"The first hour is very hard," my guide warns as I start the hike up Guatemala's Volcán de Acatenango. "But it will all be worth it when you catch that first glimpse of Fuego at basecamp." I didn't plan to do a volcano hike in Guatemala but the more I read, the more hiking Acatenango felt like one of the country's most unmissable experiences. I rearranged my itinerary accordingly — and what an exhilarating adventure I had!
Guatemala has over 30 recognised volcanoes, some more active than others. Perhaps the most famous is Fuego ('fire'), a 3,700-metre volcano that has been erupting several times an hour since 2018. If you stay in Antigua, you can watch its signature smoke plumes and even spot lava flows at night from any rooftop in the city.
But if you want a closer look, the best way to do it is on an overnight hike to the summit of Acatenango ('place of the corn reeds'), Fuego's slightly taller, less active neighbour, which last erupted in 1972. It's possible, if very tough, to do a day trip but while the two-day hike is still challenging, it's more achievable for most people.
Dozens of companies in and around Antigua organise hiking tours. There are even options when you can ride part of the way up in a 4x4 or on a horse. I had a brilliant experience with Lava Trails: the guides, porters and other team members were fantastic and the whole trip was very well organised and ran like clockwork.
It helped that we were treated to a stunning sunrise from the summit of Acatenango on the second morning. There are certainly no guarantees of that. But the whole expedition was great fun — even when my lungs and/or thighs were on fire! Read on for the full story (it's a long one!), and my practical tips, including when to go, how to choose a tour company and what to pack.
MY VOLCÁN DE ACATENANGO EXPERIENCE
Preparing To Hike Acatenango
Some tour companies have offices in Antigua, but Lava Trails' meeting point is at Kaldi & Kapra, a cafe in the city centre. It's one block from my hotel and I'm the first one to arrive at our group's table on the café's rooftop terrace at 6:45 am. I sip my coffee and enjoy the views of Fuego and Acatenango while I wait for the others: a taste of what's to come.
There are 20 of us altogether — a full complement. It is Thanksgiving week and a lot of Americans are in town taking advantage of the annual leave. But there are also hikers from Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, Costa Rica and even just down the road from me in Peckham. It can sometimes take a while for group dynamics to take shape, but thanks to two friendly Floridians, we all bond pretty quickly.
After some introductions and desayuno típico, we board a minibus to La Soledad, 20 miles west of Antigua, close to the Acatenango trailhead and where Lava Trails' office is based. I'm feeling excited and more than a little nervous about the hike ahead.
Packing Up in La Soledad
We reach La Soledad at about 8:30 am and after a short briefing about what to expect, it's time to pick out kit from the supply store. Most hiking companies, including Lava Trails, have kit available to borrow, including backpacks (you'll need to carry all your water, clothes and other essentials), jackets, rain gear, headlamps and hiking poles. This is helpful if, like me, you don't have space in your suitcase for a lot of hiking equipment.
At Lava Trails, some items are included in the price, while some have a small rental fee. I've brought a few warm items of my own, just in case I can't find the right clothes in the kit room. I'm wearing my running shoes, having left my hiking boots at home for space reasons. I slightly regret this later, as the terrain is exceptionally slippy, especially on the way down.
I also decide to hire a porter to carry my big backpack with most of my water and extra clothes. That bag weighs about 10 kg (there's an extra fee if it's over 12 kg). My daypack, with my camera, snacks and a few other essentials, is around 3 kg. I am very grateful not to have to carry the big bag during the steepest parts of the ascent: its large size overwhelms my small frame, as I find out when I carry it on the way down!
Beginning Our Acatenango Ascent
All packed up, we leave our luggage in storage at Lava Trails and then hop on the minibus for the short ride to the trailhead. And then, just after 10:30, we are off!
As the guides warned, the first hour or two is very steep. I'm in reasonably good shape but don't get much hill training in London. But the biggest issue is the precarious nature of the soil and grit on the path. Immediately, I am infinitely grateful to my hiking poles.
