Acatenango

A wonderful Hike: six to eight hours up, three to four down. For those of you not used to such a rapid gain in altitude, be sure to stay very well hydrated. Not to mention, have some aspirin for the night as a headache is likely. Cool clothing is helpful for the ascent, warmer clothing and shells are quite important once you reach the first camping area. While I did not take them, gloves would have been helpful. Here is a list of recommended items:

-Boots: be sure they have ankle support, you will regret it on the way down if they don't. -Socks: (two pairs) while two aren't needed,they get dirty quickly and lose much of their comfort. -Shorts: (1 pair) a light material, it can be quite warm during the ascent and they can save you the weight of underwear as you gain elevation. -Pants: (1 pair) a light weight, breathable material is good, however, you may want some armor in case you fall. I wore jeans, they were heavy but I didn't have bloody legs when I made it down. Convertable pants are quite nice as they would take the place of shorts and pants. -T shirt: (1 or 2) if you are worried about the funk of the second day, then you might take two but I don't think it is worth the extra weight. -long sleeve shirt:s you gain elevation, it will grow cooler. it is nice to have plenty of layers. -fleece jacket or heavy sweat shirt:s I said, be sure you have enough layers. - one shell jacket:it can rain from time to time, ice and snow are possible on the summit as well, not to mention there is some strong wind on the cones. - a wide brimmed hat:is good for blocking solar radition which is quite high on mountains. Keep your hat on, you won't lose as much water. - a pair of wool gloves:will do you a lot of gloves as well: they will keep your fingers warm and they will give you some protection from the rocks.

take 3 liters of water. be sure to specify what kind of food you would like from your guide as one tends to have trouble with food at high altitudes. power bars can be most helpful at times of great need for energy. the night before your trip, eat foods high in carbs: shoot for things that will cause solid wastes.

If you have any other questions, comments or plain old shout outs, do drop me a line. Happy Hiking!