[jdk610]

On Dec 29, I hiked up Volcan Acatenango, just outside out Antigua, Guatemala. I asked around, and the general consensus was that hiking solo, especially as a woman, was not recommended. For this trip I went with OX Expeditions, which was a fine tour company, but Old Town Outfitters (the company that took us up Pacaya) remains my favorite. Regardless, it was a fun day, and I surprised myself by having a great time hiking with a relatively large group of approx 10 people. My Suunto watch says it was 8 miles round trip and 6100 ft of elevation gain – a stout hike for sure, especially since we started at an altitude of 7000 ft and ascended to just over 13,000 ft. While Acatenango is definitely not family-friendly like Pacaya, it is certainly achievable as a day hike if you’re willing to do a bit of slogging and have a little Type 2 fun.

The first mile of the hike is through corn fields. The summit of Acatenango is still out of sight, but it’s possible to catch glimpses of Atitlan (shown here).

Paintbrush and toilet paper – both commonly seen in the high alpine of Acatenango. We brought down 3 garbage bags full of trash, and didn’t even put a dent in things.

Fog rolling in and out

Misty rainbow

Taking a break at the saddle just before the summit

Summit push

Volcan Agua, tucked in by clouds

Last stretch of trail before the top

Approaching the summit crater

Warming our hands in volcanic vents

Lunch in front of Volcan Fuego

Pastoral views

Fuego letting off a little steam

Descending through the cloud forest

https://evergreenendurance.com/2017/01/16/volcan-acatenango/

[FiresideChats]

I especially liked the first pic on the link.

[puzzlr]

We were just in Antigua a few days ago and I spent a lot of time looking at Acatenango, Fuego and Agua. Unfortunately, our schedule didn't allow time to climb any of them. Hopefully later this trip we'll get up Tajamulco, and if so, I'll report on that. But the fun thing we experienced was a minor eruption of Fuego visible from our roof top restaurant while we were enjoying mojitos. For the locals this was no big deal, but a highlight for us. The photo isn't great, but it was dramatic in real life as lava flowed down the side. Acatenango is the double peak on the right side.

Fuego eruption

Tragically, six people just died of hypothermia on Acatenango. The story as I heard it was that a group was being led by a person that had been up many times. I don't think they planned on camping up high (many do), and the weather closed in and they got disoriented and could not find the trail down. One member of the group headed off on her own and they said "you'll get lost and die if you leave" (paraphrase, not a quote), but she was the only one that survived.

[jdk610]

Wow, that's the first I'd heard about the deaths on Acatenango. Very sad.

[Snowdog]