Where We Be
| For those who did make the climb to the summit, this was their reward. (Photo courtesy of Sara Tuomala from Finland -- what a great shot!) |
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| It's possible to hike up Acatenango Volcano on a day trip from Antigua, but we strongly recommend camping overnight so you can see the red fires of Fuego Volcano at dusk |
| Fuego Volcano, Guatemala |
Hard, hard hike but with a huge reward: views
of Fuego Volcano erupting some twenty times,
sometimes in spectacular fashion -- especially
around dusk when we could see the red molten
ash ejecting and raining down on the slopes of
the volcano. We got a good video of this, and
another great one of the volcano erupting the
next morning -- you can actually see the ash
spewing out of it and hear the thunderlike
boom of its eruption. All this happened a mere
mile away and was directly visible from our
camp on Acatenango Volcano. It was our first
time ever watching an active volcano erupt.
Just before the biggest eruption that evening,
we could see five specks of light (i.e., people
with headlamps) moving up the slopes of
Volcan de Fuego itself. Some were two-thirds
of the way up, but after the eruption and the
molten ash that came raining down, they all
reversed course and hightailed it out of there!
We could hardly blame them. In fact, we could
hardly believe it’s considered safe to hike up
this active volcano in the first place, but our
own guides offered to take us up after dinner.
They said the lava flows to either side of the
ridgeline so it's safe enough. Hmmm. Not for us!
of Fuego Volcano erupting some twenty times,
sometimes in spectacular fashion -- especially
around dusk when we could see the red molten
ash ejecting and raining down on the slopes of
the volcano. We got a good video of this, and
another great one of the volcano erupting the
next morning -- you can actually see the ash
spewing out of it and hear the thunderlike
boom of its eruption. All this happened a mere
mile away and was directly visible from our
camp on Acatenango Volcano. It was our first
time ever watching an active volcano erupt.
Just before the biggest eruption that evening,
we could see five specks of light (i.e., people
with headlamps) moving up the slopes of
Volcan de Fuego itself. Some were two-thirds
of the way up, but after the eruption and the
molten ash that came raining down, they all
reversed course and hightailed it out of there!
We could hardly blame them. In fact, we could
hardly believe it’s considered safe to hike up
this active volcano in the first place, but our
own guides offered to take us up after dinner.
They said the lava flows to either side of the
ridgeline so it's safe enough. Hmmm. Not for us!
| Starting off on fresh legs and a relatively easy grade. Enjoy it while you can! (I have no photos from the StairMaster part of the trek because I was too beat!.) |
| As noted, you'll be expected to share a tent with others overnight. This came as a surprise to us, and we can't say we slept much! But it seems to be the standard on a budget trip of this sort. Tropicana's camp is permanent so the tents are already in place when you arrive. |
| As we approached camp, we heard a loud BOOM and saw this cloud of ash rising from behind the ridgeline. We forgot all about being tired and started getting excited. |
| At the top! So proud of Robin for making it. |
| Nearing the top. We shared this bonding experience with a great group of people from all around the world including South Africa, Australia, Finland, Ireland, England, and Chile. |
| They were going to squeeze us into a tent with three others, but then they mentioned they had a rustic cabin nearby as another option. We took it! Another couple ended up joining us, so we had four sleeping bags jammed side by side in there. It was freezing cold at night on the hard wood floor and we "slept" fully clothed inside our sleeping bags -- but on the other hand, this was the view from our window! |
| Where else can you sit near a cracikling fire, eating dinner and drinking wine, and have a view of an actively erupting volcano like this? |
| We were fortunate to have a day where Fuego wasn't obscured by clouds. We got to watch it erupt some twenty times! Some of the eruptions were small, others big, but we could never get enough. |
| The real show came at dusk. Then we could see the red eruptions much more clearly. Unforgettable!!! |
| At full dark the show got even better. This was one of the biggest eruptions, with molten ash raining down the slopes. |
| Seeing Fuego Volcano (12,346 ft / 3,763 m) swathed in clouds like this is not uncommon. But luckily the weather is fickle here -- fifteen minutes later and it was mostly clear again. |
| After a sleepless night, we awoke to this gorgeous view |
| We opted to skip the final push in the dark to the summit of Acatenango starting at 4 am to catch the sunrise, feeling we'd be lucky just to make it back down the mountain given how sore our legs were. On the plus side, we got some great photos and our best daytime video of the volcano erupting during the quiet morning hours. |
| We were above the clouds as the sun set. This was our view from Acatenango Volcano (13,045 ft / 3,976 m). |
Practical Matters: The hike to camp took 5 hours
and was frankly exhausting. Steep all the way --
sometimes gruelingly so with a pack. Add in the
high altitude, loose volcanic rocks, a fast group
pace, minimal rest stops, and packs laden down
with food, water, and supplies, and we'd have to
say this was one of the hardest hikes we've
done. Of course, keep in mind we're almost 55
and most of our companions were in their 20's.
If you're young and fit, just go for it, but if you're
closer to our age, we'd recommend paying a
porter to carry your pack up (~$30 US each). It
will make the experience much more pleasant.
There were 16 of us plus 3 guides. Trip cost: $65
US each. We went with Tropicana Hostel and had
a great experience, but be aware they cater to a
younger clientele, and tents are shared at camp.
and was frankly exhausting. Steep all the way --
sometimes gruelingly so with a pack. Add in the
high altitude, loose volcanic rocks, a fast group
pace, minimal rest stops, and packs laden down
with food, water, and supplies, and we'd have to
say this was one of the hardest hikes we've
done. Of course, keep in mind we're almost 55
and most of our companions were in their 20's.
If you're young and fit, just go for it, but if you're
closer to our age, we'd recommend paying a
porter to carry your pack up (~$30 US each). It
will make the experience much more pleasant.
There were 16 of us plus 3 guides. Trip cost: $65
US each. We went with Tropicana Hostel and had
a great experience, but be aware they cater to a
younger clientele, and tents are shared at camp.
| Despite the hardships, this was one of the best and most memorable things we've ever done |
| The cabin was some distance from the tents. In the near distance you can see the latrine with a view. |
| Note: We hiked Acatenango about two months before Fuego erupted violently, taking many lives. Our hearts go out to the people of Guatemala affected by this tragedy. |