Day 3: Pacaya summit sunrise

I woke up at 4am to the flickering light of a headtorch and a gentle tapping on my tent. "Morning Amy, room service!" Diego whispered as he delivered a cup of ginger tea to my tent. Despite the winds and the plummeting temperatures I'd slept well but it was still a struggle to emerge from my tent. The plan was to climb in the dark with our headtorches to reach the summit in time to witness the sunrise at around 6am. Everyone shuffled around, attempting to organise gear in their weary states, managing to muster the energy to grumble morning or simply nod at each other.

We began the steady climb to the summit, Diego stayed at the back and a national park guide led from the front. Due to the dangerous nature of volcano hiking, the national parks often request you both have a permit and are taken up by an additional guide that will assess how far you should go. The cold air was refreshing and managed to pull me out of my sleepy state. The climb was moderately steep and slippy underfoot in parts as loose rocks that have been ejected from volcanic eruptions lined the route. I met a stray dog who lives in this area, relying on tourists and guides for food, he'd followed me the whole day and curled up outside my tent to sleep. He ran along side me, occasionally bounding ahead then looking back and waiting for me. After a 2 hour gradual climb we reached a plateau at around 2100m which is the safest height we were able to achieve, given the steam and clouds of dust that were emerging from the crater. I rested on the top and waited for the sunrise, the dog I had adopted sat next to me and watched too as I stroked his head.

From this height we were above the clouds, they drifted below, changing shape as the wind disturbed them. The sun rose from behind distant volcanic peaks and the Pacific Ocean calmly glistened in the distance. Fuego, a notorious active volcano, emitted clouds of ash and dust almost continuously. It was difficult to know where to look, with every angle offering incredible views, confirming the 4am start was well worth it. Diego danced around and gave me a high five saying, "one down, six to go!"

Following sunrise we headed back to camp where Beanie, our chef and assistant guide, prepared breakfast. The climb had really worked up an appetite so I was grateful for food to fuel me for the final descent. As we ate Diego explained that the way down is a route referred to as "the slide", due to the loose scree and volcano dust making it impossible to not slide down. He advised "dig your heels in and enjoy the ride!" He wasn't wrong, as you planted one foot it would simply slide down. Once you learn to trust yourself and be confident with the feeling of a slight loss of control, it was really fun and our quick pace meant we were back at the base in under an hour.

We loaded onto a mini bus ready for our transfer to Lake Atitlan, where the next volcanoes line the circumference of the lake. We stopped for lunch on route. The food in Guetemala is incredibly fresh, their climate and geographical position between two oceans means they are spoilt with fresh fruits, vegetables and fish. Talipia is a common fish in the area which I had with salad and potatoes, which was really tasty and a great way to refuel after the morning I'd had. We then took a boat across the lake where we arrived at our hotel to get some well earned rest before we tackle San Pedro volcano.