Climbing the cone. Part 1

In a land filled with no less than 35 volcanoes, climbing up one, is far from unusual. In fact it might be one of the more touristy things we’ve done. For starters it was cheap, the whole thing guide, shuttle, entrance fee was just around 9 dollars a head, if you have a good. cheap Spanish speaking bargainer that is, which actually almost describes me perfectly (the Spanish gets a little rural at times). After receiving the very cheap (I’m assured begrudgingly) special amiga + estudiante price of $35 quetzales (the exchange rate is 8.2 Q to $1 US dollar) plus the park fee of 40 quetzales we’re all set. No waivers, no warning, nada. Oh, and a warning to buy two flashlights and some marshmallows if we want. Okay...

The next thing I now we’re off. Crammed into another shuttle van with our backpacks stuffed into our laps with 11 other tourists. The 13 of us had no idea what we had gotten ourselves into, but then again, neither did the multiple other vans of tourists from other companies (who I assume did not get the special amiga + estudiante price). Even the 2 girls who had hiked the San Juan Volcano in the Lago de Atilan area, remarked how different the 2 experiences were. And what an experience we had...

After a 2 hour drive from Antigua, skirting the outskirts of Guatemala City, we arrived at the town of San Francisco Sales. Here surrounding the Volcan Pacaya, we were met by a tienda with last minute supplies and a swarm of town children hawking marshmallows, twice the price of course, and more necessary, walking sticks. “Es necesario, “ they assured us with somber faces, in both Spanish and English fighting each other for the sales. Even the littlest one had a stick to sell, launching at anyone who had two empty hands. I politely declined. Necessary, I decided was a word used too lightly by vendors in Guatemala. More importantly, it was here where we met our guide, Carlos, and became Los Dragones. Dragons, he explained, was our group name and it was very important to stay together as a pack using our name, lest we becomes hostages in another group to another guide. Aye, Aye Capitán.

I’m not going to be modest, I’m out of shape, I spent my winter break ignoring the whole concept of exercise. Hiking straight up a volcano sans stick in long pants with a heavy backpack (how do they always get so heavy?!) was going to be what I will politely term “interesting”. I felt reassured by Carlos though, he was a small guy, skinny in a sweatshirt and jeans, I have no idea how old he was but he looked 17. He was a great guide; patient, nice, good at his job and no doubt much older, but he looked 17. But if I was anxious about the 4 hour hike both ways, at least I was willing to do it on foot. For everyone else, there were “taxis” exhausted guide horses and their owner who offered to shuttle people up for 100 Q most of the way, one way, a small fortune in Guatemala if used both ways. After 10 minutes of walking, 7 member of our group were being taxied up, I for all my inactivity was fine, so far.

Cut to 40 minutes later, almost half way there, and the going is rough, it’s loose sand good for making your calf muscles quiver and it’s not straight up, but with steep winding cuts making the way longer, and an hour left to go I’m not sure which way I prefer. Our group is young, all college age kids and we’re moving fast with breaks every once and awhile. But the terrain is changing drastically, the trees are disappearing, there is no brush in sight and the dusty dirt path has turned into shards of porous black volcanic rock. At certain intervals Carlos will point out specific lava formations from a year ago, then 3 months ago, then 3 days ago, we’re getting close. We come to a ridge at the end of the winding path, and there it is, the mouth of the volcano. Okay, it’s still a way’s up but it’s the closet I’ve ever been to the mouth of a smoking volcano.

There was smoke coming out in copious amounts, thick plumes of it. The rest of the way ia straight up. Straight up on loose gravel, and freshly fallen lava chunks. The footing is not very secure, at regular intervals a small rock-slide would start, or some good size dried lava chunks would crash down. Carlos, assured us this was the toughest part and we were almost there. We didn’t need him to tell us we were close, I could feel heat radiating out of the rocks... The going was slow, each step had to be carefully tested to not create a mini avalanche, picking our way up like mountain goats through terrain so steep you could really only see the person and rocks in front of you. Luckily I was just behind Carlos who had the best footing and was not knocking stuff down my way. The next blast of heat was intense, uncomfortably hot—we had made it. Not to the mouth of the volcano of course, but to a point about 8 yards away from slowly flowing lava. The smell was worse than burning rubber, it took me only a second longer to realize it was the bottom of my shoes burning...

To be continued.