Tajamulco

The top of Tajamulco, one of thousands of extinct volcanoes in Guatemala, is 4200m (Everest is 8850m, Mont Blanc in the Alps is 4800m and Ben Nevis is 1360m). The plan had been to climb it, camp just below the top and get up in time to see the sun rise from the highest point in Central America.

Most of southern Guatemala is mountainous, at least a mile above sea level; we had a headstart by getting a bus to the top of the pass below Tajamulco, at 2500m. The day was clear and the sun was warm; the views from the pass made the bus journey alone worthwhile.

We started climbing the mountain, literally up into the clouds. We carried backpacks with tents, food, sleeping bags and 4.5 litres of water each, and as the atmosphere got thinner, every step became more and more difficult. The clouds blew over incredibly quickly; the photos in the middle row are the same view with about 30 seconds between each shot. As this happened, the air suddenly became much colder and damper, and as we continued to climb the landscape became barren, rocky and dry - although more as a result of recent deforestation, since there are still patches of alpine trees and shrubs.

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