Hiking an Active Volcano, My Experience

I’ll say it upfront: this was hard. Possibly more mentally challenging than running a marathon, which is saying a lot. But it was also one of the most grounding, awe‑filled experiences of my life.

For 28 hours, I was completely unplugged from my phone. No scrolling, no checking the time, no documenting for anyone else. Just walking, breathing, and paying attention. It was refreshing in a way I didn’t realize I needed.

Three Climates, One Climb

From the very beginning, the hike felt surreal. As we gained elevation, the environment kept changing,three distinct climates shaped by drastic shifts in altitude. With each transition came different plants, different animals, and a quiet reminder of how powerful ecosystems really are.

The trail was long and relentlessly uphill, the terrain strenuous enough to demand full focus. Hours in, we rounded a corner and heard it: a loud BOOM, like thunder echoing through the mountains. Smoke rose into the sky, and there it was,an active volcano. 

Mind you, we weren’t even at basecamp yet. Seeing it from that distance lit a fire in everyone. Suddenly, the exhaustion felt secondary. We kept going.

Basecamp and the Push to Fuego

By the time we reached basecamp, fatigue had set in,but it wasn’t anything unfamiliar. We took about 45 minutes to rest, layer up, and mentally prepare. Then we made the call to do the extra hike to Volcán de Fuego to watch it erupt up close.

This is where things got intense.

The trail became steeper, looser, and far more slippery. We hiked downhill for an hour, then straight back uphill for another. Nightfall crept in quickly, temperatures dropped, and soon we were hiking in the dark.

Extra layers on. Headlamps on. Limited visibility. Still no volcano in sight.

We passed other hikers heading back,people who had gone straight to the volcano and were already finished. We kept going.

The View That Changed Everything

After what felt like a treacherous eternity, we finally reached the top. And immediately,wow.

No video could ever do this justice. Lava glowed and flew through the air, lighting up the night sky. The ground rumbled. The volcano breathed fire right in front of us. It was raw, humbling, and undeniably beautiful.

I’ve seen a lot in my lifetime, but this? This is permanently engraved in my brain. It felt like witnessing something sacred… true natural beauty in the flesh.

It was also freezing. Like, really freezing.

As much as I wanted to sit there for hours and watch, what made it special was knowing it was temporary. You can’t hold onto moments like that. You just get to experience them.

The Longest Walk Back

The descent was brutal. Mentally and physically exhausting. We kept thinking we’d hit the halfway point,only to realize it was still far off. 

It was late. We were cold. I was exhausted. But there was no alternative. No shortcuts. No one else could do it for you. So we walked.

Some people felt altitude sickness. Everyone was tired. Still, no complaints. We had just watched a volcano erupt with our own eyes.

We finally made it back around 10 p.m. 

Sunrise Redemption

At 3:30 a.m., my alarm went off for the sunrise hike.

This hike was different, shorter, faster, and up the volcano that basecamp sat on. Compared to the night before, it felt almost peaceful.

The sunrise was spectacular. Soft light spilling over the landscape, the volcano erupting in the distance, and a sense of calm that felt earned.

Afterward, we returned to basecamp and had pancakes! On the Downhill 

We packed up and began the hike back down. Downhill was much faster but honestly scarier,the loose terrain made every step feel like it could slip out from under you.

Still, the weather was perfect. Vibes were high. We reached the bottom by noon.

There was birthday cake (because someone’s birthday), we returned our gear, hopped on the bus back to the city, and immediately grubbed on tacos and debriefed the hike. Then came the moment I didn’t expect: looking through the photos from my camera. Since we didn’t have our phones the entire time, I had taken pictures blindly, cold, dark, hands shaking.

Somehow, they turned out incredible.