Now (as of September 2015) there is an access fee charged at the trail head just outside of la Soledad. It is 50Q if I remember correctly. Further up the route it needs to be presented and a short survey/registration is filled out with the purpose of the climb and demographic data
Apparently since they started collecting entrance fees, robberies are no longer common along the La Soledad route.
There are at least 3 different ways to reach the summit via the La Soledad trail:
1. Up the trail from the fee station a ways is a sign for "Al Conejo" and a trail to the left. It seems this is the route most commonly taken by guided groups, and it leads to camps on the east side of the summit, which can be accessed via a trail from those camps.
2. Staying to the right at the "Al Conejo" junction leads to another junction called "The Y" with a few campsites. The trail to the left goes to the saddle between the two summits of Acatenango, where one could follow the ridge to either. This ridge is notoriously windy and cold (a local guiding agency calls it "the refrigerator").
3. Staying to the right at "The Y" leads to an area with many well-developed campsites on the west side of the summit, with great views of Fuego. A good trail up through these camps leads directly to the summit.
We took a taxi from Antigua to the trailhead at La Soledad. The price probably was not very competitive (400Q one way) but the service was reliable and safe. Ask for Julio Villar at the central plaza in Antigua (or your hotel attendant may look him up).
There is an easy way to get there from Antigua for 10Q.
First from the terminal (or from the crossroads towards Jocotenango) get on a bus to Parramos. That's 3Q. Get out at the park and ask for busses to Yepocapa. Both chicken busses (7Q) and minibusses (10Q). Get out right at La Soledad. It's quite regular service. It will take about an hour - one and half hours to do this trip from Antigua to La Soledad.
Do notice that the camp sites facing Fuego are now privatized. If you want to camp there, don't go on a weekend, arrive a bit late and take a spot where there are no tents. We could find a spot where a guy called Antonio told that it actually belongs to his agency, but as no one is there right now, we can camp there. He even brought us fire wood with diesel for free. It's not allowed to camp on the crater and I wouldn't recommend it either for the extreme cold and wind - 6 young climbers lost their lives there in 2017 which is why they have increased security significantly, making sure everyone traveling without a guide has the right equipment and experience.
Istvan_miko@hotmail.com - Sep 7, 2015 2:51 pm - Hasn't voted
Red TapeNow (as of September 2015) there is an access fee charged at the trail head just outside of la Soledad. It is 50Q if I remember correctly. Further up the route it needs to be presented and a short survey/registration is filled out with the purpose of the climb and demographic data
metal4lyf - Nov 22, 2015 8:42 pm - Hasn't voted
La Soledad Route NotesApparently since they started collecting entrance fees, robberies are no longer common along the La Soledad route.
There are at least 3 different ways to reach the summit via the La Soledad trail:
1. Up the trail from the fee station a ways is a sign for "Al Conejo" and a trail to the left. It seems this is the route most commonly taken by guided groups, and it leads to camps on the east side of the summit, which can be accessed via a trail from those camps.
2. Staying to the right at the "Al Conejo" junction leads to another junction called "The Y" with a few campsites. The trail to the left goes to the saddle between the two summits of Acatenango, where one could follow the ridge to either. This ridge is notoriously windy and cold (a local guiding agency calls it "the refrigerator").
3. Staying to the right at "The Y" leads to an area with many well-developed campsites on the west side of the summit, with great views of Fuego. A good trail up through these camps leads directly to the summit.
We took a taxi from Antigua to the trailhead at La Soledad. The price probably was not very competitive (400Q one way) but the service was reliable and safe. Ask for Julio Villar at the central plaza in Antigua (or your hotel attendant may look him up).
AnniinaH6C9trXd - Jan 6, 2020 3:22 am - Hasn't voted
Public Transport from AntiguaThere is an easy way to get there from Antigua for 10Q.
First from the terminal (or from the crossroads towards Jocotenango) get on a bus to Parramos. That's 3Q. Get out at the park and ask for busses to Yepocapa. Both chicken busses (7Q) and minibusses (10Q). Get out right at La Soledad. It's quite regular service. It will take about an hour - one and half hours to do this trip from Antigua to La Soledad.
Do notice that the camp sites facing Fuego are now privatized. If you want to camp there, don't go on a weekend, arrive a bit late and take a spot where there are no tents. We could find a spot where a guy called Antonio told that it actually belongs to his agency, but as no one is there right now, we can camp there. He even brought us fire wood with diesel for free. It's not allowed to camp on the crater and I wouldn't recommend it either for the extreme cold and wind - 6 young climbers lost their lives there in 2017 which is why they have increased security significantly, making sure everyone traveling without a guide has the right equipment and experience.