Soon, we enter the cloud forest and I immediately put my jacket and hoodie back on. It's only cloudy rather than raining although I know I'm not the only one wondering what this will mean for the visibility at the summit. We stop for lunch at 1 pm, a hearty portion of chicken and rice, which I supplement with a granola bar and the Powerade I bought at a stall on the way up.
The trail flattens out ('Maya flat') after lunch, but the cloud is so dense I can barely see a few metres in front of me. I enjoy the nature, though, including the surprisingly vibrant purple and flame-red flowers and the ethereal trees that remind me of Madeira.
Fuego Glimpses at Basecamp
At 3:15 pm, we file in to the Lava Trails basecamp. I collect my backpack from my porter, Hernán, and go straight into one of the two ten-bed cabins to claim my top bunk.
In practice, however, it is still very cloudy. For the first hour or so after arriving, we play a game of Peekaboo with Fuego, trying to photograph it erupting during the few moments when the clouds clear. There are snatches of blue sky, although it's quite chilly.
For those who want an even closer view of Fuego, there's an extension hike to the ridge below the volcano's summit. This hike can take four to five hours and is very hard-going. Given that Fuego is very active, even Lonely Planet, which can be quite blasé, notes that the Fuego hike is not safe and "no scientist would recommend getting that close."
Of course, no volcano hike, including Acatenango, is entirely without risk, but I feel more comfortable staying at basecamp. Also, I am tired from the day's hike and want to rest up for the 4 am wake-up call for the sunrise hike to Acatenango's summit.
Fuego or Fue-No?
It's still very cloudy when the five Fuego-goers in our group set off, so there's no guarantee of a good view but we cross our fingers for them. The rest of us enjoy the sunset and then, when it gets dark, have hot chocolate, eat dinner (spaghetti bolognese) and toast marshmallows over the campfire. Well, it is Thanksgiving!
Most people go to bed around 8 pm but I stay outside taking photos. This is challenging without a tripod and because my hands are so cold (it's around 0C) when I take my gloves off to press the buttons. But I get a few nice time-lapse captures leaning my camera on the fence.
The Fuego crew return just after 9 pm. They got some incredible views, but it was a hard, hard trek: steep, slippery, dusty and very windy. They eat their dinner quickly and then we all head to bed. I keep most of my layers on and wriggle into my sleeping bag, pulling the blanket over the top.
I don't get much sleep but not because I'm not comfortable. During the night we are woken several times by the booms of Fuego doing its thing. Each time, I pull off my sleep mask and turn to the window, where I'm treated to views of Fuego illuminated with lurid red lava trails snaking down its sides. It's utterly spellbinding. The photo below is not my best work but not bad for an iPhone photo from my bed at 2:30 am!
Sunrise at Acatenango's Summit
I wake at 3:45 am to the sound of someone's iPhone alarm. "We're leaving in 15 minutes," the owner explains. It's pitch-black outside so I hastily rummage in my backpack, using my headlamp to help find the essentials I'll need for the summit push. At least I'm already dressed, so I only need to put on my outer layers and I'm ready to go.
Our group is much quieter this morning. The frigid climes are compounded by yesterday's efforts and our lack of sleep. The final 30 minutes are even tougher because the sandy, gritty soil is so thick it feels like we're wading through it. Even with hiking poles it's often a case of two steps forward, one step back.
We take a few quick breaks, watching Fuego's nocturnal activities and the lights of the small villages twinkling across the valley far below. The last part is a real scramble, but soon, we reach the summit. And we're rewarded by the most amazing views of Fuego. There are dozens of other people there, but I spend a few minutes in silence, taking it all in, 3,976 metres above sea level. It feels strangely surreal.
Just before 6 am, the sun breaks through the clouds clustered below us, painting the sky soft pink and coral hues. It's a joy to share this special moment with my fellow group members: I've only just met them but we've already experienced so much together.
I share some of the Haribo sours I brought from home for this purpose and take dozens more photos. My hands start to get frostbite so I stick them back in my pockets, but not after persuading one of my group to take a photo of me jumping for joy — if ever there was a moment for that! (Layer count: 5!)
It takes us an hour to get back to basecamp. Parts of this section are more like cross-country skiing: I use my hiking poles to anchor me in the thick sand. I think everyone in our group falls over at least once.
