Volcano hikes around Antigua, Lake atitlan and Xela

I hope that also once i get there i'll find good offers to do the treks, aswell as other people to join us. I can't wait!
By the way, how cold does it get in Tajamulco? Like between 0-5 degrees?

I believe you are going soon ? End of October-November ? That is still low season so less people. I would contact OX or Old Town Outfitters in Antigua now. I think OX is doing Acatenango overnight on Wednesdays. If you want to go for Acatenango with Fuego I don't think they will do that weekly but if they already have two people wanting to go they will look for two more. In Xela you will have less of a problem as for example Kaqchikel Tours would do the treks for just the two of us. And yes, try to talk to others as soon as you arrive in Antigua and Xela.

We were in Xela several times and climbed Santa Maria 3 times, Tajumulco once. Once at the end of November we had frost in the morning in Xela before we started to climb Santa Maria. It gets very cold on top of Tajumulco. The temperature can drop below freezing. The tents and sleeping bags were not as warm as we would have liked! It was a very cold night and we did not get much sleep. But it was colder on top of Acatenango! There was frost on the tent in the morning. We had the most miserable night on top of Acatenango (and OX had even given us winter coats) but also the most exciting one. It depends were they camp (when it is too windy they can't camp on top). We did camp on top. And it became very windy, flattening the tents. We could not sleep at all. In the middle of the night we got up and walked to where we could see Fuego. We saw Fuego erupt and we saw lava!

With my 10 year old daughter last winter we climbed the volcanoes Pacaya (summit area closed), Acatenango, San Pedro, Santa María, Concepción, Tajumulco, and Chicabal.

Here is a trip report if you are interested:

http://www.summitpost.org/father-and-daughter-adventures-in-central-america/927650

Since it was only my ten year old daughter and I, we did take local guides, but on some of them you really don't need to.

I'd say that a guide is a really good idea on Acatenango since there have been periodic robberies in some years (don't let it scare you, but it is a good idea to have a police escort). I'd definitely suggest an overnight trip. Do take a guide up Fuego, if you are willing to take the risk of climbing it (when we there there it was throwing out all kinds of fire bombs). Pacaya is doable without a guide (this wasn't true in the past, but now it's patrolled by tourist police), though when we were there the summit area was closed. San Pedro is as well, as long as you take a taxi to the correct trailhead. For Santa Maria, it is a good idea to have a guide. Chiciabal is very doable without a guide, but if you are using buses, it's a pretty long walk.

As long as you have a map and know how to use it, and you are an experienced hiker, Tajumulco is certainly doable without a guide. Just be sure to get let off by the bus at the correct location. There are multiple trails lower down, but you can see the mountain from most of the route, as long as the weather is reasonable. I also climbed in around New Years 1993 (guideless), but the trail is much better now. I also climbed Tacaná in January 1993 without a guide, but now days it is recommended that you take one since the peak is right on the border with Mexico and the locals may or not be friendly people travelling without locals.

This topic has been automatically locked due to inactivity. Email community@lonelyplanet.com if you would like to add to this topic and we'll unlock it for you.