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Travel Writers: Ascension and Eruptions by Anthony Mahemoff

Location: Volcan Santa Maria, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

3.21am and my alarm awakens me with enough time to throw on some clothes, lenses and grab some food. At 3:45am I greet the crew in the van and we head off. We commence our ascent of Volcan Santa Maria with the ground still wet and yielding from yesterday's rain and a dark, star-blanketed sky which shows no indication yet of awakening. By the dim torch light we walk for an hour before we reach the volcano's base as the sky lightens to a new day. A pale blue develops and the few thin wisps of cloud reflect a bright rosy pink.

The next two and a half hours we continue the strenuous, steep and rocky climb. The terrain changes by the meter - slippery rocks to clumped grass to sticky sliding mud. I'm puffing and sweaty, yet my skin is chilled from the cold morning breeze and high altitude. At the summit, after just over 6 hours climbing, I am bewildered by the height and steepness of the huge volcano I had just conquered. More breathtaking than the altitude is the view - to the north, Xela sits beneath a mist in the valley before cloud-intervaled ranges. To the south, the misty cloud above the coastal flat-lands disguises the Pacific Coast, and to the east, from where the sun just arose, the low cloud shades the bases of the string of mountains and volcanoes. We had ascended to 3770m and seem to be at the highest point on all horizons, the air is thin and cool but the sunshine warm. No chance of encountering clouds, which all seem to be beneath us.

Over the peak we watch Volcan Satioguito and the trail of grey cloud indicating the next eruption is not far off. I'm looking down into the cone, the stretch of dusty volcano at its side and the long scar of previous flows stretches off to the coast. Small puffs of smoke smoulder from several chimney-like spots. Smoke rises from the perimeter of the crater to gain our attention, an introduction to the show about to commence.

With a mighty deep rumbling, smoke bellows from the crater's face. Thick clouds of light and dark grey roll and rise up, merging together to form a huge mushroom. As this cloud drifts off and dissipates, we eagerly await the next eruption. The pressure builds beneath the face, the earth core's heat is yearning for release. It introduces a new show, this time a silent but almighty explosion of white and black smoke. The huge explosion leaves little to follow, a tall poppy shaped cloud. It's a demonstration of power and potential and the scars on the surrounding earth prove it moreso. A final look at the mist beset coast, ranges and valley and we commence our 2 hour descent. We are amazed by our height and the achievement of the ascent. Two beers at the base quench a hard-earned thirst.

Text © Anthony Mahemoff