Fuego, Fuego!

This morning I woke up to the bashing of wind against my tent, sleepy above the clouds, breathless at 13 000 foot. This morning I woke up on Volcán Acatenango, Central America’s third highest volcano. I’m definitely an adventure seeker, but Acatenango was a unique journey that swept me off my feet (literally…about 12 times…hiking on volcanic ash is deviously slippery and crumbly). The hike started on Saturday morning at about 11am. Pumped, super stoked and as mentally prepared as I could be, we (my Actuality Media crew peeps) began our ascent. Striding with the confidence of a South African who can handle heat, flies, mosquitoes and really any obstacle, I found myself beginning to understand gravity, mass and oxygen in a completely new way, and I began to walk in slow motion. I felt every kilogram of water on my back, every potato chip snack, and the weight of my thick socks and extra warm pants for the supposedly ‘cold’ weather conditions on top.

The jungle was lush, verdant and packed with every kind of saturated green – from army khaki to sour verde apples, the jungle exploded with colour and energy. After 5 hours of brutal inclines, crumbly volcanic ash, and my slow-mo walk (which involved 1 minute of walking, and 15 seconds of catching my breath as I got used to less and less oxygen) we finally entered the cool and moist cloud forest. Suddenly it was an entirely new hike with new views as we dipped and weaved, up and down, along a narrow path through the cloud. After two hours I began to fantasize that Snow White would appear and take us to her home with her seven amigos… but before I could give up, resolute shouts erupted and I stumbled up the last stretch to gaze my first close-up view of Volcán Fuego (which stands opposite Acatenango).

Supermodel Guatemalan hiking horses (just look at those blue eyes!).

I felt like Friedrich’s Wander Above the Sea of Fog and began losing and oozing into the sea of clouds, and Fuego’s gorgeous surface, a combination of dry black ash and seeping scorched wounds. After setting up camp, we feasted on two-minute noodles and hot chocolate around the fire and bundled ourselves in beanies, down jackets, and that extra pair of thick socks. We giggled, nibbled, and finally took shelter in our 4-man tent which became a 4-way-chain-gang-spooning-zone. The warnings of the cold were no joke, and we found solace in our down jackets, the warmth of human breath, and body heat. I had very little sleep, but dozed on happy waves of pride that I had managed such a climb. This feeling of ecstasy lasted until 3 minutes into the next day’s descent… the climb down was going to be just as tough.

Breath-taking views of Volcán Fuego from Volcán Acatenango.

Obligatory victory volcano selfie.

Although increasing oxygen, and gravity was now on my side, my knees and ankles were not… I discovered a few techniques to lighten the load of what felt like my enormous body. Number one, bend those knees – you look like grandma, but seriously, grandma can be sexy too. Number two, walk like a crab, yes, sideways. Number three, make sure you have a Moses stick as a crutch, indeed, my thumb is full of blisters, but that stick was the best 5 Quezales (about R10) I ever spent! Number four, when in doubt, drop it low and bum-slide. My pants got dirty, my shoes full of rocks, but a pre-emptive bum-slide was far more dignified than a woopsy-tumble-down (although, those are inevitable too!).

Anyways! We all survived, and are now ready (and slightly broken) for this coming week. Last week was Research Week and we got to meet some key individuals and amazing characters at EcoFiltro. My team will be doing a ten-minute documentary on EcoFiltro, which is a Guatemalan social business that creates incredible natural water filters (made from clay, charcoal and sawdust). These filters are saving the lives of thousands of Guatemalans; specifically school children who need clean water so that they can perform properly at school.

EcoFiltro's filters are works of art!

The EcoFiltro team is a tight-knit community, and work together more like a family, than like conventional co-workers. We cannot wait to get planning this week for our documentary, and next week to begin shooting! So much to do in so little time!

Well, with that said, it’s time for post-volcanic blissful slumber.

Nos vemos!