We crossed paths with two volcanoes this weekend, with two very different outcomes.
Saturday was a miserable failure. We left at 5:00 AM to go climb Volcan Acatenanga. As soon as we started climbing, I knew something was wrong. My legs were feeling unusually tight. Not like muscle soreness, which could be expected after the previous day's mountain biking, but more like the feeling in your muscles the day after your fever breaks--the muscles respond, but there's very little to draw on.
This was very strange, since I hadn't had a fever. The climb--strenuous in the best of conditions--became more and more difficult for me, to the point where I had to stop every 20 seconds to rest and recover. This was particularly baffling, as I've climbed any number of mountains previously without any undue difficulty. Then I started getting dizzy and disoriented. What in the world was going on?!
As soon as I realized that I had stopped sweating despite the heat, it struck me: I was bloody dehydrated! In a flash that hit me with the full weight of my foolishness, I realized that I had hardly drunk any water at all the previous day while mountain biking, despite the high heat and exertion (I think I was so distracted with either flying off my bike or watching Pascal do so that water completely slipped my mind).
So I immediately drank my 1.5 liter bottle of water (dehydration is not something you want to mess with). And my Gatorade. And then Pascal's Gatorade (like I said, I was thirsty). And I felt a little better.
But not better enough. Both my quads (the large front muscle on the leg) fully cramped from lack of water. With only 2 hours of climbing under our belt and another 5 to go, plus less than a liter of water left between Pascal and I, we were forced to turn back. As you can imagine, we were followed by a very dark cloud storming over my head the whole way. I don't like to turn back.
I drank so much the rest of that day that I practically slept in the restroom that night. But I'll be damned if I get dehydrated again this trip!
Sunday morning we left at 6:00 to climb Volcan Pacaya, one of the most active volcanoes in Guatemala.
You used to have to go up with armed guards, as bandits roamed the area. In fact, 3 tourists died a few years ago as their guards got into an all-out shootout with a group of bandits. Security has since been beefed up considerably and all that is now required is a machete-wielding guide.
The climb was an experience. As you scale the cone of the volcano, you're trudging up steep gray-black ash and volcanic rock. It sometimes felt like you'd slide down two steps back for every step up. Slow going, definitely.
We knew we were close when little ventholes steaming sulfuric gas appeared on and around our trail. And then we reached the crater.
Wow.
This gigantic rock pit was a brilliant bright yellow, from the sulfuric gases. You couldn't see into its depths, due to the gases streaming out, but this only added to the sense of mystery and danger.
You could stand right the edge of the crater and look down, with nothing but a misstep or small push to send you hurtling to your roasting end.
And then there was the surprise.
As I peered into the pit of doom to get a good picture, a wave of sulfuric gas suddenly billowed up and slammed into my face. I reeled back and staggered away, the sensation best described as being assaulted by dozens of toxic rotten eggs. My eyes hurt and the smell and aftertaste was nauseating.
Our guide warned our group to be careful around the rim of the crater, and I could definitely understand why. Apart from the fact that a simple slip could send you in, the gases could easily make you pass out with the same effect. They told us that a number of tourists fall in to their deaths every year, and I resolved not to personally add to that statistic.
(It also turns out, by the way, that during the Guatemalan civil war, which ended a few years ago, many people were executed by being hurled into the volcano's crater.)
Back in Antigua, we ate delicious crepes and went to bed early to prepare for our next outing: a two-day multi-sport adventure around Lago Atitlan...
