GUATEMALA INTRODUCTION

GUATEMALA INTRODUCTION

CHALLENGE OVERVIEW An amazing multi-day hiking adventure in Guatemala where participants will summit half a dozen active volcanoes; including the highest peak in Central America at an impressive 4220 metres! This trip combines hiking, beautiful lush mountain vistas and even the chance to toast marshmallows on molten lava flows! GRADING. Tough. All participants should be physically fit and capable of walking for several hours a day on steep and rough terrain. On at least one of the days you will be trekking to a height of over 4000m and you will most likely feel the effects of altitude. TRIP DURATION. 11 days. ACCOMMODATION. Multi-share standard hotel, hostel and tented accommodation. AVAILABILITY. April to October inclusive. 03 Guatemala is a country of volcanoes, mountains, and beaches on the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. From the Cuchamatán Mountains in the western highlands, to the coastlines on the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, this small country is marked by contrasts. Three of Guatemala s 30 volcanoes are still active.

1839 Guatemala was conquered by Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado in 1524 and became a republic in 1839 after the United Provinces of Central America collapsed GUATEMALA ITINERARY

GUATEMALA ITINERARY 4th November: DEPARTURE You will depart from the UK in the late afternoon for our overnight flight to Guatemala. Please note this is not a direct flight and there may be up to two changes en-route. 5th November: ARRIVAL AND ORIENTATION On arrival at Guatemala City airport you will be met by your Really Wild Representative before transferring to the historical town of Antigua; the history-steeped former capital of Guatemala. Here you will check in to your hotel and enjoy a welcome dinner with your guides for the expedition. 6th November: TREK DAY ONE Dinner included After breakfast, you will be tackling the first of the Spires of Fire ; the very active Volcan Pacaya at 2558m. The hike up to the mountain is beautiful, climbing fairly steeply through the forests and small farm plots. The route eventually breaks through the trees and gives way to volcanic sand and rock which is very sharp and jagged, so watch your step! On reaching the summit, depending on the lava flow, you may be able to toast a marshmallow in the lava. As you step over the rocks you can feel the heat from below and see the glow seeping from between the rocks. You will return to Antigua for lunch and depart on a City Tour in the afternoon. 7th November: TREK DAY TWO Breakfast and dinner included After breakfast, you will transfer to Panajachel; a 2-3 hour drive. Here you will see the beautiful Lake Atitlan and picturesque market town of San Pedro. You will transfer to San Pedro via water taxi where you will pick up the mouth of the Rio Nahaulate and trek along the river in the afternoon. You will spend the night in a rural community. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included

8th November: TREK DAY THREE Today you start early with an ascent of San Pedro, one of the tallest active volcanoes in the world. The volcano rises out of the shores of Lake Atitlan; some 1500m to its 3000m summit. Although the walk is relatively short, it is steep as it passes through coffee farms and corn farms with panoramic views of beautiful Lake Atitlan, famous for its natural beauty and colorful Mayan villages. You will have a picnic lunch en-route and finish back in the local community for the night. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included 9th November: TREK DAY FOUR Today you will trek out to Quetzaltenango (shortened by the locals to Xela). via the volcano Zunil and visit the hot springs there. Overnight in Xela. 10th November: TREK DAY FIVE Breakfast, lunch and dinner included You will leave Xela early in the morning and make your way by bus to the town of San Marcos, near the Mexican border. The trail begins at the small village of Tuichan and winds its way through corn fields and farmland. Due to the altitude it is very difficult to grow crops and the trail soon gives way to pockets of woodland and grazing pastures for sheep. You will hike for around 6-hours, stopping for lunch around midday at one of the pastures. The trail then moves into the high-altitude pine forest with some wonderful views. You will reach the campsite, at 220m below the summit, at around 4pm. If you are feeling fit, you can take an optional short walk to the top of Cerro Concepcion-the lower of the two peaks of Tajumulco- to watch the sunset to the east over Mexico. Overnight in tented accommodation. 11th November: TREK DAY SIX Breakfast, lunch and dinner included At 4am you will start the ascent into the cold morning air and begin to hike the final 220m to the summit in time to see the sunrise. In the distance you can watch Volcan Santiaguito and Volcan Fuego erupt as we look across the volcano chain of Guatemala. Looking east to Volcan Tacana and the Mexican border and far to the north-west you will be able to see the Cuchumantanes Mountains near Huehuetenango. There is an optional short hike around the crater of the volcano after which you will descend back to camp for breakfast. After the morning meal you will make your way back down to the trail head and Tuichan where lunch is taken at a local comedor. After lunch you will transfer back San Marcos and onto to Xela. Dinner and overnight in Xela. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included

12th November: TREK DAY SEVEN Today is spent climbing Volcano Santa María. From the indigenous village of El Llanos del Pinal (altitude: 2400 metres), 25 minutes by bus from Quetzaltenango, you hike up through a beautiful pine forest to an altitude of 3770m. Heading out of Llanos del Pinal the road soon turns into a trail up the steep volcanic slopes, with painted arrows leading the way along this initial section of the footpath. About 2-hours from the starting point you reach a flat grassy area known as La Mesa, where the trail diverts to the right and then switchbacks up the mountainside through pine forests. This part of the climb is somewhat steeper, with the summit about 3-hours from this point. After summiting return to Xela. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included 13th November: DEPARTURE FROM GUATEMALA Early breakfast provided and transfers back to Guatemala International airport for your flights back to the UK. LAKE ATITLAN Lake Atitlan formed when a volcano exploded over 84,000 years ago and collapsed to form a caldera. The lake is the deepest lake in Central America and is believed to be 900 feet (300 meters) deep and covers 48 square miles (125 square kilometers). Breakfast included 14th November: ARRIVAL IN THE UK

