"Moy-bluddy-bweeno"

Us at the top wanting to kill the guide for getting us to look into the wind
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Aca-fucking-tenango!!!!!

What is Acatenango????  Well imagine hell... then... imagine antartica... then imagine being at the complete end of your physical endurance... then imagine being at the complete end of your mental endurance aswell... and you are probably about half way up Acatenango.

Aca-fucking-tenango!!!!!

Ok but really Acatenango is the 3rd largest volcano in Guatemala, just under 4000m. (I think Mt cook is about 3800).

All the group up a tree in the cloud forest, about 1/8th the way up the volcano.
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There are 4 volcanoes surrounding antigua.

Volcan Agua is a big pointy hill that looms over the town, and no one climbs it cos its just a big pointy hill. Volcan Fuego is another big pointy hill a little bit further away that constantly spews a fountain of lava and ash and crap from its top, and no one climbs it cos it sprays a fountain of hot lava and ash. Volcan Pacaya is a slightly less pointy hill that has constant rivers of lava melting down its side like a vegemite and cheese sandwhich that you have put too much cheese on. Everyone climbs volcan pacaya cos its not too big, and relatively safe, and you get to see the cheesey lava flowing down the side of the mountain and poke at it with sticks. The last volcano is Atatenango. It 4000m high, the 3rd largest volcano in Central America, from the top you can watch volcan fuego spew its lava and ash, you can watch volcan pacayas rivers of lava, you can see sleepy little Antigua lying trustingly below, you can see the pacific 100s of km away, you can even see mexico, honduras, belize... Not many climb Acatenango because its 4000m high, and takes about 7 hours to get to the top, which is often racked by lightening storms overnight.

The top of the volcano from safe camp. It was before the rain and fog.
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A couple of nights ago we camped on Acatenango. We started walking at about 8am on Sat, and the guide told us that the first 30mins would be the worst. How I wish that was true!!! The first hour or so was straight uphill through corn fields and farmland... then the next 2 hours were directly uphill through cloud forest, then we stopped for lunch for 45mins. then the next four hours were directly uphill though a forest that was all burnt trees that had been hit by lightning. We finally made safe camp about 200m below the summit at about 3:30. The walk up was s hard... I just cant explain how physically gruelling it was... I was at the complete end of physical limits. Walking a altitude, up hill the whole way, not even any flat bits, and it was steep. We had full packs on our back, so needless to say it was good to get to safe camp. We were rewarded that evening with the most amazing sun set that I have ever seen in my life. It lasted an hour, and we could see for miles... We were above most of the clouds so it felt like we were in heaven... After pitching the tents and putting our bags under a tarp, we had a great curry dinner, some red wine, and the highlight of the trip... peanut butter oreos... The next morning we woke up at 5:30 to a bitter cold wind and rain and trekked the rest of the way to the top of the volcano. It took us an hour walking in scoria on the edges of cliff in -10 degree with no gloves to get to the top. It was painful. The whole way the visibility was about 5m infront of you. It was like those documentaries of people in Antartica that you see on TV... where there are a group of people with all their colthes of peeking out of a small hole in their hoods walking in the blasting wind with sticks... that was us. We stayed ontop for all of about 2 minutes. Long enough for the guide to take a photo of us glaring at him, wishing to push him off the cliff for getting us up at 5:30 for this!!!! It was so windy, the guide got lost on the way back down to safe camp, and so cold that shaun got mild hypothermia. Needless to say we were happy to be going downhill finally. When we packed up camp, and walked 20mins in the gruelling wind again... the guide told us we were going to run down the hill so so we would warm up. At this stage my feet were numb from my ankle down, and there was no way I could run when my feet wouldnt move... somehow I managed it! We stopped basically once on the way down...it took 3 hours, and we ran most of the way. By the time we got near the bottom, the muscles in my hips had ceized up and the only way I could put one foot infront of the other was to swing my whole hip round and jam my knee so that my leg was straight. It was in tears I was so exhauseted. Our toes were pushing up against the ends of our shoes, and as it was just down the whole way, our toes were aching. A british guy we were with had bleeding blisters all over his feet when he took his shoes off. I have blood blisters underneath my two big toenails, I think I will lose those toenails. We were cursing the tour guides when we got back... but it was all in fun.

Part of the Sunset view from safe camp
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My muscles have finally stopped aching. I can walk on curbs now and not dread having to get down off it. But to be honest. As gruelling as it was, and as much as I am complaining. It was the best thing that I have ever done in my life. It was really a life changing experiance. I think the trek really was 80% mental... 20% physical!!! Something like that really makes you realise what you are actually capable of. It has really broaderned my horizons. Sounds cheesy, but you really are capable of doing anything you want. So yeah... Thats Acatenango. Literally in Mayan "the place of nothing"

Us almost at the top of the mountain, Im taking the photo... That is rain and cloud infront of the lens.
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PS - the trip was also made more fun by the fact that we had two of the loudest australians in the world with us, who coined the term "moy bluddy bweeno" and "por fa-fuckn-vor" of corse meaning in Aussie "right on cobba/mate" and "oh cheers mate"

Peace out all

Dont read the rest its just repeated so I can fit the photos on

Aca-fucking-tenango!!!!!

