pacaya • 25 comments • Climbing a volcano and being within a few inches of streaming hot lava was a thrill. We arrived at Pacaya in the afternoon, not knowing what to expect. There was a violent eruption in 1965 and the lava has been flowing ever since. It has become quite the attraction and we were excited to take advantage of the opportunity. Some indicated that it was, at 8373 feet, a small volcano and therefore easy to climb. Others described the trek as difficult and dangerous. The shuttle pulled up to an area filled with children selling walking sticks. At 5 Quetzales, the walking sticks were a steal and proved to be incredibly useful. The beginning of the hike was scenic and green: Since we are both accustomed to the flatness of the prairies, pretty much anything is considered steep. That combined with the increase in altitude made it quite challenging for me. Alex had a much easier time and I felt like I was slowing him down so I hopped on a horse for a little bit: As the greenery started to disappear, the ascent became more treacherous. We walked through jagged volcanic rock and tried our best not to lose our footing. The higher we climbed, the foggier it got, and we felt as if we were going through clouds. Although the weather was warm in Antigua, it does get quite chilly the higher up you are on the volcano, so the hoodie and the zip-up in our backpack were a necessity. Suddenly, after about 30 minutes of cold winds and numb fingers, we felt a wall of thick, muggy, humid heat. Alex looked down and saw the lava flowing right under his foot. Seeing real live molten lava flowing just inches away from us was one of the most surreal experiences we've ever had. The wind was so strong that, at times, it would feel like it was going to burn you when it blew the heat your way. We were close enough to the lava that it could melt our shoes and no one seemed to be worried about safety. You would definitely not see this sort of thing happen in North America. We didn't even have to sign a waiver! It's a good thing no one fell in - that would have put a damper on the evening. Some guys in our group brought along hot dogs, buns, and mustard to make themselves a celebratory dinner for reaching the lava. Several of the dogs fell in before they were actually able to assemble one. Others were roasting marshmallows and were kind enough to share. We had to hop from one rock to another to get around to see the lava up close. Jumping, coupled with heavy winds and razor-edged surroundings made the conditions comically hazardous, but we made it! ... and just when we thought that the descent might be easier than getting up, the sun had set and we had to forge our way down through the darkness. Luckily, we had our headlamp and a flashlight, but I still fell and cut my hand on the sharp rocks. It was a rough day, but it was worth it for an experience that neither of us will forget any time soon. - Mina
