Bucket List / Adventure Travel Goals
Climb An Active Volcano
Ticked off in May 2009
Feel the ground rumble beneath your boots and watch a mountain throw glowing rock into the night sky.
The adventure
Climbing an active volcano is a reminder that the planet is still being built. On the slopes of Pacaya in Guatemala, the ground is warm under your feet, steam drifts out of cracks in fresh black lava and guides hand out marshmallows to toast over vents in the rock.
For the full spectacle, overnight on Acatenango. It is a hard climb through farmland and cloud forest to a camp near 3,700 metres, cold and windy. But as darkness falls, neighbouring Fuego erupts regularly, sending deep booms rolling across the valley and fountains of orange lava up into the night. Elsewhere, Mount Bromo in Java puffs sulphur from a crater in a sea of sand, and Villarrica in Chile sometimes shows a lava lake glowing in its summit crater.
Why it’s epic
- Acatenango, at 3,976 metres, gives a front-row view of Fuego, one of the most active volcanoes in Central America.
- Pacaya is an easy half-day hike from Antigua, with warm lava fields and steaming vents.
- Mount Bromo in Indonesia is famous for sunrise views over its smoking crater and sand sea.
- Villarrica in Chile is one of the few volcanoes in the world with an active lava lake that is sometimes visible.
What it is
Climbing an active volcano can mean steaming vents, lava flows and glowing craters.
How to do it
Popular options include Pacaya and Acatenango in Guatemala, Villarrica in Chile and Mount Bromo in Indonesia.
Top tip
Always check activity levels before climbing.
Need to know
- Activity levels change constantly, so check official alerts and go with a licensed local guide.
- Acatenango is a tough overnight climb to high altitude with near-freezing nights, so take warm layers.
- Volcanic gases can irritate the lungs; people with asthma or heart conditions should take advice before going.
Do it yourself
- Tours and ticketsGetYourGuide
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My experience
Ticked off, but the full story is still to be written up.
Over to you
Is “Climb An Active Volcano” on your bucket list, or have you already done it? Tell me in the comments, and if you've got a question about it, ask away and I'll answer.