UKH

Going this week to El Salvador for daughter's wedding.

I aim to do El Pital in the next few days, and vaguely acclimatise (2700m).

Then considering in a short time available, climbing Volcan Tajumulco (4200). My daughter and her, to be betrothed, partner say it's not as nice as others in Guatemala, and more difficult to get to: But I would like to do this higher peak.

Any thoughts?

 I did Tajumulco in January 2017 and whilst it wasn't the prettiest mountain I've ever been on I did enjoy it. I was staying in Xela and had gone up Santa Maria (3700-ish) and then wandered into a very small travel agents in a side street that I had seen some days before and advertised Tajumulco.

 All this is from memory and it was a while ago but I am sure I paid about 70$, for that the guy picked me up at 3am from my hotel and I kipped in the back of the car as he drove us there (3h-ish). We walked up and down together at a leisurely pace. There was a ceremony of some sorts on top and a lot of people drinking their home brew. We plodded down and he said it was the second fastest he had ever done it and we were about 10 minutes off his record, I don't remember us going particularly fast. We were back in town the mid afternoon.

 If you have some language skills and a car I don't think you'd need to pay anything, not sure what the security is like and if they advise a guide just to not get robbed.

 If you have time go to Tikkal, they filmed scenes from Empire Strikes Back there. Beautiful place.

My main problem is that I have only a short trip, and unfortunately, it is the rainy season, so I may be caught out by either. 

Unfortunately I don't speak any Spanish, though my daughter speaks excellent fluent Latin American Spanish, but for some reason she is not going to be around after the wedding.

I think that I am probably going to have to use a guide, as I'm on my own. Otherwise, I'm not sure about security as you say, and I am not sure about maps etc, having had no time to prepare...even for the wedding. (That reminds me... no speech written yet.).

Thank you for that.

I would like to go to Tikkal, but it's quite a way off to the east, and I probably cannot do both things, unless I get an expensive small plane to  ?Flores?.

Flores is also very nice.

Sorry I don't have contact details for the guy I went with but it was clear from his shop that it was mountain trip oriented. And he spoke good English. I'm sure there are others too.

Enjoy the trip!

Just to bring things up to date both personally, and wider: I did not go to Tajumulco, as there has been social unrest of a really aggressive way in the last couple of weeks, and at least one person has been shot dead.

I did Acatenango instead, and watched Fuego chuck out red hot lava into the night sky.