Matrins (the britsh guy)feet after thye trek
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What is Acatenango????  Well imagine hell... then... imagine antartica... then imagine being at the complete end of your physical endurance... then imagine being at the complete end of your mental endurance aswell... and you are probably about half way up Acatenango.

Ok but really Acatenango is the 3rd largest volcano in Guatemala, just under 4000m. (I think Mt cook is about 3800).

There are 4 volcanoes surrounding antigua.

Volcan Agua is a big pointy hill that looms over the town, and no one climbs it cos its just a big pointy hill. Volcan Fuego is another big pointy hill a little bit further away that constantly spews a fountain of lava and ash and crap from its top, and no one climbs it cos it sprays a fountain of hot lava and ash. Volcan Pacaya is a slightly less pointy hill that has constant rivers of lava melting down its side like a vegemite and cheese sandwhich that you have put too much cheese on. Everyone climbs volcan pacaya cos its not too big, and relatively safe, and you get to see the cheesey lava flowing down the side of the mountain and poke at it with sticks. The last volcano is Atatenango. It 4000m high, the 3rd largest volcano in Central America, from the top you can watch volcan fuego spew its lava and ash, you can watch volcan pacayas rivers of lava, you can see sleepy little Antigua lying trustingly below, you can see the pacific 100s of km away, you can even see mexico, honduras, belize... Not many climb Acatenango because its 4000m high, and takes about 7 hours to get to the top, which is often racked by lightening storms overnight.

Us at the end.
see all photos »

A couple of nights ago we camped on Acatenango. We started walking at about 8am on Sat, and the guide told us that the first 30mins would be the worst. How I wish that was true!!! The first hour or so was straight uphill through corn fields and farmland... then the next 2 hours were directly uphill through cloud forest, then we stopped for lunch for 45mins. then the next four hours were directly uphill though a forest that was all burnt trees that had been hit by lightning. We finally made safe camp about 200m below the summit at about 3:30. The walk up was s hard... I just cant explain how physically gruelling it was... I was at the complete end of physical limits. Walking a altitude, up hill the whole way, not even any flat bits, and it was steep. We had full packs on our back, so needless to say it was good to get to safe camp. We were rewarded that evening with the most amazing sun set that I have ever seen in my life. It lasted an hour, and we could see for miles... We were above most of the clouds so it felt like we were in heaven... After pitching the tents and putting our bags under a tarp, we had a great curry dinner, some red wine, and the highlight of the trip... peanut butter oreos... The next morning we woke up at 5:30 to a bitter cold wind and rain and trekked the rest of the way to the top of the volcano. It took us an hour walking in scoria on the edges of cliff in -10 degree with no gloves to get to the top. It was painful. The whole way the visibility was about 5m infront of you. It was like those documentaries of people in Antartica that you see on TV... where there are a group of people with all their colthes of peeking out of a small hole in their hoods walking in the blasting wind with sticks... that was us. We stayed ontop for all of about 2 minutes. Long enough for the guide to take a photo of us glaring at him, wishing to push him off the cliff for getting us up at 5:30 for this!!!! It was so windy, the guide got lost on the way back down to safe camp, and so cold that shaun got mild hypothermia. Needless to say we were happy to be going downhill finally. When we packed up camp, and walked 20mins in the gruelling wind again... the guide told us we were going to run down the hill so so we would warm up. At this stage my feet were numb from my ankle down, and there was no way I could run when my feet wouldnt move... somehow I managed it! We stopped basically once on the way down...it took 3 hours, and we ran most of the way. By the time we got near the bottom, the muscles in my hips had ceized up and the only way I could put one foot infront of the other was to swing my whole hip round and jam my knee so that my leg was straight. It was in tears I was so exhauseted. Our toes were pushing up against the ends of our shoes, and as it was just down the whole way, our toes were aching. A british guy we were with had bleeding blisters all over his feet when he took his shoes off. I have blood blisters underneath my two big toenails, I think I will lose those toenails. We were cursing the tour guides when we got back... but it was all in fun.

My muscles have finally stopped aching. I can walk on curbs now and not dread having to get down off it. But to be honest. As gruelling as it was, and as much as I am complaining. It was the best thing that I have ever done in my life. It was really a life changing experiance. I think the trek really was 80% mental... 20% physical!!! Something like that really makes you realise what you are actually capable of. It has really broaderned my horizons. Sounds cheesy, but you really are capable of doing anything you want. So yeah... Thats Acatenango. Literally in Mayan "the place of nothing"

PS - the trip was also made more fun by the fact that we had two of the loudest australians in the world with us, who coined the term "moy bluddy bweeno" and "por fa-fuckn-vor" of corse meaning in Aussie "right on cobba/mate" and "oh cheers mate"

Peace out all

PS  - its now the 25th of Nov and my toenails have still not grown back... thanks aca-fucking-tenengo!!!!