Acatenango - The Full Experience
When I first arrived at school in Antigua, I met a girl from Amsterdam. After our orientation, she began talking to me about this epic hike, Acatenango. "It makes your legs shake, it is so hard, the elevation is crazy and I CAN'T WAIT to do it!" she said with so much excitement.
I thought, you know I really don't think that is a Sloan-friendly activity. I like the outdoors of course, but I am a city girl for sure.
I met my roommate the next day and we started to think of excursions we wanted to do while we were here. "Acatenango, we have to do it!" she said. I was hesitant and had not heard many pieces of motivating advice about it. Everyone told me how hard it was and many said it was the hardest thing they had ever done.
I thought to myself, there is no way I go up that volcano.
Well, after school one day my roommate and I wandered to the travel agency and there were two spots left. We would be hiking the volcano on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I was scared, to say the least, but anyone who knows me, knows I will be the first to take the jump and try new things.
The next morning we wait for the bus to get us. I think to myself, "maybe they will forget to get us. That would be okay with me." Soon enough the bus pulled up and on I went. We were taken to a building where we checked in, rented backpacks, and were supplied with our meals, equipment, etc. We loaded up in the bus and began the hour-long journey to Acatenango.
Anxious, filled with excitement and the fear of the unknown, we gathered ourselves at the base of the volcano.
The first two hours are the worst. As I climbed up the rocky volcano with dust swirling around the air, I felt my heart beating through my chest, ears, and head. The sweat dripped down my body and breathing easily became a thing of the past. The sun beat down on my face for what feels like an eternity and then suddenly it didn’t. The once pale rocky floor became a dark black, shaded with greenery all around. The cool breeze blew against me and we stopped for lunch.
We ate garlic bread and pasta and it was amazing. It started to get a little chilly and the group began to add some layers and get ready for the next three to four hours. As we climbed, I felt myself get stronger and at some points get weaker but either way, I was still going. The views were absolutely stunning and taking in the beauty was irreplaceable and priceless. The temperature started to drop and my hands felt cold and sore around my walking stick - but we finally made it. A feeling of relief washed over me as I finally got to the campsite. We dropped our bags off in our tent and headed over to the fire with everyone. Joy radiated all around us and the warmth of the fire filled me with peace. Effortless conversations floated around the campfire and the sounds of laughter spread amongst the group.
We watched the sun slowly fade away as the pastel colors painted the sky. The darkness of night began to come over us and the rumbles from the Fuego volcano began. Sitting down for Christmas dinner, singing songs, and enjoying each other I felt very at home - even at the top of a volcano.
The next morning I woke up in my tent and unzipped the door to the beautiful sunrise. The chilly air woke me up and began to prepare me for the trek down. Everyone shared a wonderful breakfast, packed up, and began to head down.
There was no way going down would be harder, I was convinced. Yet, I was quickly mistaken. Going down was just as hard but in a different way. I slid for about three hours and many times felt as if I was skiing in my sneakers. My legs were shaking and my knees throbbing as I tried not to faceplant or break my back. After around three hours we made it to the bottom. My body was filled with exhaustion but so relieved to have finished.
I am so thankful for the amazing group I went with and the company I booked through. I will link them down below!
The company I booked through
CA Travelers
What you need/need to know
Bring altitude sickness pills
Hiking boots are the best (my gym shoes barely cut it)
Bring layers it gets freezing
Bring extra cash to pay for a porter (a person to carry your bags up)
Listen to your body and its needs
Rent a walking stick or two! (you rent them at the base of the volcano)
Reality
My roommate got altitude sickness
It can be hard to breathe
Headaches are very common in high altitudes (my roommate and I both had bad headaches a bit of the time)
I threw up from car sickness/exhaustion on the bus ride back
Overall, it was such an amazing experience and I am beyond thankful I was able to be a part of it. It is for sure the hardest hike I have done but that just makes the experience even better.
Thank you, Acatenango.
