More than 400 hand fitted stone steps lead straight up the slopes of Cerro (mount) Pipiapan, one of the volcanic
remnants on the north end of Laguna Catemaco.

The steps were constructed for maintenance of a communication transmission tower. Remnant jungle foliage closes in
on each step and in the early morning hours hundreds of rare birds chirp over the loud slither of various snakes and
other creeping crawlers.

Locals claim it has been 5 months since they last saw the cub of one of the few remaining pairs of Catemaco tigres in
the  area.

The view on top is fantastic. Both Laguna Catemaco and Laguna Sontecomapan bare their distant hearts to the intrepid
observer.

Unfortunately that is only true for the intrepid criminal jumping a fence, and climbing hand over hand a few meters up
the transmission tower. Otherwise, after those 400 steps, the cardiac athlete gets a headache when realizing the
tower platform is totally overgrown by impermeable bushes and has no view.
Take the highway from Catemaco to Sontecomapan, 1 or 2 miles after the turnoff to Coyame, take the badly maintained
dirt road marked RMO Pipiapan up the hills. A few miles inland, you'llsee some rock steps on the right. That's the
staircase. The road ontinues to the dead end of Vista Hermosa, on the way glimpses of both Laguna Catemaco and
Laguna Sontecomapan are possible.
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Cerro Pipiapan
Vista Hermosa, Catemaco, Veracruz