This is one of the most beautiful places I have visited.This volcano is located between Guatemala and Mexico. The hike begins at 7:00 AM and ends at some time between 2:00 and 7:00 PM, depending on each person speed. I could say that this is the most far away place from civilization, it is ideal to scape from every day life for some days.
The hike hard part starts climbing the Caracol. This is a 700 vertical meters climb through a zig-zag path (left). After climbing the Caracol, the path descend smoothly toward Hacienditas. This place is located and the base of the volcano and it is were the true climb begins (center). In the way up, we see that a step shaped hillside (right).
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It is cold due to the condensed humidity in the clothes. The clouds taken by the cold wind have hidden the sun and the path (left). El Potrero is a flat spot nice to rest and eat. This is a pine tree forest, some of them very old. Here you can feel a mix of peace, loneliness, quietness and silence that merges wonderfully with the shy afternoon sun and the scattered clouds carried by the cold wind (center). As the sun goes down in the forest, the cold is stronger and we begin to experience the fatigue of the journey. This is the place were silence and the sound of wind live together. The beauty of this moment has no comparison (right).
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A few minutes away from the camp-site and it is getting dark. In the middle of the mist, tiredness and cold, Alvaro Dieguez looks ahead while gathers his strength to finish the hike (left). The next day, with renewed strength, we climb from Laguna Seca (where the camp is settled) toward the top. For this occasion there is also people coming from the Mexican side. The native people take advantage of the situation and climb the volcano taking food to sell, some others climb for religious reasons (center). From the top we behold two countries territories, Mexico and Guatemala. The strip without trees (top between center and left) shows the territorial border (right).
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