Conquering Volcán Acatenango: A Storied Climb of Guatemala's Dormant Giant.

Celebrating the New Year in Guatemala can be summed up in one word, fireworks! A good part of the evening is dodging stray rockets screaming down the streets of Antigua. They occasionally bounce off an unsuspecting tourist who is for the moment shocked, and then cheers as if earning a rite of passage. The display of colorful explosions and cascading sparks is brilliant. The city is filled with music and laughter on every corner. It produces an energy that is captivating and a wonderful start to my next adventure. 

I am starting the new year by climbing a dormant volcano next to an active volcano. This quest to witness nature's fireworks is for tomorrow, but for now, I need to get through the rest of New Year's Eve. It is now very late, and my friends and I have ignored all the warnings to call it a night. It is hard to leave this city's energy. Antigua is a special place during New Year's Eve, and I will certainly pay for this in the morning, but such is life. 

We are staying at The Posada de Don Rodrigo in the heart of Antigua, Guatemala. This stunning hotel was restored in 1968 by Don Carlos Florián. It boasts a magnificent display of Baroque paintings, period furniture, and endless art on the ceiling. Morning has come and I am lying in my 19th century bed looking at my backpack sitting on a chair. The evening festivities are still lingering in my head. I force myself to get up, grab my pack and leave this luxury. I am not here for the finer trappings of this historic hotel. I am here to conquer a volcano. My climbing partner meets me in the lobby. Andrew and I are members of the Gen X community, but we have lived relatively adventurous lives and enjoy stepping out of our comfort zone. As we stand in the hotel doorway looking confident with our backpacks —- we discuss the first order of business. Where is the best coffee and pastry in town? With coffee in hand, we make our way to Old Town Outfitters in Antigua. Located on a street corner, this storefront with rustic doors and a dusty interior is exactly what you want in an outdoor adventure shop. The rest of our team joins us, and they are all much younger than the two of us. Andrew looks at me and I look at the new arrivals, with a subtle grin we both nod and begin to stretch and attempt to look confident. My last high-altitude hike was Mount Whitney in California, and for the last year I have been living at four hundred feet above sea-level. Yeah, I should have gone to bed earlier.

We arrive at the Sierra Madre Mountain Range around 11am. This place is home to many volcanoes, and we are here for Acatenango and Fuego. They are both stratovolcanoes and stand next to one another connected by a natural saddle. Our goal is to climb Acatenango, which stands over 13,000 ft. This area is part of the subtropical highlands of Guatemala. The volcanoes are home to a diverse environment and make this an exciting trek. Our guide assembles the team and after a safety talk, and a good stretch, we are on our way. The road leading to the trailhead is quite steep —- even the local horses look back at their riders with disdain. Starting a high-altitude hike on steep terrain takes the fun out of it quickly, but we are here to conquer this volcano. Maybe I shouldn’t have had that pastry. 

We eventually reach the mountain's gateway and trailhead. This spot overlooks the endless farm fields and has a small restaurant, a few shops, and a coffee hut. A large sign that reads “I Love Acatenango” is not the welcome sight one might think as it reminds you that we haven’t even started to climb the volcano yet. We grab a snack and water, rest for a while and entertain the mountain dogs with odd sounds and high voices. I feel these hardened K9s who live here find humor in the antics of the humans that visit and there might be a touch of pity in every head tilt and long stare.  

After four hours of hiking, we have reached cooler temperatures and are surrounded by clouds. Along the trail I have befriended a dog who comes and goes as we walk the trail. With every visit, this scruffy tan dog nudges my hand holding a water bottle. I give her a few sips and throw her a cookie before she runs off and disappears. I start to look forward to her visits along the extensive route of switchbacks. The trail is well groomed and easy to navigate, but it is the quick elevation gain that challenges most hikers. We are high enough now that we can hear the rumble of Fuego as it erupts every 15 to 20 minutes. We cannot see the volcano, but the sound of rolling thunder reminds us that these mountains are alive. Around 11,000 ft the view is now gone, and a dense fog wraps the mountain. As photographers, Andrew and I are a little disappointed and we begin to question whether or not our efforts will be rewarded. The trail levels out and we are no longer going vertical. This welcome change breathes new energy into the group and our guide announces that base camp is near. We go off the main trail and end up on something that looks like a road. I ask our guide if this is a road. He responds yes and explains how many companies offer a mountain ascent to base camp via a four-wheel drive vehicle. What?

We reach the permit station and meet two friendly park rangers. They seem like a happy duo sitting around a campfire and their enthusiasm for the mountain makes us forget about the four-wheel drive option. They check our permits, and we set out for the final push upward. Within an hour we can hear voices and see colorful tents grouped into small villages.

Our little base camp is in the front row with an unobstructed view of Fuego. We drop our packs, arch our backs, and are greeted with a massive eruption of molten rock and smoke being launched into the air. This is why we just hiked vertically for six hours. The cloud cover that was disheartening earlier has now started to break up and the landscape around us is beyond stunning. The sun is setting and produces a mix of colors that fuels a level of excitement that masks our sore muscles. 

Nighttime has fallen and the starry sky is as brilliant as the recent sunset. I would normally enjoy the magic of a clear night for hours, but we have an early summit attempt, and I learned my lesson the night before. Now one might think a long hike and a hardy meal would assist in falling asleep. However, it turns out that an active volcano does not turn off at night. Every red and orange explosion thundering into the air, one after another really gets old by 1:00 am. Exhaustion finally takes over and I pass out with only an hour left before the alarm goes off. By 5:30 am our team has reached the summit of Acatenango and just in time for the sunrise. The crowd of people is enormous. Where did all these people come from? The clouds are now below us and they change color as the sun breaks through them. To our east is another iconic mountain named Agua, this extinct volcano offers a stark silhouette in front of the rising sun. 

Fuego is surprisingly quiet this morning and at some point, it hits me. I am standing in the caldera of a sleeping volcano surrounded by other sleeping volcanoes, and one very active volcano. This is by far a surreal moment and a great way to ring in the New Year.  

Time on the summit has come to an end and we descend back to base camp. My dog friend shows up to greet me as we pack our gear. She has a four-legged friend with her, and we take a moment to say goodbye. It is clear she is not interested in going down, so we parted ways for the last time. 

Our team hits the trail with a newfound energy. On our way down we encounter a group sitting next to a pile of gear. Moments later a four-wheel drive shows up and they all get in. Someone asks if anyone needs a ride. We look around and say no thanks, we'll walk from here.