14 THOUSAND The earliest settlers to Guatemala crossed the Bering Strait from Asia 14,000 years ago and evidence of human settlements date to around 9000 B.C. People began to farm and form villages around 1000 B.C. and some of them became the Maya who dominated Guatemala history from A.D. 250 to 900. GUATEMALA FAQ S

GUATEMALA FAQ S HOW MUCH MONEY DO I HAVE TO RAISE? Please see our website for details. HOW MUCH OF THIS MONEY GOES TO THE CHARITY? Our challenges are typically run on a 50:50 minimum ratio. This means that of the money you raise, at least half goes to furthering the vital work of the charity and the remaining money is used to cover the cost of your trip. IS THIS CHALLENGE SAFE? All of our challenge events involve an element of risk (that s part of what makes them challenges!) and of course being in the vicinity of volcanoes has its own inherent risk, however we work closely with our guides in Guatemala to ensure that your trip is memorable for all the right reasons! We carefully risk assess all our trips and we comply with BS8848 British Standard. WHO WILL I BE TRAVELLING WITH? You will be travelling with your best friends (you just haven t met some of them yet!). Group sizes vary, but typically there will be 12-20 fellow participants on your challenge. WHO WILL BE LOOKING AFTER US IN GUATEMALA? We use only the best English-speaking guides who have years of experience of guiding in this region. They will not only be there to ensure that you are healthy, safe and well looked-after they will also be more than happy to give you a real insight to the culture and traditions of Guatemala! WILL I GET SUPPORT FROM THE CHARITY FOR MY FUNDRAISING? Absolutely! Whilst it is your responsibility to reach your fundraising target, all our partner charities have staff dedicated to supporting participants taking part in Really Wild Challenge events like these. CAN I EXTEND MY STAY IN GUATEMALA? Yes! Many of our departure dates allow participants to stay on as a group after the trek has finished and explore the highlights of Guatemala or even neighboring countries either independently or as part of an organised group package. WHAT WILL THE WEATHER BE LIKE? Weather in Central America can be unpredictable but it will always be warm (20c) during the day and, in the highlands, it will be cool at night. There may be heavy downpours in the late afternoon which clear the air and often give rise to spectacular views! DO I HAVE TO SPEAK SPANISH TO ENJOY THIS TRIP? No! All our staff in Guatemala speak fluent English and you will find that, whilst leaning a bit of Spanish is greatly appreciated and very useful, English is widely spoken and understood in the areas more popular with travelers.

GUATEMALA INCLUSIONS

GUATEMALA INCLUSIONS WHAT S INCLUDED... International flights All meals mentioned and three meals a day during the hike All relevant transfers All relevant accommodation All national park fees, entrance fees, taxes, permits and vehicle entrance fees to all national parks as applicable to the itinerary Services of professional English speaking guides at all times Safe drinking water during the hike 24/7 support and emergency line available throughout the itinerary Equipment hire facilities All camping equipment required on the trek (exc. sleeping bags/mattresses) Porter service you will only need to carry day packs whilst on the trek MAYAN Many believe that the name Guatemala comes from the Maya word Guhatezmalh, that described the volcano near the old capital in Antiqua, the Mountain That Vomits Water. Today the volcano is simply called the Volcan de Agua, Volcano of Water. WHAT S NOT INCLUDED... Evacuation - in event of serious medical injury we will coordinate with your travel insurance company to arrange evacuation Meals and drinks other than those mentioned Tips and gratuities Optional excursions Items of a personal nature such as souvenirs and telephone calls Country visa (if applicable) Travel insurance Vaccinations Personal camping equipment such as sleeping bag and mattress

GUATEMALA OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS What about making the most of your time in Guatemala? After completing such a tough challenge, you might decide to put your feet up for a little while and explore some of the amazing wonders that this great country has to offer. Here are just a couple of examples of how you could choose to finish off your challenge. Tikal Rising above the spectacular rainforest canopy, the temples at Tikal are one of the oldest sites of the precolumbian Maya civilization. They were also one of the biggest, housing as many as 90,000 Maya inhabitants. While the exact number of its ruins remain unknown, several thousand have been accounted for. Tikal is also home to incredible wildlife including howler monkeys, spider monkeys, toucans, anteaters, tarantula spiders and more; so keep your eyes peeled. Caribbean On Caye Caulker, the pace is as slow as the waves, so kick off your shoes and relax in a beach chair or hammock. Much of the activity on the island centres around snorkelling and scuba diving with trips to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Spanish Bay, Caye Chapel, Turneffe Atoll and the famous Blue Hole regularly available. There are also opportunities to go Manatee watching! Here at Really Wild Challenges, we have devised some trip extensions that, we believe, will cater to every taste. Our range of extensions will be available to book 6-months in advance of departure so we will be in touch with you closer to the time to tell you more. *please note that all trip extensions are subject to availability Tikal Maya Civilization