Starting 2023 with a bang...

I still can't believe that I climbed a volcano? 

There are 37 volcanoes in Guatemala, and Acatenango is one of these. It is a stratovolcano, located just outside the colonial city of Antigua. Despite being an active volcano, there hasn't been an eruption since 1972, so hiking the volcano and camping overnight just below the summit is one of the main attractions in Guatemala. The main reason people hike this volcano is to see Volcan de Fuego up close. Translated as, Volcano of Fire, Fuego is an active volcano and erupts around every 10-20 minutes. 

At the risk of sounding like a negative Nelly throughout this post, I must say that I am very new to the world of hiking, especially hiking at higher altitudes, so this was one of the hardest, most physically demanding activities I have ever undertaken. This is just my honest experience. There were so many moments where I really wanted to give up, but looking back through my photos now and reliving the memories, I am SO glad that I persevered. 

My friend and I decided to hike on 31st December, and this was a truly unforgettable way to celebrate the New Year. 

We were picked up from our hostel at 8am, and then after picking up all of our rented equipment from the tour company, were were driven to the entrance and began our accent at 11:30am. 

The first 2 hours of the hike are the hardest, as you are constantly walking uphill. We did takes breaks along the way to have some snacks and eventually break for lunch, which was a good chance to get to know the people in our group. 

I had no issues with the altitude, but I did really suffer with sore legs, and this only worsened as the day went on. I knew I would never keep up with the more 'elite' hikers (including my friend) who were at the front of our group, so I decided to just take regular breaks and walk at my own pace which really helped. I ended up joining a group of 4 others in my group who were going at a similarly slow pace and we ended up having a great time. We took regular breaks which allowed us to catch our breath and enjoy the view, and we told each other jokes and riddles along the way to take our mind off our aching bodies. 

We eventually reached base camp at around 5pm. Base camp sits at 3,600m high, and gives you breathtaking views of surrounding volcanos, cities and of course, an close up, impressive view of Fuego. Within minutes of arriving and sitting on a bench, we witnessed Fuego erupting plumes of grey smoke and ash. The volcano erupts very frequently, but it doesn't get any less exciting as time goes on. 

For the more adventurous hikers, there is a possibility of hiking onto Fuego itself to get a closer look at the eruptions, but most people in our group, like myself, chose to just layer up and rest by the fire with a cup of hot cacao before eating dinner. 

The eruptions were relatively small for us, however we were still lucky enough to see two eruptions of lava during the night! Even more special, as the clock struck midnight, we sat in our tent wrapped up in our sleeping bags and watched thousands of colourful fireworks explode from the cities below. 

After a few hours sleep, we awoke at 4am the following morning to hike to the summit in time for sunrise. This was the most difficult part of the hike for me. My body was sore from the previous day, and I was tired from lack of sleep so this was a real struggle. Not to complain too much, but the summit was extremely cold (obviously) so this moment was not as romantic and enjoyable as I thought it would be, so we didn't stay up there for long - just enough time to snap some photos. But it was still very beautiful and it's really cool to say that I watched the first sunrise of 2023 from 3,976m! 

After packing our things and eating a breakfast of tamales and coffee, we began our decent - which was very easy and took us around 2 hours compared to the 5 hour hike the day before. We could even run for some sections of the route because the ground was covered in loose gravel/volcanic rock so this was really fun. After we returned to the entrance, we took one last group photo before dropping our rented equipment off at the tour company, and heading back to Antigua.

2022 really was the best year of my life, and this was an incredible way to end the year and welcome in the new year. This really gave me some perspective on my life and everything I have experienced so far. I am so grateful to everyone I have met on my travels, all the places I have been and the crazy experiences I have had. And I know that this is just one chapter. There is so much beauty and adventure in this world, and I can't wait for more. 

My tips for hiking Acatenango:

If you do not have your own, rent trekking poles at the entrance. These were fairly cheap to rent and really make a difference. In fact, some people who did not rent them were unable to hike to the summit the following morning because the ground was so loose and they were slipping back down. 

Drink lots of water. Our tour group gave us camel packs which was really helpful, so we could keep drinking even as we were walking. 

Take your time. Just find your pace and stick to it, and if you are really struggling, just focus on putting one foot in front of the other, and taking one step at a time. Don't worry about other people. I can guarantee that everyone is struggling to some extent (even more seasoned hikers), so everyone is too focused on their own progress to care what other people are doing. In particularly difficult/uphill sections, I would challenge myself to walk 10 steps before I could have a break. Sometimes I felt fine after 10 so could continue on, but just having the reminder that I could take regular breaks really motivated me.  

If you know you are going to struggle, pay a porter to carry your bag. Do not feel embarrassed or defeated to ask for help with your bags. The porters are local people and their job is to escort tour groups up the volcano. So you will not be the first person to ask for help, and they will be grateful to earn some extra money. 

Wear lots of layers!! As you are hiking up the volcano, you will sweat and feel hot, but as you get closer to the summit and the day comes to a close, it gets very cold, so layers are essential. 

This is a truly incredible experience that you don't get to experience every day, so remember enjoy yourself!  As I said previously, I knew I would struggle to keep up with hikers at the front, so I walked at my own pace and eventually joined another group who were a similar level to me. Although pushing yourself to hike as quickly as possibly is probably an accomplishment to a lot of people, I knew my priority was enjoying myself and making good memories, so I'm really pleased that I listened to my body and took my time.