Volcan Acatenango: An Overnight Hike On Guatemala’s Active Volcanoes 

These volcanoes will break you into pieces, then put you back together again better than before.

In the heart of Guatemala lies a hiking adventure so unique that you must visit at least once in your lifetime. Guatemala is home to 37 volcanos with three of them – Pacaya, Santiaguito and Fugeo – being in a state of constant activity. This infamous trek leads to the summit of Volcan Acatenango and over to its neighbor, Volcan Fuego, to watch lava erupt up close and personal. Over the span of two days and two volcanos awaits a sight so beautiful you have to see it with your own eyes.

After researching various companies to hike through, we chose Ox Expeditions to guide us on our two day journey. 

The hike was broken up into various sections throughout our two days. 

Standing at just under 14,000 ft. tall,  Acatenango provides a challenge worth every single, very inclined, step. Acatenango consists of four zones of terrain: Farmland Area, Cloud Forest Area, Alpine Area and Volcanic Area. During the climb to base camp you will experience the farmland, cloud forest and alpine zones. Then during final summit push on day two, you’ll experience the most challenging terrain: volcanic. Given the steep incline and unstable ground below, hiking poles were a huge asset. 

The afternoon before our hike, we met at Ox Expeditions headquarters to prepare with our guide and discuss the overview of the next two days. We were given the opportunity to grab any important items we might have been missing such as: headlamps, extra layers, backpacks… etc. This was also an opportunity to discuss any questions or concerns we had prior to our hike.

We met at Ox Expeditions headquarters in the morning and rode with our guide to the base of Acatenango. There, we were given the opportunity to use porters for our 50+ pound backpacks but declined. The hike began at 7,952 ft and our first stopping point was for lunch at 10,990 ft after nearly three miles of an uphill trek. During our first push, we also passed through our first two terrains: 1 and 2. We then made our way up to base camp which sits at 11,646 ft. Once there, we set up our tents and campsite which directly faced towards a view of Volcan Fuego. On the trail to base camp we started to hear the rumbling of Fuego grow louder and felt the Earth shake below our feet. It’s not until the very end of this section that you catch your first glimpse of Fuego. Erupting and all.

After setting up camp, we rested for an hour before we needed to make our way down Acatenango, to the valley between, then back up to Fuego Ridge. As the temperatures started to cool, the eruptions from Fuego became larger and we were finally able to see lava mixed with the smoke. Right before the sun started to set, we started descending Acatenango on the opposite side of where we ascended. Once we reached the valley in between the volcanos, we looked up and tried to embrace the enormous feat we were about to climb. We faced many challenges on the ascent such as: low visibility, quick elevation changes and steep inclines. Despite everything we encountered, we made it up to Fuego Ridge right before the sun started to set. Pinks, purples and blues started to fill the sky and we were high above the clouds waiting for Fuego to erupt right in front of us. After a short wait, lava began to explode and fall down the sides of Fuego, only a walking distance away from where we were admiring it. Once the sky turned black, the red of lava illuminated the sky and the eruptions turned massive. Watching this so up close left us completely speechless and in awe of our planet. 

Once the lava began creeping closer to our spot, we started our final trek of the day back to base camp. The journey back was more challenging with the darkness and fatigue catching up to us. All we had to do, however, was turn around and realize that it was worth every ounce of pain. 

Back at base camp we made a fire and ate our dinner watching Fuego light up the sky. We tried to get some sleep before our 4am summit push, but Fuego made that next to impossible. Between the loud eruptions, the Earth shaking and the obsession of watching the lava fall, we had a hard time convincing ourself to get any sleep before our wake up call.  

At 4 a.m. we packed our bags and got ready for summit push. Between the lack of sleep, high level of elevation and elevation gain, tough terrain and incline this was the toughest part of the entire hike. The last bit of the climb before reaching the summit was spent focusing on putting one foot in front of the other and fighting through the effects of slight altitude sickness. Finally reaching the summit was a beautiful and exhausting moment. We watched the sunrise from the top of Acatenango and felt pure bliss and relief to be standing 13,000+ ft high. The strong winds and chilly temperature made for a short break on the top and we quickly started our descent down to base camp. 

The way down felt like a breeze compared to the rest of our hike. The steep, volcanic ash-filled descent felt like skiing down the volcano at half the time. Running on adrenaline, we made it down the Acatenango taking in the beauty of Guatemala with a whole new appreciation. 

Hiking both Acatenango and Fuego seemed like a nearly impossible feat. These volcanoes will push you physically, mentally and emotionally like you couldn’t imagine. Being able to push my body to new limits inspired me to continually challenge myself. Not only did I leave with blisters, fatigue and body aches all over myself; I left with an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment, newfound strength and an incredible story to tell.