Pacaya Volcano Guatemala – June 22nd

Guatemala has three active volcanoes. At 8,372 feet, Pacaya is only an hour and 20 minutes from Puerto Quetzal; so we booked a guide to hike it

This pan is from the summit of Cerro Chino, a side peak of Pacaya. The active cone of Pacaya rises above the volcanic plain sloping down to the Pacific. To the right the cone of Agua rises 12,336 feet in the distance

Joani is framed by the cones of Agua, Fuego (12,346 feet) and Acatenango (13,044 feet). These are the classic peaks surrounding Antigua, the ancient capital of Guatemala. Only Fuego is still active

In the background is the town of Pacaya, population 6,000. It is the home of our guide Cesar, a seventh generation resident. His family is one of 236 that make up the town. Cesar has lived the history of this volcano

The bare ground behind Joani resulted from the most recent lava flows of Pacaya. The darkest area is from 2014 and the lighter from 2010

Here we are walking through the upper lava Field of the 2014 eruption

The Pacaya Crater seen from the caldera of Cerro Chino. Different flows and eruptions painted the cone with different shades and colors; the darkest hues are where the 2014 eruption spilled down the slope. As in Hawaii, you can only see the orange glow of sub-surface molten lava at night

 

Joani is standing in the center of the Cerro Chino crater, which has not erupted in 600 years, but has since been filled with lava flow from Pacaya

A scoop of sand from this spot in the Cerro Chino crater still warms our hands (there is a lava pool from Pacaya way down below)

 

As we leave the crater to hike the Cerro Chino rim, we find steam vents

 

Here is Joani making the final ascent to the Cerro Chino rim, with Pacaya in the background. We had lunch at the top

Here is Joani descending the Cerro Chino rim, slipping and sliding on the volcanic rubble. She is enjoying it; she just keeps her weight back and does a hockey stop if she gets going too fast.

Joani is ready for tomorrow; when we will be sandboarding down a volcano in Nicaragua, Cerro Negro.