years, the Convention and Visitors Bureau and El Paso Scene magazine have also sponsored a hike as part of the Sun Bowl Festivities. That's how we took the hike up the Mountain late last month. The view over Juarez, El Paso and Sunland, New Mexico is spectacular.

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