The magic of Acatenango and Vulcan Fuego
Fuego!
If you find yourself on the the volcano Acatenango with Bingham Expeditions in central Guatemala, you’ll likely hear that a lot.
Welcome to central Guatemala. Home to amazing people, great coffee and volcanoes like you won’t beehive.
Arriving in Guatemala City you can see several volcanoes to the west of the city, not far from the Pacific Ocean. Part of the Central American Volcanic Arc, the Furgo-Acatenango massif is comprised of five or more volcano vents. Powered by the Cocos Plate subducting under the Caribbean Plate Acatenango and it’s much more active neighbor Fuego are stratovolcanoes. Unlike shield volcanoes in Hawaii, theses tall conical volcanoes spew ash and thick magma that doesn’t travel very far.
Antigua, Guatemala
Antigua, Guatemala meaning “Old Guatemala” was founded in 1524 and was once the capital of Guatemala. With a long history of Kaqchikel (local indigenous Maya peoples) uprisings, earth quake and volcanic destruction the capital was eventually moved to what is now Guatemala City.
Still known for its preserved Spanish Baroque architecture as well as a number of ruins and colonial churches. It was been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979. Along side it’s historical buildings you can find a bustling coffee industry as the nutrient rich volcanic soil, altitude and climate make it ideal for coffee growing.
Acatenango, 13,045ft
The city of Antigua is surrounded by several towering volcanoes. One of these is the 13,045ft tall Acatanango and it’s neighbor Fuego. Constantly active, eruptions can be seen, heard and even felt from Antigua.
Climbing Acatenango is an overnight trip with a night in camp at 10,000ft. This night on the mountain is the highlight of the trip because much of the lava blasting from Furgo can only be seen in the dark.
In Guatemala I proudly work with OX Expeditions. A local company started by Victor Ferrell from the US. They offer over night guided trips to Acatenango as all as a variety of other local adventures.
The day before the climb, we start with an orientation and gear check at OX’s Base Camp Hostel. There a couple routes and summit times to choose from depending on the wind and weather. Either head up to the top for sunset, or the following morning for sunrise.
Day 1 – Antigua, 5,029ft
The adventure begins around 6am at OX Expeditions Base Camp. The shuttle arrives and we load our gear on the roof and head to the town the Rainbow Cafe for a private breakfast. The dive from here to the trail head is about 45 minutes.
The trail begins in local farm fields, giving an even deeper sense how the local peoples relationship with the mountains.
As the route climbs, we move though several different zones on the mountain. From the farmlands, we move up into the cloud forest, alpine and volcanic zones. The route is steep from the out set to the camp and can be challenging for even the most fit. But, the reward is well worth the effort.
From camp at 10,000ft, we have a beautiful view to the west looking at Fuego and the Pacific Ocean. We can also see several other local volcanoes to the south.
From camp, the summit is another hour upwards in what could be described as a sand dune. On this particular trip, the visibility on the summit wasn’t very good with fast moving clouds and wind, which are a good recipe for hypothermia.
Sadly, in 2017 6 people died on the summit of Acatenango when caught in cold weather and wind. I’ll prepared, wearing street clothes and jeans, they tragically died of hypothermia.
Descending the sand dune back to camp, our guides and porters build us a campfire and we settle in for dinner, music and a volcanic show thanks to Vulcan Fuego.
Day 2 – Acatenango Camp, 10,000ft
During the night, you really get a sense of how active Fuego is. During the day your busy and moving around and occasionally hear rumble and his of each eruption. It’s not until the dark and quiet of the night do you realize what’d really going on. As we laid in our tents, you can literally feel the eruption. Like a small earthquake, the ruble starts deep and gives you just enough time to get the zipper undone on your tent and stick you head out. The show, and the power is incredible.
Acantenango is one of my favorite climbs. It’s easily accessible, in expensive and offers a lot more than just a good view. Antigua is a great city to explore on it’s own and Guatemala is full of adventures. From surfing, to ziplining and some of the best yoga resorts around.
