Looking for Central America Hiking Advice and Suggestions

[Fletch Profile 14er Peak List Not Entered]

William - this might be for you...

http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/moment/_/id/7009604/page/KennyMayneWWOS/num/8#

[taylorzs Profile Website 14er Peak List (57) 14ers Skied (27)14ers in Winter (3)13er Peak List (42)Trip Reports]

Guatemala is awesome. El Salvador is as well. I lived in Guatemala for six weeks and traveled a little in El Salvador and Mexico as well. I do not think you could go wrong, any place you end up picking but I can tell you a little about the places I hung out at.
Guatemala first;
-you will fly into Guatemala City most likely, get out as quickly as possible. I did not dally there, I do not think most do. It is a big industrial, polluted city.
-Antigua is a beautiful city. I was based out of there for most of my trip. Awesome, old colonial style city, with cobblestone streets, a lot of culture, and good food. This city is known for its Spanish schools and gringo population (not in a bad way though). This is not a tourist town like Tamarino, Costa Rico or something like that. It is a very special place with a European kind of feel to it. It is also a good staging ground to Volcan Acatango, Pacaya, Fuego, etc... Acatanango is a fun hike, similar in difficulty to hiking an easier Colorado 14er.
I have fond memories of roasting marshmellows over magma on Volcan Pacaya that ran by in front of me, hiking to the summit of Acatenango on my birthday in some nasty, cold weather, and gorging myself on food at some of the local restaurants.
-Monterrico is a nice little beach town. Huge, dramatic waves that break in weird ways that make surfing almost impossible but are 10-20 feet high. I had some of the best seafood I have ever eaten in my life there. I remember listening to waves break on the beach from the rooftop deck of a happening nightclub in the evening with friends. It was great.
Guatemala is very affordable as well.
It is also not without its downsides as well. It can be a dangerous place. Towards the end of my trip down there Pacaya erupted and dumped black ash into Guatemala City shutting down the airport for more than a week, stranding us there. The next day Tropical Storm Agatha hit, and I was traveling between Lake Atitlan (an amazing place) and Antigua (also amazing) through the rural, poor, and gorgeous Guatemalan Highlands when a landslide struck us (caused by tropical storm Agatha). I was stranded on the side of the road for almost two days with almost no food, no contact with the outside world, and a gang of Guatemalans that tried to rob me twice in a night while we were sleeping on the side of the road. It was one of the more scary experiences of my life. Many people died over the course of the two natural disasters. I am not trying to deter you here, just thought I would throw in a word of caution amongst all the positive, amazing experiences I had in my time there. I am probably lucky to be alive after everything that happened over that two days.
El Salvador was beautiful too, although I spent less time there. I remember great seafood, awesome surf breaks on the west coast, rugged jungle wilderness, and a sketchy border crossing between Guatemala and El Salvador (that is a story unto itself).
Good luck with your trip and PM me if you have any questions about traveling down there! Zach

[cheeseburglar Profile 14er Peak List (58) 14ers in Winter (2)13er Peak List (36)Trip Reports]

Some great advice about hiking/mountain walking in Central America.
But why bother getting off the plane when in another couple hours you could be in Ecuador, Bolivia or Peru? I've been to C.A. and S.A., and S.A. is much more interesting, culturally and geographically.

[Upstate Hiker Profile 14er Peak List Not Entered]

The real question.... Why haven't I been invited, yet?

[Scott P Profile Website 14er Peak List (45) 13er Peak List (26)Trip Reports]

But why bother getting off the plane when in another couple hours you could be in Ecuador, Bolivia or Peru? I've been to C.A. and S.A., and S.A. is much more interesting, culturally and geographically.

They are indeed nice, and highly recommended, but Peru and Bolivia in late November/December are only reasonable if you head to the desert areas, which typically take more time to get to and travel through. The popular climbing areas are all out of season then, and very dangerous, but the remote desert areas are still reasonable. Ecuador climbing season is also a crap shoot then and the weather doesn't usually stabilize until mid or late December.

I've been to South America five times (sometimes on extended trips) and Central America six times (also sometimes on extended trips).

Both have their charms are nice for different reasons. Both have diverse wildlife, but I’d say the easiest areas to see a lot of it are actually in Central America. Places like the Amazon are full of animals, but they aren’t as easy to see as they are in say Punta de Sal in Honduras or Rincon de la Vieja in Costa Rica.

South America definitely has the impressive glaciers and the most alpine peaks. On the other hand, the mountains in places like the Pico Bonito area in Central America are some of the most spectacular I’ve seen and are at least equal (in a different way) to anything I’ve seen in South America. I’d definitely rate it in the top 10 most spectacular places that I’ve been (which includes extensive travel through six of the seven continents and includes places like the Himalayas, Amazon, New Zealand, Alaska, etc.).

