The unique aspect of Quetzaltrekkers, versus the other guided hiking companies in Xela, is that it is run by volunteers, and all profits go to support Escuela de the Calle (EDELAC). EDELAC operates a school that offers educational, nutritional, health, and social assistance to youth at risk of becoming street children. The effort at the school is in prevention. They also offer help to children already on the street by operating a dorm, to provide a safe place to stay when they have nowhere else to go. The goal is to reunite the children with their families, if safe and feasible, or to place them with foster families, closely monitoring and following up as time goes by.

Regular excursions offered by Quetzaltrekkers include:

Tajamulco Volcano: The highest point in Central America, at 4,220 meters. The two-day trip costs 320 quetzales per person and includes guides, equipment, transportation, and food.

Santiaguito Volcano: One of the most active volcanoes in Guatemala. The two-day trip costs 400 quetzales per person and includes guides, equipment, transportation, and food.

Quetzaltenengo to Lake Atítlan: Avoid the bus slog -- go by foot! The three-day trip costs 500 quetzales per person and includes guides, equipment, transportation, and food.

Nebaj to Todos Santos: The traditional Mayan ways are still alive in the Cuchumatanes Mountains. The six-day trip costs 975 quetzales per person and includes guides, equipment, transportation, and food. This trip includes homestays in remote villages and farm visits along the way. This was the one that I really wanted to do, but they had just finished a trip and weren’t offering one for another couple of weeks. Highly recommended!

The gear provided is not always the best. They have some good stuff and some really old stuff, and it just depends on how it gets distributed for all the hikes. If you are feeling especially generous, bring some outdoor gear (tents, tent stakes, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, warm clothing, backpacks, flashlights, etc) to donate. EDELAC school also needs clothing and shoes, school supplies, and medicines.

Finally, there are volunteer opportunities for those wanting to guide hikes for Quetzaltrekkers. I’m not sure if volunteers are accepted at EDELAC or not. To guide, some knowledge of the language is needed, and there is actually some competition for volunteer spots. Contact Quetzaltrekkers in advance if you are interested:

Quetzaltrekkers
@ Casa Argentina
Diagonal 12, 8-37
Zona 1
Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
Phone: (502)761-5865
www.quetzaltrekkers.com
info@quetzaltrekkers.com

As he finished his song, people from six countries applauded. Earlier in the day, our group had hiked most of the way up Tajamulco Volcano together, led by guides from Quetzaltrekkers, a non-profit hiking tour company out of Quetzaltenengo. An hour into the hike, we had gotten a glimpse of our goal for the next morning: the summit of Tajamulco, the highest point in Central America at 4,220 meters.

Our time-battered tents kept the wind out as we slept three people to a shelter. I’m glad it didn’t rain, as I don’t think our tent would have kept the water out. We stumbled out of camp well before sunrise, hoping to make the summit before sunrise. The going was steep, but we had gained most of the elevation the day before. We made the summit before dawn. Unfortunately, the top was socked in. We settled in to wait for sunrise and for the clouds to clear, crossing our fingers and hoping for the best.

I can honestly say that I have never been so cold in my life as I was when we were waiting for that sunrise. Even with our sleeping bags that we had brought to the summit, I felt the cold down to my bones. We all huddled together in a mass. The clouds never did clear all the way, but we got a few brief openings, during which we saw the Mexican border and the Santiaguito and Santa María volcanoes in the distance. Actually, more fascinating was watching how fast the clouds were moving, and how they swirled around, giving peeks at the stars and into the crater.

When we thought we couldn’t get any colder, we hiked around the crater rim and nearly got blown off the mountain. The sun was coming up now, and the views were very beautiful. There was a little less deforestation on this side of the peak. Camp felt very warm when we got back down for breakfast.

I was a little disappointed by the cloudy summit, but even more disappointed that the guides seemed to really rush us back to town. I think they wanted to catch a football game on TV. We had to eat our meager sack lunches while sardined on the chicken bus. That said, I still highly recommend hiking with Quetzaltrekkers.

Read my separate entry on Quetzaltrekkers to find out about other guided hikes, and also about the school for street children supported by the profits from the hiking trips. We were lucky to be joined on our hike by Miguel (age 14) and Daniel (age 13), two of the former street children that have been helped by the program.