Skidding Down to La Soledad
Back at basecamp, coffee and porridge await us. Objectively, the coffee is probably not great but at that moment it is the best thing I've ever drunk! We only have a few moments to savour those final views of Fuego and process what we've just achieved before it's time to pack up and begin our descent.
This part feels sightly rushed. But this is because there's a tight schedule with new hikers arriving at the trailhead and strict timings for the buses for those who have finished. We take a final group photo and set off just after 7:30 am, knowing we have to be at the bus stop by 10:30.
I find the downhill stretch harder than going uphill, mainly because of the slippery ground. (It doesn't help that I'm wearing running shoes, although even those wearing hiking boots struggle.) The 50L backpack is lighter on the way down, as there's much less water to carry, but its size impacts my balance.
As I'm concentrating so hard on where I'm stepping, I take hardly any photos. There's a moment when I genuinely can't brake myself and think I'm going to careering down. Luckily, one of the guides catches my backpack, steadying me. Then, near the end, I come within inches of grabbing the barbed wire entwined around a fence. Thank goodness I had my tetanus jab!
When we enter the cloud forest, it starts raining — not too heavily, but enough to make me put my phone and camera into my dry bag. We start to see the ascending hikers at this stage and I hope the weather is better for them at the top.
The last 30 minutes are painful. My thighs and calves are aching and my brain is tired from having to constantly watch my step. I make it to the bottom without another fall — and just on time at 10:20 am. The guides give me a fist-bump and then I sling my backpack onto the minibus roof and gratefully sink into my seat.
What a Lava-ly Adventure!
We are welcomed back chez Lava Trails with beer and tostadas. We then have to return all of our kit and settle payment for equipment, porters and any extras (like the Fuego hike). I am surprised that it's still quite cool in La Soledad — this means I need to keep wearing my hiking clothes, which are in serious need of a wash!
One of the reasons I booked with Lava Trails is that they offer a direct shuttle bus to Lake Atitlán, rather than needing to travel an hour back to Antigua and then take another shuttle. About half of our group goes on to Atitlán, continuing the adventure together, while the others return to Antigua.
The sharing of photos and stories in our WhatsApp group continues for days to come and I bump into several group members throughout the rest of my trip to Guatemala. What a memorable experience it was!
HIKING ACATENANGO: WHAT TO EXPECT
How hard is the Acatenango overnight hike?
When should I do the Acatenango hike?
How should I choose an Acatenango tour company?
How much does the Acatenango hike cost?
What should I bring on my Acatenango hike?
- Hiking poles: buy your own if your company doesn't provide them. It's hard enough doing the hike with them, so I'd hate to try it without.
- Headlamp: crucial for late night/early morning backpack rummaging, excursions to the loo and the sunrise hike, which starts in total darkness. I bought a cheap rechargeable one for the Inca Trail; seven years later and it was still charged up!
- Gloves and beanie hat: it gets really cold at the top and although you can probably borrow gloves, I wanted to ensure I had at least one warm, well-fitting pair. Ditto the woolly hat!
- Baseball cap and sunglasses: luckily, I needed both!
- Mini first aid kit and minimal toiletries: sun cream (the sun was super-strong!), lip balm, deodorant, toothbrush, tissues and hand sanitiser.
- Small dry bag: to protect my camera, wallet and phone in case it rained.
- Sleeping bag liner: I meant to borrow one — for extra warmth and comfort — but forgot to pick one up. I managed fine without, but it's a nice extra.
- Sleep mask and ear plugs: for the shared sleeping space.
- Snacks: Lava Trails provided all meals, but having granola bars, nuts and my favourite sour candies was great motivation for the tougher moments of the trek.
- My Anker 10k power bank: I kept my iPhone on low-power mode and it was also on Airplane mode for some of the time (there was intermittent mobile service). This power bank was enough to keep both my phone and Apple Watch charged throughout the trip.
- My digital camera: the photos of Fuego at night were so much better than on my phone. I wish I'd brought a small tripod as trying to balance the camera on a fence when your hands are freezing cold and Fuego only erupts for a few seconds at a time is hard!
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