Written by: Mackenzie Champagne
Today began bright and early at 4:00 AM, when we packed our bags and began preparing for the grueling day ahead. I won’t lie—I had a serious case of altitude sickness, which made the early hours a bit more challenging than I would’ve liked. I hoped it would pass as the day went on, but I could feel the lingering effects as I tried to shake off the discomfort. We were preparing to summit Acatenango. At that point, we were already at an altitude of 12,300 feet, with about 1,000 feet still to climb. The air felt thin, and I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy journey.
From the very start, it was clear that today’s climb would be far more challenging than yesterday’s. The incline was steep, and unlike the day before, there was little relief from the upward grind. It felt like we were climbing almost straight up the entire way. There were hundreds of other climbers making the same journey, and it was humbling to see so many people pushing themselves just as we were. But despite the difficulty, I reminded myself that the reward—the view from the top—would make it all worth it.
As we made our way up, I focused on the beauty around me, trying to block out the altitude sickness and the exhaustion in my legs. The air was crisp, the landscape breathtaking. With each step, I imagined what it would feel like to reach the summit. I thought about the eruption we had witnessed the night before—the rumbling, the glowing lava, the power of nature—and it filled me with a sense of awe. That was an experience I would never forget, and the thought of it helped push me through the hardest moments of the climb.
After an hour of steady ascent, we finally reached the summit. The view was, without exaggeration, the most remarkable I had ever seen. We were on top of the world, surrounded by clouds, with a panoramic view of the surrounding volcanoes and valleys. It was an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment, especially considering the difficulty of the climb. The scenery was something out of a dream, with volcanic peaks in every direction and the remnants of the morning mist still hanging in the air. I stood there for a moment, taking it all in, and tried to absorb the beauty of the landscape. But even with that incredible view, I couldn’t help but feel relief that we had made it.
The descent down of the volcano, however, was another challenge altogether. Though the way down was physically easier than the climb up, it was still grueling in its own way. The steepness of the trail made it difficult to keep my footing, and the rocky path seemed determined to trip me up at every turn. But by now, the sense of camaraderie and shared experience with my peers helped make it more bearable. I listened to music and chatted with some of my friends, turning the descent into a mental game of trying to find the most stable path down. It was surprisingly fun in a way, trying to predict where the next step might be shaky and where I could make a smooth descent.
We didn’t take many breaks, and the trail quickly became a blur of trees, rocks, and dirt. As we moved through the rainforest part of the hike, the air smelled rich with wet dirt and vegetation. They had intentionally wet the ground to create more friction and prevent us from slipping, but I couldn’t help but notice how different the scent of the forest was from the dry, arid air at the top of the mountain. It was refreshing, and I felt myself becoming more aware of my surroundings as the hike wore on.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity but was probably a few hours, we reached the base of the volcano. We were sweaty, dirty, and exhausted, but there was a sense of relief in knowing we were done with the hardest part. We piled into the van, our bodies sore and tired, but our minds racing with the experience we had just gone through. There was a quiet comfort in the familiarity of the van ride, knowing that we were heading back to the hostel.
Once we returned to the hostel, our instructors were waiting for us, eager to hear about our adventure. We all had the same tired but contented faces, and we shared that it had truly been an intriguing and beautiful experience. We recounted bits and pieces of the hike, but honestly, words couldn’t fully capture the enormity of what we had just accomplished. We discussed dinner plans and then went our separate ways to clean up and unwind.
Later in the evening, we gathered on the rooftop for a well-deserved pizza dinner. The warm, comforting aroma of pizza was the perfect antidote to the long, physically demanding day we had endured. The rooftop was peaceful. It felt like the perfect way to wind down after everything we had just been through.
As we ate, we discussed our work assignments for the following day, making plans and prepping ourselves mentally for what was next. The atmosphere was relaxed, and we enjoyed the chance to sit back, laugh, and reflect on the past few days. It had been a long journey, but it had also been a profoundly rewarding one. We had all pushed ourselves to new limits and discovered the true meaning of perseverance along the way.