Thank you so much for the wonderful gift that you gave me, you know it was gratefully recieved. Unfortunately it did not survive the 60KM winds and driving rain at the top of the highest peak in Central America, Volcan Tajumulco 4220 meters. Love to you and Helen x
A very sad Sara with what is left of her poncho. It blew away in strips at the top of the Volcano. I didn´t even realise until i got down. It is likely that the rest of it was blown into Mexico!.
SO..... Quetzaltenago, also know as Xela. This is the second largest city in Guatemala. There was plenty going on here and it was noticibly more advanced. There was no shortage of shops selling flat screen TVs, cameras, white goods and motorbikes.
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I came here to climb Volcan Tajumulco. I love a challenge and this really pushed me. It has pushed me to the point that i am questioning if i have reached my limit on height or if i go for the 7000m mountains in South America. I will certainly have to do a lot of fitness between now and then, sitting on 14 hour bus journeys, with bread and crisp, has not done me many favours.
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I chose to do the hike with Quetzaltrekkers http://www.quetzaltrekkers.com/guathome.html, a non profit organisation, who set up schools and accomodation for orphaned children or isolated villiages with no schools. They were all volunteers and really made it a very special 48 hours. We met the day before to get allocated with supplies. Yes, believe it people, i had to carry my own backpack. We carried all out own kit, food, tents, pots, gas etc and not a porter in sight.
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We were a group of 22 including a seven year old, the only thing you need to know about Emerson is that Quetzaltrekkers will not be taking small children on the tour again. I am not quite sure why that is but it could be one of many reasons, everyone else carried his allocation of supplies, threw his backpack back down the hill to highlight that he had had enough with 600 meters still to go, screamed blue murder most of the night when we had a 3am start to the summit. I just can´work out which one it is. We all blamed the mother, but that didn´t make us warm to him any more.
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Anyway, it was a beautiful hike up. I was very tired from travelling and the altitude did have a bit of an effect on me. I was slower than i would have liked and was breathing like i smoked 60 cigarretes. Here are the photos, i am really pleased with them, enjoy......
The view back down the Volcano, from about 3500 meters. The trees are all dead thanks to a Japanese Beetle that injects them with saliva and kills them.
Sara, Josephine, Shelly and Saskya taking it easty at about 3800 meters.
Josephine, Sara and Alicia feeling very happy that we got our tent up just before the rain started, it poured down all night. We had 8 girls crammed into this 6 person tent, by choice in an attempt to increase the temperature by body heat.
After a 3am start here i am at the top. It rained the whole way as we scrambled on our hands and knees. My poncho is still in tack at this point and believe me i needed it. The winds were approx 60km per hour and blew straight through me.
It was not very clear at the top but there were a few breaks in the cloud. You could see other volcanos for miles, the ones in the far distance are in Mexico.
I am not sure if this is out of focus or if the wind is just so strong that you can see be blown, either way it was nasty up there.
A break in the clouds. Volcan Tacana and the Mexican border.
On the way back down, i was starting to get the feeling in my fingers back. The cloud had started to clear and the views were incredible.
Tajumulco is no longer active. This is the crater.
In the distance we watched Volcan Santiaguito and Volcan Fuego erupt as we look across the volcano chain of Guatemala. You can just see the puff of smoke. This is my favorite picture.
It was pretty special.
On the way down. Not a great photo but they only one that proves that i carried my own rucksack! .
I can´t tell you how pleased i was with myself. It really has been a great few days. After sitting around the lake doing very little it was nice to get the muscles moving.
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I met up with Jo again and we went out for thai food and a good catch up. Next day back to Antigua to climb Pocaya, an active Volcano. If i make it back down there will be another post very very soon!
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Honduras is next on the menu but it has been delayed because i forgot to take my Malaria tablets, doh!
Much Love
me
x
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