Acatenango & Fuego Vulkan (Guatemala)

We took the 'Chickenbus' (typical means of transportation in Guatemala) to Antigua. The bus ride itself was already an adventure. You simply hop on the nearest bus and hope you get closer to the destination. Along the way, you have to change buses.

After a wild ride, we arrived safely in Antigua, a small town near the volcanoes. From there, we were picked up the next day and driven to the base of Acatenango, where our tour started.

The climb to the camp (3700m) led us through a cloud forest, and after 4.5 hours, we reached the camp. From there, we had a great view of the Fuego volcano.

After a 1-hour break, we continued for another 2.5 hours to reach Fuego directly. At the top of the volcano's ridge, we were only 1km away from the active crater. The wind was so strong that we had to hold on to the ground to not lose our grip. From there, however, we had a spectacular view of the sunset and the glowing lava. We were able to witness the breathtaking eruptions and the raw power up close.

On the way back, our strength slowly faded, which made the hike back to the camp in complete darkness a bit more difficult. Upon our return, dinner and a hot chocolate awaited us to warm up.

After a short night, we started the ascent to the summit of Acatenango at 4 o'clock in the morning. At an altitude of nearly 4,000m, we watched the sunrise above the clouds.

We fortified ourselves with breakfast before starting the long descent.

It was an unforgettable experience to be so close to an active volcano.