Chasing Volcanoes in Guatemala

This past week has been full of so many adventures! After our Volcan Pacaya hike last week, we stepped it up and climb Volcan Acatenango. This 8 hour hike took us up to an elevation of 11,480 feet (or 3500 meters). We felt like we were on top of the world. The best part? We were right next to the neighboring active volcano, Fuego. From our campsite, we watched as Fuego erupted every half hour. Fuego would alert us of an eruption with a sound similar to thunder, then a bright orange spray of rocks would shoot up out of its crater. It was incredible not only to watch, but to have a front row seat. All of us agreed that we never thought we would see something like that in our lifetime! It made us reflect on how lucky we are to be here and share this experience with each other.

The next day we actually hiked up part of Fuego, we stood on a ridge of an actively erupting volcano and could see our campsite across the valley. We took in the incredible view and headed back to camp where we relaxed and watched the sunset from around our fire. After a few rest days along with a coffee farm bike tour we left Antigua and arrived at Lake Atitlan. This beautiful lake is surrounded by tall mountains and volcanos, creating picturesque views. In these last four days, we completed 4 hikes in the Lake Atitlan area. These hikes took us through mountains, dense forest, sandy hillsides, and small local communities. One of our favorite memories from these hikes was camping in a small town and buying a ball. We played soccer for hours with the kids who came out to see is. It was so much fun!

As we have finished the hiking portion of our program, we have spent a lot of time reflecting on what we learned and gained from these challenging couple of weeks. Here are the insightful reflections from each student on their experience trekking through Guatemala:

Fleurie - “I thought about reaching the top while we were hiking, and how proud of myself I would be. Every time we reached the summit it was so worth it, just seeing the wonders of nature. I was really calm during those hikes and camping even though it was hard and exhausting. In my opinion, it makes you feel calm because you don’t really have time and energy to focus on insignificant things. The present is the only thing that matters.”

Chloe - “I learned that mental toughness is a real thing and that the people around you truly are your support system in challenging situations.”

Guy - “After this past week of hiking, I have come to realize how relaxing and calming it can be for the mind. While your body does the work, the mind is free to roam and explore itself, able to self-assess, wonder, and feel joyful meanwhile exploring a new environment.”

Spencer - “I have felt very good throughout all of our hikes. I am proud of myself for not giving up and pushing through my fatigue. I think that this past week or so of hiking and adventuring has been really really great. I have opened up to others about who I am and I’ve had some really cool moments."

Avery - “I learned that the most meaningful and memorable experiences in life are the ones that push you outside of your comfort zone, physically and mentally. You can better appreciate the view or success at the end and be around of yourself for overcoming a challenge. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

Alvaro - “I was really present, noticing my breath, the sounds, the environment, and keeping calm”

Jasmine - “I had the mindset that I couldn’t do it when I became tired and anxious, so this part of the trip taught me to be more perseverant and to believe in myself. I think people can really doubt how strong they truly are so these days pushed me to believe in myself.”

Kat - “Hiking was a big struggle for me at first. However, as we went, I ended up using mental toughness and perseverance to get through it all. It was a good lesson in using mind over matter and I’m grateful for the experience."

Jake - “I gained the ability to use my thoughts and breathing exercises to get my mind off the physical aspect of the hike when it got tiring or I had negative thoughts”

Josh - “I just told myself I CAN DO THIS!”

Gus - “I had some amazing conversations with one of our guides, Diego. He lived such a hard life and is still able to smile every second. That smile is contagious and really inspirational. He inspired me to be more like that”