Pacaya volcano – Trekking Upward

After months of training, planning, getting gear and clothing together, and mentally preparing for this challenge, the day had come to actually fly to Guatemala. I had a mix of excitement yet apprehension. When I signed up for the challenge, I did so because some of the Kilimanjaro climbers were going and I wanted to participate in one more epic adventure. I still wanted to inspire hope, bring awareness, and raise funds for research. I am driven to have purpose and meaning in life and since PD chose me, I want to make a difference to those who live every day with PD. I believe with grit, determination, and courage, vibrant living is possible. When I read the trail descriptions of the volcanoes we would be taking on, I knew there was no way I could adequately prepare for such difficult treks. Although we would be day trekking except for one night on the mountain, two of the three hikes would demand steep elevation gains on narrow, scree scattered paths at elevations unlike anything east of the Rockies. I watched a few YouTube videos which gave me even more to worry about. I did gain some comfort in learning that I could hire a porter to carry my overnight gear on the night we would spend on the mountain. I sent a message to our hike coordinator in Guatemala requesting a porter for the Acatenango hike and possibly for the Atilan hike. I felt like this was giving me an advantange over the others, but did not think I could do it without the help. Now the day to leave Asheville was here. I woke up at 4:30 to make it to the Asheville airport for my 6:30 a.m. departure.

My flight connected through Atlanta where I would join Cathy Dugas and Michelle Marshall who were also going on the challenge. Our flight went smoothly to Guatemala City and I enjoyed the view of the volcanic mountains as we approached our arrival airport. We were met by Luisa Zea, the hike leader for our week of climbs. She accompanied us to Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a quaint city rich in Guatemalan history. After we settled into our hotel, we set off to find dinner. The next day, Luisa guided us on a walking tour of the city and showed us many interesting buildings, shops, parks and street vendors. Guatemala is a major source of jade and we visited a jade factory and museum. Our guide provided a lot of Guatemalan and Mayan history. We saw many interesting artifacts and even got to meet the newly crowned Mayan Princess.

That evening, the group gathered for the first time and shared our stories. There were four of us who have PD. The others were hiking in support of a friend or family member who has it. We ranged in age from 25 – 70 with three men and nine women. The collective energy was a wonder to behold especially the two in their 20’s. I was cautious about my ability to keep up with the group but I knew I would give it everything I had. We headed off to bed eager to greet the morning’s first challenge – Pacaya. There are 37 volcanoes in Guatemala with three of them active. Pacaya is one of the active ones and while we would not be going to the crater, we would hike as far up the mountain as the local agency that monitors volcanic activity deemed safe. It would be about 5 miles and about 1200 ft. elevation gain. My conficence was high that I could manage this one without difficulty.

We had breakfast outside in the courtyard of our hotel. It was very lovely with flowers and plants decorating the entry way to each suite. If one were to stand in a certain corner of the courtyard, Fuego the firespitting and frequently erupting volcano could be seen. Breakfast was eggs, black beans, an assortment of bread, hot dog chunks, and a variety of fresh fruit.

After breakfast, we boarded a bus and headed to Pacaya. Along the way we caught a view of Fuego erupting. Acatenango, our second volcano in the challenge, sits right beside Fuego and is dormant. The group was excited and enthusiastic and ready to take on this leg of the challenge. It was a beautiful day with blue sky, gentle breeze, perfect temperature, and no rain in sight. We took a group picture and started up the trail. The vegetation was lush and beautiful with lots of flowers. There were clearings along the way providing beautiful views of valleys, lakes, and nearby volcanic peaks. The path consisted of dark soil that was damp and not the dry, dusty gravel I expected. We came to a clearing where there were very pretty flowers decorating rocks sticking up from the ground. I was enchanted with this gorgeous place and thoroughly enjoying the day. We reached a point where we could see the peak of Pacaya above us. It was a black, desolate, stark and rugged peak in contrast to the rich vegetation we had been hiking through. We took time to take pictures and then continued on down the path. We were taking an arc trail so did not return on the path we had already traversed. Soon, we came to the famous pizza kitchen where pizza is roasted/baked over hot lava stones. I put in my order for vegetarian and it was delicious! What a treat!! After satisfying our hunger, we continued down the mountain to the bus waiting to take us back to our hotel. I was the last one to board just in time before rain drops fell from the sky. Back at the hotel we cleaned up and headed out as a group to find another great dinner at another local restaurant in Antigua. Now to get some sleep before our next leg.

In four months, I will be going to Guatemala for another fundraising event for the Michael J Fox Foundation. This time I will be climbing three volcanoes on mostly day treks. The first volcano we climb will be Pacaya and it will be the easiest day. We will start around 6,100 ft. elevation and climb to 7,100 ft. elevation. We only hike 3.75 miles so this will be very doable for me. The second day we climb Acatenango Volcano where we start at 8,400 ft. and ascend to 11,700 ft. with 4 miles distance. There we overnight on the trail and resume the journey the next day. We will continue to the peak at 13,405 ft. before descending 4.5 miles back to the foot of the volcano. Fortunately, we get a day off before tackling the hardest day when we climb 5,600 ft. elevation gain and 4 miles to the top of Atilan Volcano. We then go back to the bottom, all in one day. The thought of doing this intimidates me more than climbing to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

So why am I doing this trip! I think I might be crazy. The number one thing that motivates me is that 100% of funds raised goes to research to find the cure and better treatments for managing Parkinson’s Disease. This seems even more important with government funding for research being cut in so many places including research for PD. But I’m driven for even more than that. I have found a valuable community in the Michael J Fox Foundation. The friends and support group I have made are very important to me. Also, I have found that having a goal gives something to strive for and the impetus to stay in shape. I have not found anything to contradict the research showing that vigorous exercise is the only proven way to slow the progress of PD. I want to inspire others with my experiences, raise awareness and be a part of the solution by supporting needed research.

My need to be in shape and get ready is already under way. I have been to our local REI to purchase new boots and a few other items I will need. I was hoping Keen would sponsor a new pair of hiking boots, but their outreach program replied with an automated message that their program didn’t include requests like mine. Oh well, didn’t hurt to try.

I am doing core exercises including sit-ups, pushups, planks, and more 4-5 days a week. I’m going on vigorous power walks around the neighborhood or greenways. And of course, I’m still hiking with my committed group of hikers who take on more difficult challenges to local waterfalls or beautiful views of the mountains ridges and valleys that are abundant in the mountains of western North Carolina. We always see beautiful flowers on these outings too. The summer heat and humidity have been a deterrent, but we still get out there and put in the work of getting to our destination. It is so rewarding to breath the fresh air, have companionship, lunch by waterfalls or mountain streams and see the beauty of nature that manmade objects can’t compete with. Sometimes we take a dip in the cold water flowing over rocks and boulders which often make inviting swimming holes.