Photos just don’t do it justice:

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=pico+bonito&FORM=HDRSC2

Culturally, Peru is probably the most interesting country in Latin America, especially in the towns and villages that have no roads to them. Bolivia may be second with Guatemala and Ecuador following very close behind.

Central America is more compact and easier to see in shorter excusions. South America is more spread out and huge; you could spend a lifetime in any of those countries and not see it all.

[wildlobo71 Profile 14er Peak List (58) 14ers in Winter (8)13er Peak List (31)Trip Reports]

Some great advice about hiking/mountain walking in Central America.
But why bother getting off the plane when in another couple hours you could be in Ecuador, Bolivia or Peru? I've been to C.A. and S.A., and S.A. is much more interesting, culturally and geographically.

Baby steps sir... and economic scale factor. Hard to fly to SA for $450 RT.

[ptyrg Profile 14er Peak List (34) 14ers in Winter (4)13er Peak List (20)]

Went to Costa Rica a couple of years ago, and climbed Cerro Chirripo, and Cerro Terbi. Chirripo, is costa Rica's highest peak 12529'. it was a fantastic climb. hiking through many Eco zones including the cloud forest reserve, and bird sancuary. The Town below Chirripo (San Gerardo) Is a great little town with several hostels, restraurant's and even a nice hot springs. I have posted a few pics on summitpost.com Of the Cerro chirripo's nearby spires.

[zoriloco Profile 14er Peak List (15) 14ers in Winter (1)Trip Reports]

Obviously me being from Guatemala I will suggest it as your destination.

Like you had already mentioned we have the highest volcanos in Central America. There is route called the Trilogy where you climb The Water, Fire & Acatenango Volcanos in 3 days. Although there are several guides I would suggest K'ashem. My family has used them in the past. Their guides are very experienced having climbed the most of the highest peaks in America. Also, when it is needed they even bring security guards to the expeditions. Something that brings peace of mind to any traveler.

Check out their website. If there is anything you might need out there feel free to contact me. Ohh also, in Guatemala you should not have a problem communicating in english with people. Almost all of us speak it since elementray school.

Alan


http://www.hastalacumbre.com/

http://www.facebook.com/hastalacumbre/info#!/hastalacumbre

[Fisching Profile 14er Peak List (58) 14ers in Winter (10)13er Peak List (27)Trip Reports]

Guatemala is nice with big volcanoes, Lake Atitlan, great hikes, very cultural (the most in Central America), and with fantastic ruins. Wildlife isn’t as visible and in your face as it is in places like Costa Rica. Crime rates are high, but I’ve never had a problem and most other people don’t either. It’s a hiking paradise.

Kim lived around Lake Atitlan and climbed the volcano named after it back in 2009. If that's something of interest, she can provide details.

[Fisching Profile 14er Peak List (58) 14ers in Winter (10)13er Peak List (27)Trip Reports]

Also...

If El Salvador becomes one of your choices for a future trip, let me know. Maryknoll is working in El Salvador and two of the candidates in this year's class are going there. I'd bet travel accommodations could be arranged with someone I know in or around San Salvador.

[idrunk Profile 14er Peak List (12) 14ers Skied (3)]

Went to Costa Rica a couple of years ago, and climbed Cerro Chirripo, and Cerro Terbi. Chirripo, is costa Rica's highest peak 12529'. it was a fantastic climb. hiking through many Eco zones including the cloud forest reserve, and bird sancuary. The Town below Chirripo (San Gerardo) Is a great little town with several hostels, restraurant's and even a nice hot springs. I have posted a few pics on summitpost.com Of the Cerro chirripo's nearby spires.

I climbed Chirripo a few years back and it was a great experience. Stay at Casa Mariposa (http://www.hotelcasamariposa.net/) at the trailhead for a good nights sleep and a great atmosphere. If you're lucky, the owners Jon and Jill will have a cold Imperial waiting for your return. Wondering around the Cloud Forest Reserve makes for a nice recovery day.

The hike itself isn't too strenuous if you're in decent shape. It gets really steep in a few spots and can become miserable if you hit rain (turning the loamy soil into peanut butter mud.) There's a hut 3/4 of the way up, and many people take a day to make it there and summit/descend the next day.

Happy travels!

[zoriloco Profile 14er Peak List (15) 14ers in Winter (1)Trip Reports]

I forgot to mention I'll be down in Guate at the end of Feb beginning of march if you want to meetup for a climb and Take the CO flag up a volcano or 3 let me know.. Lol