Tajumulco is a large stratovolcano in Guatemala's San Marco department. At 4220m it is the highest of Guatemala's countless volcanoes. Since we are far from being experienced hikers, we were doubting if we would be able to conquer it. But the fact that Tajumulco is Central America's highest peak really motivated us.

We based ourselves in in the Black Cat Hostel in the town of Quetzaltenango, or Xela as the locals call it. From here we started shopping around to find out what the average price would be for a two day tour to Tajumulco. After talking to three or four different tour operators, we decided to give it a shot with Quetzal Tours. At 400 Q per person it seemed to be the best value for money and the owner José, who frequently drops by at the "Black Cat" was just a super friendly and trustworthy guy who answered all of our questions.

All of the gear you might need, like a sleeping bag, tents, hats, gloves and even headlamps as well as all the food were included in the price. Nevertheless we had to bring our own water and it is definitely advisable to bring some snacks like nuts or chocolate bars for the extra dose of energy. It goes without saying that you should bring some sturdy shoes and a sweater since it can get very chilly at such altitudes. However, you should keep in mind, that its easy to pack a lot of stuff in your backpack, but once you have to carry it up a steep volcano for several hours, you'll wish you would have skipped bringing "Pride and Prejudices" for your bedtime reading.