Acatenango Guatemala, Central Highlands

Fuego activity & safety
Fuego is famous for being active almost constantly. Small eruptions occur frequently, usually several times an hour, and they are especially beautiful to watch from a safe distance in your tent at night. Getting up close with these natural forces and hearing the mighty roar of the eruptions will surely be one of the highlights of your trip to Guatemala.

Difficulty of the hike
The hike itself has a total distance of about 18 km (round trip) and is easy in terms of technical difficulty. However, it is a strenuous and steady climb uphill for about 5 to 7 hours, so you need to be decently fit and stay mentally positive. Near the top, you will likely experience some of the effects of high altitude like fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, or a headache.

Description of the journey
Hiking Acatenango is usually a two-day trip that starts in Antigua. You will be picked up at your accommodation on the morning of day 1, get all your equipment for the hike, and drive about an hour to La Soledad, where the trail starts. On the way up to the summit, you will traverse four different ecosystems. The first hour and a half leads you through farmland. This part of the hike is often described as the toughest, as you walk on loose sand and in full sun. From there, the trail transitions into a tropical cloud forest, that provides shade and some nice flora to look at. Here, you will also have lunch. The last part of the day takes you through a high alpine forest dominated by pine trees. This part of the climb is the easiest and already offers some nice views of the Antigua valley below. You'll arrive at the camp base in the late afternoon of the first day, where you'll have a campfire and dinner.
Day two of the trek starts with an early wake-up call at around 3 am. The ascent to the summit takes another 90 minutes and is often perceived as the hardest part of the whole tour. It is like walking up a sand dune: for every step that you put forward you will slide three back. The reward once you arrive at the top, however, is incredible 360-degree views of the surrounding volcanoes, the clouds, and the sunrise. After about half an hour at the top (it is freezing cold), you will slide down the slopes of the volcano back to the basecamp. After a short breakfast you'll start the descent, which takes about 3 hours. You will be back in Antigua by early afternoon.

Where and when to book
Although in theory it is possible to climb Acatenango without a tour company, we strongly advise against it. There have been fatal incidents in the past because hikers were ill-prepared for the climb and the temperatures at the top. There are plenty of tour companies to choose from in and around Antigua. Just make sure to pick a responsible one (like Soy Tours) that keeps the volcano clean and gives back to the local communities around the volcano. Tours run daily, so it is usually sufficient to save your spot a few days in advance.