Volcán Tajumulco: El punto más alto

The last adventure to report was 2 weekends ago. Nicole, myself and some other friends in town, piled into a chicken bus (school bus decked out with metallic paint, bursting out the windows with local commuters) and rode to Xela to climb the tallest point in Central America, Volcán Tajumulco. The chicken bus transfers took me back to my bus commuting days in Kathmandu….the drivers leaning out the windows shouting their destination. You just hope that you read the lips of your driver correctly before piling into a 2 person seat, with somehow 5 people figured like a jigsaw puzzle…balancing on one another’s limbs and knees. It is truly a local experience! That night there was a pre-trip meeting in which group gear was randomly distributed.  Somehow I managed to get "stuck" with a six person tent, while the grown men in the group were assigned a bag of pasta or hot cocoa mix. But hey, what good is a 70 liter pack if it's not ripping at the seams!?  We woke up at 4 am Saturday morning to catch yet 3 more chicken busses with the guides and trekking group before reaching the trailhead of Tajumulco.

and off we go….

Cuidado con mi mochila! 

Tajumulco hidden in the clouds behind us 

at the trailhead 

We climbed and climbed, stopping every few hours for incredible Guatemalan spiced trail mix, and cracker snacks, provided to us by our amazing volunteer guides! After a few hours the views opened up and it truly felt like we were on top of the world. We camped close to the summit and played cards around the fire, sipping on hot cocoa, attempting to converse among the 4 languages represented (English, Spanish, French and Swedish). Ahhh there is just something so comforting about being huddled around a campfire with strangers, colder than all get out, but so content and satisfied to be in the company of new friends in such a peaceful place.

late night card tournament

The next morning we woke up at 3:30 to make the final ascent, just under 14,000 ft., to watch the sunrise from truly the tallest point in Central America. It was spectacular! Yes the coldest I have been in a long time, but we sat, bundled in our billion layers, watching the clouds literally roll before our eyes, changing from an ominous black of the night sky, to a vibrant orange and soft pink, revealing the blazing sun and a new day. The 45 minutes on the summit were some of the most spiritual, humbling AND freezing moments of my life.

watching the clouds drop into the abyss of Guate below

our Spanish friends bundled up in sleeping bags on the top

We made the final ascent, traversing the ridge of the volcano and made our way home back to Pana 3 chicken bus rides later….and that was just a weekend from work. I felt like I had been gone for a week!

I’m loving and appreciating the learning opportunities everyday in the classroom as well as the adventure and cultural experiences I gain by leaving town on the weekends. God is great, life is good, and Guatemala is full of color and beauty!