The Acatenango trek is basically the climb up the current dormant Acatenango volcano that overlooks the active Volcan de Fuego (fuego=fire in Spanish).
Fugo is very active with an impressive show of “moderate” eruption’s every 15-20 minutes, every few years there’s a big eruption that does some big damage… the last big eruption that harmed people was in June 2018 and the area suffered much damage and sadly lives where lost… since then people are back up there hiking as usual.
My experience
We woke up early in the morning, the minivan was already waiting outside and drove us to the starting point of our hike. I recommend Renting a good pro walking stick for the hike, once you are there you can rent a basic wooden stick from the locals- that is better than nothing at all.
After a few hours of climbing, we reached the campsite and started preparing for the cold night, we lit up a bonfire so we can cook dinner and keep warm during the night when we watch the view we came for – the Fuego volcano lava eruptions. Wow wow and wow again! nature is so powerful!!! at 3am we continued the climb to the top of the mountain to watch the view at sunrise and then went all the way down the mountain back to the minivan. When we got to the hostel we were desperate for the warm shower that we craved for after the freezing night we had.
This trek is not for everyone, my friend had it really hard and found it difficult to breathe while I was feeling great. it’s definitely a relatively high level of difficulty in a short time compared to other tracks in America. our bodies were exhausted but it was worth it!
How to get there
1. organized trek via Travel companies or hostels
2. Independently- Pack your hiking gear food and water on your back, get to the Acatenango by bus\taxi and pay a small entrance fee.
keep in mind that the organized trekking is very comfortable, accompanied usually with locals that know every inch of the mountain… so if you’re not used to trekking around or simply want to enjoy yourself without the worry of logistics and direction- it’s the best choice for you.
We made arrangements through Wicho & Charlie’s Hostel and enjoyed their service-ready meals, camp and guide and the fact they offered to save our beds without paying for the night was definitely a plus. Many people recommended us to go via Tropicana Hostel, they offer something similar to Wicho’s and from the photos, it seems the view from their camp is better- so wherever you book from ask about the location of the night camp.
Before going, check the weather conditions!, I heard about people who went all the way up and due to bad weather conditions couldn’t see a thing or worse- got into very dangerous situations.
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