Glowpunk Crew climbs a Volcano in Antigua

THE ‘GLOWPUNK CREW’ CHASE ADRENALINE IN ANTIGUA GUATEMALA.

Very few life experiences can beat the feeling you get when you reach the summit of a 13,041ft Volcano, however mountain biking down a volcano as fast as you dare is a close contender!

For this trip I recruited three old friends from the Officer Corps of the  Irish Army. Lieutenant Shane Doyle, Lieutenant Diarmaid Collins and Lieutenant Colm Hogan. We had trained and served together in Ireland and now we had the chance to travel together in one of the most beautiful, interesting and culturally rich parts of the world.  When I emailed them to see if they wanted to come on this trip their email reply was simple “ LEAVE GRANTED, TICKETS BOOKED!”… God I love military efficiency!

We quietly slipped out of our hostel residence at 5am and made our way through the beautifully moon lit cobbled streets of  Antigua, Guatamala. If we were to make it to the top of the Mt. Acatenango and down again in one day we needed to start early. This is not a forgiving mountain.  Most people who climb it suffer from mild altitude sickness. (Which our helpful guide helped us combat with an Aspirin tablet.)The work rate involved in climbing this natural speed bump is much higher than your average low altitude climb because of decreasing availability of oxygen as you ascend.  Fortunately for the tired climber there is much beauty, adventure and adrenaline to distract you from the work induced pain.

The adventure began before the climb. Our transport stopped along the way to pick up armed security for our ascent. Armed bandits operating in the area have made this a wise precaution. We chatted a little and joked about military tactics with them but it was clear that there was a real threat and that they were taking their job very seriously.

 The protected transport made its way for the best part of an hour along a muddy road winding it’s way through the dense Guatemalan jungle. Our driver finally deposited us at the start of a mountain track which due to recent rain looked more like a dry river bed.  After a quick check of equipment and a few mouthfuls of water we were on our way. (A local dog who obviously knew the area well, followed us all the way up and down for a handsome reward of a handful of biscuits and a bit of a homemade sandwich.)

 

 

The climb took us through  Mayan “Farmland,” Lush cloud Forest, ” high “Alpine Forest” and finally into “The Volcanic zone.”  All the way up we were rewarded by panoramic views, until we got close to the top  and the weather closed in on us. Our guide informed us that at altitude lightning is a real danger. I guess being the only conductor on what is otherwise bare volcanic rock is not a good place to be. Thankfully the cloud that stole our panoramic view from the peak of Acatenango decided to show us some mercy and leave us lightning bolt free. The climb up took us close to 7 hours. The fast descent took us less than 3.

We sprinted down whenever we could, sliding and falling every few hundred metres on the loose volcanic rubble, enjoying the euphoric natural high and invincibility to pain the adrenaline gave us. Lt. Collins was in his element. At home in Ireland he regularly competes and wins mountain running races that take up to 36hrs to complete (“Beast of Ballyhoura.”)The descent was fast but the real speed and adrenaline rush came the following day when the “GLOWPUNK CREW” decided to rent some specialized downhill mountain bikes and speed through jungle tracks on the side of a volcano. To be continued…

By Glowpunk. :)