Seeing a Volcano Erupt! 🇬🇹

*Sunrise and late-night eruptions at the end *
I thought eruptions only looked this cool in movies. Volcano Fuego in Guatemala proved me wrong.
2 years ago, I promised I'd return to Guatemala to hike up Volcano Acatenango and see the erupting Volcan de Fuego in action. Last week, I came back to fulfill that promise, and made this travel film to document our two-day exhilarating journey to one of the most incredible things I have been blessed to see in my life.

FOLLOW me on Facebook :)
  / nadironthego  

If you want to learn how to make viral travel videos and turn them into a real income, sign up for my free newsletter👇
https://substack.com/@nadironthego/

Follow me on Instagram for real-time travel updates: 📷
  / nadironthego  

Special shout-outs to:
my porter, the REAL MVP who helped carry most of my stuff 80% of the way up
Santeri from Finland for helping me with my backpack when I was burned out at one point
Norwegian woman for teaching me how to walk on volcanic mud without slipping
unidentified woman with German accent whose motivating words in the dark stopped me from quitting at the start of the last hike before sunrise
J for involuntarily being the protagonist of this film

Gear:
Camera: Canon 80D (sorry about the low resolution, accidentally recorded most of this trip in 720 p instead of 1080)
Lens: Sigma 17-50mm f 2.5
Mic: Rode Video Micro

Location:
Volcano Acatenango (1 hour from Antigua, Guatemala)
https://goo.gl/maps/u2BEGfXpWRfn8aiv5

Start of hike 00:00
"ground zero" 00:45
Oak forest 00:58
Cloud forest 1:20
Pine forest 1:46
Acatenango base-camp & first Fuego sightings 2:30
NIGHT ERUPTIONS from Campfire 3:35
Sunrise hike to Acatenango summit 4:20
SUNRISE ERUPTIONS 5:17

Tour operator:
Tropicana Hostel, Antigua

Tips for future travelers/ my reflections:
I strongly recommend booking the tour through an operator that provides cabins at the base-camp. The cold wind was the worst part about the hike and I can't imagine setting up a tent up there while it's below freezing, which is what a lot of the slightly cheaper tours make you do
I would also recommend bringing snacks. They do sell Snickers bars on the way for double the price you would pay at a store, but I still ended up buying 3. Funny enough, the prices go up as you go higher up on the hike
Bring flashlights. We didn't bring any due to some misunderstanding and they definitely would have helped in the pre-sunrise hike
Bring lots of warm clothes. I slept in 4 layers (t-shirt, long sleeve t-shirt, hoodie, jacket) and 3 pairs of socks. Still had cold feet and lips and had to sleep with my hand (gloves) covering my mouth.
I was one of 2 or 3 out of the group of 10 who were able to sleep. The altitude makes it really difficult for most people to sleep, but my cold medication probably helped me get some shut-eye.
Get a porter if you must. This hike is only for those in decent shape. You don't have to be in Mt Everest shape, but you ideally need to be someone who doesn't get out of breath easily. One of the guys in my trip was really having a hard time, and ended up not going to the summit at sunrise.
Be ready to hike up 1500 m in 5 hours, and have sore knees on the way down
No matter how cold, exhausting or slippery it gets, try to push through. The pain is temporary (okay may be it will last 4 days) but the view from the summit will stay with you forever