Our trip to Volcan de Pacaya began at 7am this morning (Saturday, Dec 10) with a beautiful clear sky except for the volcano we were going to visit. This is a picture from the school we teach at, the Christian Academy of Guatemala. (Aaron stayed home with Lily to work on exams & take care of her...I love you, Honey...thanks for your sacrifice.)
A zoomed in view of where we were going.
After about an hour and 10 minutes of driving we arrived at our parking lot about half way up Pacaya. The road going there is highway until about the last 30 mins, then it is a decent 2 lane (watch the 3-foot wide potholes) and then it is a winding gravel, supposedly 2 way, road mostly going up for the last 15-20 mins. Talk about dusty! Then you end up here at the base of the hiking trail. Quite an adventure already!
Then you navigate through the horses and find a guide at the "visitor center" which is a covered pavilion with bathrooms (Yeah...even had toilet paper) and a lot of children clammering at you to see if you would like a walking stick (Best 80 cents I've ever spent!).
Then you start up the trail. There were about 30 guys at the bottom of the trail who try to get you to rent a horse to ride up and have quite a knack for it. These 2 followed us up the mountain, whistling while they rode (I'm sure just to show us how much easier it would be with horses) until they finally figured us gringos might just make it and headed back down for some other targets. We were sucking wind pretty bad the first very steep stretch but were as determined not to ride horses as they were to get us to ride them.
Part of our trip around the mountain was through this wooded area. Very steep but very Appalachia.
Except for the view...clearly Guatemalan. The mountain on the left is Volcan de Fuego (Fire Volcano) and on the right is Volcan de Agua (Water Volcano). The one in the middle I can't remember the name. We can see Agua from San Cristobal where we live.
About half way up was this little hut (not sure it's use). In the background you can see the lava flows (steam coming from the mountain) and the boulders bouncing down the mountain (dust trails made by their journey).
And then we walked into the lava flow (at least the older part). What a climb it was. But so dusty...we couldn't believe the dust! Below is a view of the lava actually flowing down the mountain (we walked to about 30 feet away from it...you can't do that in the US) and below that picture is a video of the lava flowing that we watched about 10-20 yards away. Very surreal and very cool (but the breeze blowing from the direction was very warm). It sounded like crackling and reminded me of those rainsticks where the little beads inside bounce down the spines inside. Amazing to witness the sights and sounds of an active volcano. Go God!
Then we turned around and looked over the valley and Fuego was en fuego (on fire...or at least smoking great puffs).
This is our rowdy bunch with the fresh lava in the back. From left to right...our guide, Ivan Ediger, Petra Wirrell, Dad, Caden, Charles Wirrell, Mom & Maya.
Maya climbing a volcano and loving it...What a view!
Here I'm trying to capture the terrain we were walking up. Each step was about one up and and half back down.
This is as far as Caden, Maya & I made it. Everyone else got a bit farther up the hill. But at this point it was about a 60 degree angle ascent, and the rocks had grown from pebble and gravel sized rocks to rocks the size of a football or greater...and very loose! You really wanted to be the first one up so you didn't have to dodge the boulders dislodged by those above you!
It was a beautiful day...we spent about an hour up there just taking in the scenery. You just never know what tomorrow may bring...especially with a live volcano!
On the way down we stopped at some amazing rock formations which cooled under ground slowly and then were un-earthed as the wind blew and ground shifted.
The Vanden Bosch/Klanderman crew, dusty but in awe of the amazing creation God made and he keeps making each day!
Our trip to Volcan de Pacaya began at 7am this morning (Saturday, Dec 10) with a beautiful clear sky except for the volcano we were going to visit. This is a picture from the school we teach at, the Christian Academy of Guatemala. (Aaron stayed home with Lily to work on exams & take care of her...I love you, Honey...thanks for your sacrifice.)
A zoomed in view of where we were going.
After about an hour and 10 minutes of driving we arrived at our parking lot about half way up Pacaya. The road going there is highway until about the last 30 mins, then it is a decent 2 lane (watch the 3-foot wide potholes) and then it is a winding gravel, supposedly 2 way, road mostly going up for the last 15-20 mins. Talk about dusty! Then you end up here at the base of the hiking trail. Quite an adventure already!
