Climbing Tajumulco
By Paul Lyons
The motivation that drives people to climb to the tops of mountain peaks is a strange thing. It is always more comfortable to stay at the present altitude - there is less chance of a splitting headache, your legs will not be aching and your back will not have to deal with the pain of carrying a pack. But the gratification in looking down upon the valleys and cliffs that you were hiking by just minutes before, seem to make it all worthwhile. Perhaps part of the motivation is just the simple fact that such peaks exist and having two legs, one can climb up them.
The tallest volcano in all of Central America is Tajumulco in the province of San Marcos. This volcano is 4220 meters or 13,845 feet high. On April 25, 2006, I climbed this impressive mass of rock with Kai, my eleven-year-old son and Lionel, our trusty Guatemalan friend and guide. Lionel has climbed Tajumulco at least fifteen times before.
We started off in the morning from San Marcos, following a night were it had just dumped a lot of rain. The early season storm was surely a sign that this year would experience a lot of rain as it had the year before – Hurricane Stan had create many mud slides which can be seen from almost every point in this region. Lionel, though a taxi driver, wanted to take the bus to the volcano. After waiting about a half an hour by the side of the road heading up to the upper plateau, we piled into the van/bus and made our way up towards the city of Tajumtulco. After about an hour drive, at a cost of only 6 quetzals ($1) per person, we disembarked at a cross road about 10 km from the city of Tajumtulco. Here there was just a small store where one could by drinks, fruit and snacks.
When we started off on the hike, the day was relatively clear, with a few clouds mingling in the sky. One could see Tajumtulco off in the distance, and is usual with such mountains, they appear closer then they really are. It seemed when we began that it was just over the first hill. We soon found otherwise.
The hike was a consistent upward effort. The trail was often undefined but during most of the climb one could see Tajumtulco in the distance so one always knew which direction to go. There were few people on the mountain. We saw some locals early on, tending to crops and later a man, horse and his son taking a break. But as we passed through various microclimates, we were the only people out there. Through fields of grass, past pine forests that smelled of pine and moss, to the base camp for the final ascent, we made our way to the top. The altitude made the hike strenuous. Soon we saw the dusting of snow from the previous night. More like hail, it was gathered in the shadows in clumps. At 13,000 feet, we were going slowly, taking frequent breaks. Kai and I both experienced light-headedness and I had a headache that lasted until midway through the next morning.
For the final ascent, Lionel recommend a short cut, that while steeper, was more direct. Climbing up the rocks was slow going as the altitude was definitely a factor. As we climbed higher, a weather system moved in. Clouds were everywhere and we regularly heard thunder. I was certain we were not to experience the views that were possible from the top. Evidently, on a clear day, it is possible to see all the way to the Pacific Ocean and into Mexico.
We made it to the top in four hours with light packs. From the top we could look down into the volcano and catch our breath. This volcano is not active and like other volcanoes I have been Guatemala, people arrange rocks in the crater spelling out names of love ones, locations and religious phrases. We stayed at the summit for only a half hour as it looked like rain was eminent.
The way down was of course faster than the way up. Soon we put on our rain gear as it started to hail, which soon turned to rain as we descended. With clouds on all sides, we did not have much of a view, but it was still awesome to be so high up, hearing the thunder around us and seeing the clouds rush by. On the way down we saw some hikers, probably tourists, setting up tents in a clearing in the distance. They surely were going to hunker down the rest of the day and make it to the summit in the morning when it usually is clearer and views are surely better. I envied them for the view they would have but not for their legs and back having carried up their tents and supplies.
We made it down in just over two hours and the drinks that we bought at the little store at the base tasted fantastic. In a few minutes, a man driving an SUV stopped at the store asking for directions to who knows where. Lionel was then able to work out a ride all the way back home. We made it back to San Marcos in the late afternoon exhausted and completely spent.
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By Paul Lyons
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