Hiking the Mighty Acatenango and Fuego Volcanoes

Before flying to Guatemala, I learned about an overnight volcano hiking tour where adventurers witness the neighboring volcano, Fuego, erupt approximately every 20 minutes. I was thrilled about it, so I made it a priority to visit it.

However, at the airport, a traveler informed me that the Fuego volcano had suddenly stopped erupting. But just a few days before my planned tour, Fuego volcano erupted massively, shutting down most tours to it as a precautionary measure.

Although this wasn’t great news, I booked a tour anyway, hoping to be mesmerized by a mighty eruption of Fuego Volcano.

Tour

During my five-night stay in Antigua, I booked a tour with Getaway Adventures to hike the nearby volcanoes of Acatenango and Fuego. Hiking to Fuego Volcano was optional, and it begins shortly after arriving at the base camp, located at an altitude of 11,155 feet in Acatenango. I prepaid for the tour to Fuego Volcano and was given the option to receive a refund if I changed my mind later.

The tour began in the morning when my group and I were picked up from the Getaway Adventures tourist office and transported to their rental site, where we received supplies, including food, gloves, jackets, and beanies. The tour package did not include hiking shoes, trekking poles, or a headlamp, but these items could be rented on-site.

We were then transported for approximately 45 minutes to the start of the hiking trail and received a safety briefing.

Acatenango

I was excited about getting started, but little did I know that hiking up Acatenango and then Fuego would become one of the most challenging activities I’ve ever done.

While I was warned about the effects of hiking in high-altitude conditions, such as experiencing a headache, nausea, or shortness of breath, I disregarded the warning, thinking it wouldn’t affect me because I exercise regularly. I didn’t even rent the trekking poles, thinking they were unnecessary. Needless to say, I would soon be humbled by Mother Nature.

The hike was steep and slippery at times, but we took breaks approximately every 50 minutes.

About two-thirds of the way through the hike, I began to feel a mild headache and nausea. I was sweating significantly, and my heart was beating like it was about to jump out of my chest.

Realizing that I had made a terrible mistake by not renting trekking poles, I cut a branch from a tree and used it as a makeshift trekking pole.

And just when I thought we had arrived at the base camp, I was challenged by a steep, loose volcanic soil path known as “La Subidita de la Muerte” (The Uphill Path of Death). Luckily, I brought my hiking shoes; otherwise, I would have been slipping all over the place.

It took us approximately 5 hours to arrive at the base camp. We celebrated our arrival with an iconic aguardiente drink from Guatemala called Quetzalteca.

I thought this would be the end of it, that most of us wouldn’t want to go to Fuego. However, to my surprise, my new friends wanted to continue hiking, and well… that’s why I prepaid the second portion, in case the travelers I would become friends with wanted to continue.

Fuego

I took a 15-minute nap in the cabin, stored my drone away to carry less weight, and made myself ready to continue.

Now I was on my way to Fuego. This is when I was severely humbled and put my mental and physical strength to the test. As we descended Acatengo Volcano, all I could think of was the ascent I would have to do when returning to the base camp.

After approximately 50 minutes, we reached the saddle between the two volcanoes. From here, the terrain was all uphill. We aimed to arrive at the endpoint by sunset.

As I ascended, I began to question my decision to continue hiking after reaching the base camp. I could feel my heart racing faster than ever before, and my legs felt more fatigued. The sweat on my face reminded me that I needed to drink more water, but I only had a little left.

However, my conviction to reach the end was stronger than my exhaustion, and I continued at a slow but steady pace. And, suddenly, after all the struggle, I reached the endpoint.

As I hiked back down, I was chatting with other travelers, and everything seemed fine. But the moment the ascent began, it was time to focus again on my breathing. It took us approximately 5 hours to complete the Fuego Volcano portion of the tour.

When we arrived at the base camp, we were served pasta for dinner. I had hoped to eat with everyone else and stay up to celebrate, but my stomach felt uneasy, so I went straight to sleep in the cabin. An hour later, a sudden urge to vomit woke me up, and after that, I felt better.

The Next Day

The following morning, I was greeted by a bright sunrise above the clouds. The tour guides served us slices of sweet bread with jelly and coffee for breakfast.

Then it was time to grab our stuff and make our way back to the starting point.

Navigating through the many slippery downhill sections made it essential to wear hiking shoes.

Some of us challenged ourselves to run down the last portion to the end, and cheered at everyone else who came after.

Conclusion

There was technically a third part of the tour, which involved hiking to the summit to see the crater at sunrise. Only one person in our group decided to go. The rest of us had had enough with hiking to Fuego after reaching the base camp.

I think most people should choose between hiking to Fuego on the same day or waking up early to see Acatenango’s crater. Doing everything requires sufficient preparation.

My recommendation for this adventure is the following:

• Bring or rent all equipment necessary, including trekking poles and hiking shoes.
• Do some physical training in preparation.
• Take altitude acclimation tablets.
• Bring plenty of snacks and cash to buy more water if needed.
• Assess yourself at the base camp to determine your readiness to hike an additional five hours for the Fuego volcano portion.
• Bring warm clothes for nighttime, as it gets very cold, which can make it harder to sleep.

The same day we returned, some of us gathered at night to make a final toast for the fun, challenging, and rewarding hike we had just completed. And while I did not witness a spectacular Fuego volcano eruption, I was grateful to have experienced such a journey with a fantastic group of travelers.