Then you navigate through the horses and find a guide at the "visitor center" which is a covered pavilion with bathrooms (Yeah...even had toilet paper) and a lot of children clammering at you to see if you would like a walking stick (Best 80 cents I've ever spent!).
Then you start up the trail. There were about 30 guys at the bottom of the trail who try to get you to rent a horse to ride up and have quite a knack for it. These 2 followed us up the mountain, whistling while they rode (I'm sure just to show us how much easier it would be with horses) until they finally figured us gringos might just make it and headed back down for some other targets. We were sucking wind pretty bad the first very steep stretch but were as determined not to ride horses as they were to get us to ride them.
Part of our trip around the mountain was through this wooded area. Very steep but very Appalachia.
Except for the view...clearly Guatemalan. The mountain on the left is Volcan de Fuego (Fire Volcano) and on the right is Volcan de Agua (Water Volcano). The one in the middle I can't remember the name. We can see Agua from San Cristobal where we live.
About half way up was this little hut (not sure it's use). In the background you can see the lava flows (steam coming from the mountain) and the boulders bouncing down the mountain (dust trails made by their journey).
And then we walked into the lava flow (at least the older part). What a climb it was. But so dusty...we couldn't believe the dust! Below is a view of the lava actually flowing down the mountain (we walked to about 30 feet away from it...you can't do that in the US) and below that picture is a video of the lava flowing that we watched about 10-20 yards away. Very surreal and very cool (but the breeze blowing from the direction was very warm). It sounded like crackling and reminded me of those rainsticks where the little beads inside bounce down the spines inside. Amazing to witness the sights and sounds of an active volcano. Go God!
Then we turned around and looked over the valley and Fuego was en fuego (on fire...or at least smoking great puffs).
This is our rowdy bunch with the fresh lava in the back. From left to right...our guide, Ivan Ediger, Petra Wirrell, Dad, Caden, Charles Wirrell, Mom & Maya. 
Maya climbing a volcano and loving it...What a view!
Here I'm trying to capture the terrain we were walking up. Each step was about one up and and half back down.
This is as far as Caden, Maya & I made it. Everyone else got a bit farther up the hill. But at this point it was about a 60 degree angle ascent, and the rocks had grown from pebble and gravel sized rocks to rocks the size of a football or greater...and very loose! You really wanted to be the first one up so you didn't have to dodge the boulders dislodged by those above you!
It was a beautiful day...we spent about an hour up there just taking in the scenery. You just never know what tomorrow may bring...especially with a live volcano!
On the way down we stopped at some amazing rock formations which cooled under ground slowly and then were un-earthed as the wind blew and ground shifted.
The Vanden Bosch/Klanderman crew, dusty but in awe of the amazing creation God made and he keeps making each day!
4 comments:
Oh so glad you have another camera!!!! Thanks for the pics. We miss you here at ORC!!!
Such great pictures!!! Sure have missed "seeing" you guys. I'm so proud of Caden and Maya and all of you for climbing like that! Sounds like you must have been very tired when you got back! What a workout! Keep making wonderful memories, and share some more with us. Have fun!!
Spectacular! I am amazed each time I visit your 'blog' and see what you've been up to. Way to get out there and explore and experience the territory - with the kids, too. They will have some unforgettable memories from this year and can only imagine how much you have all grown from the experiences. May God continue to bless your journey and keep you safe! I am going to print these and bring them to Grandma Rita today so she can get caught up with your doings! Again, Merry Christmas - I'm sending you an imaginary snowball! : - ) XOXO Aunt Jen P.S. Although spiders and I have a fearful existence of one another, your picture of the tarantula was...pretty?
hey Mr K,
How is Guatemala? Wisconsin is ok. How was Christmas? The pictures are awesome! It stinks that I'm still in elementary school because elementary goes up to sixth grade. when are you returning to Michigan? I can't wait to see you again! We came back to Michigan for New Years! Right now I'm at Ambers house! What is your new year resolution?
hope to see you soon!
Molly McKeever
Post a Comment