Chichonal Volcano – Hiking to the Summit and Down Into the Crater
About My Visit to the Chichonal Volcano
One of the highlights of my trip to Chiapas and Tabasco was climbing to the Summit of the Chichonal Volcano with the group Jungla Experience. This tour had been on my radar since I learned about the Chichonal Volcano in January of 2020.
I chose to take a tour because it is difficult to get to the Chichonal Volcano, also known as El Chichón, by car. Despite being less than 80 miles from my hotel in Villahermosa, it took over three hours due to the poor road conditions.
The tour that I went on was led by Ramon Rodriguez from the tour company Jungla Experience. I had toured the ruins of the Mayan city of Palenque with Ramon the day before. He was a great guide, and I give him and his company my top recommendation
Joining me on this adventure was around 20 people and one dog, who had traveled from Switzerland to hike with its owners. I thought the $108 price of the tour was extremely reasonable for the services that were provided. Everything was included in that price except lunch which cost an additional $7.
The tour began with a meetup at 5:00 AM at the Anytime Fitness Deporia, which was less than ten minutes from my hotel. We traveled in three vans and made a stop 90-minutes into the trip to buy snacks and use the restroom.
Summiting the Chichonal Volcano - Table of Contents
- About My Visit to the Chichonal Volcano
- Arriving and Getting Ready to Summit the Chichonal Volcano
- Hiking to the River Valley
- Entering and Exiting the River Valley
- Heading Up to the Ridge of the Chichonal Volcano
- The Summit of the Chichonal Volcano
- Climbing Down into the Crater of the Chichonal Volcano
- The Crater of the Chichonal Volcano
- Returning to the Basecamp
- A Video of My Experience Summiting El Chichón
- Chichonal Volcano Tours and Packages
- Support Buzzin’ Around the World – Visit Our Affiliates
- Earning Points and Rewards
- Related Content
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Arriving and Getting Ready to Summit the Chichonal Volcano
After about three and a half hours driving, our group arrived at the Chichonal Volcano Basecamp. The basecamp had toilets and sinks, but there was no running water. To get them to flush, I had to use a bucket of water.
After a quick bathroom break, we gathered around Ramon, who introduced us to the other guides that would be accompanying us on our hike. Ramon then spent some time telling us about the history of the Chichonal Volcano and some information about our hike. Most of this information was spoken in Spanish as I was the only native English speaker on the tour.
Ramon explained that the volcano last erupted in 1982 on three different dates. The dates of the eruption were March 29, April 3, and April 4. Unfortunately, when El Chichón erupted, the villages around were not prepared, and nine of them were destroyed, leading to the deaths of over 1,900 people.
We also were briefed on our hike/climb. The entire round trip would take up to six hours as we would be required to hike 5.5 kilometers in each direction to the summit. Once at the Summit, it was another 200 meters to reach the crater.
Finally, we would have to repeat the 200 meters and 5.5 kilometers to return to the basecamp. This distance included an elevation change of around 600 meters.
At this point, it was time to set out with Ramon and our guides. Ramon led the way, with the other guide taking the middle, and a guide named Rogelio bringing up the rear.
Hiking to the River Valley
Our journey started easy as the first 2 kilometers of the hike were very flat. Despite the temperature being around 95 degrees with a 72 dewpoint, the conditions didn’t seem to be particularly bothersome.
For this first portion of the hike, our group mostly stayed together. A few times, the person behind me got so close that they almost bumped into me when I stopped to take a photograph.
During this portion of the hike, we stopped once or twice to keep the group together and to learn more about El Chichón from Ramon.
Entering and Exiting the River Valley
The first difficult part of the hike came at the river valley. To get down into the valley, we had to climb down a steep drop of around 20 meters. But once down into the river valley, the hike became flat once again. I was glad as I had already consumed about one-fourth of my total water supply.
We stopped for a brief break, and Ramon explained more about the history of the volcano and the devastating eruptions. In addition, we were warned to not drink the water from the river as it had various elements in it that could make us sick. Everyone listened and avoided drinking the water except for the dog.
At this point, we were halfway to the summit, and I was feeling very confident. With a group of over 20 hikers, many experienced, I was leading the way and feeling very energized. This part of the tour is where my overconfidence would become very humbling.
Heading Up to the Ridge of the Chichonal Volcano
The next 2.5 kilometers were at an incline, with an elevation change of almost 600 meters. A constant hike uphill quickly took its toll on me, and I fell behind. Even worse, by the time I got close to the summit, I was completely out of water.
At first, the ridge appeared to be so close, but it was actually so far away. As I began to struggle and get passed by all of the other hikers, I made a goal for myself. I chose a point and told myself to make it to that point and then take a break. After doing that around eight times, I finally made it to a tree where the entire group was resting.
The group had been resting for quite a while, which only gave me about 5-10 minutes to lay down and attempt to regather my energy. Then, once again, we set off towards the ridge.
As before, I quickly fell behind, and after a few minutes, I was by myself heading towards the summit.
Even worse, it was almost 100 degrees, and there were no clouds in the sky. Thankfully, the ridge was now in view, and I joked with myself that if I couldn’t make it, I could spend the night at the campsite that was only about 100 meters from the top of the ridge.
The Summit of the Chichonal Volcano
When I reached the ridge, which I thought was the summit, it actually was a false summit. The actual summit was another 400 meters in the distance. With every last bit of strength, I put my head down and pushed onward until I finally made it to the summit of the Chichonal Volcano.
I was the last one to reach the summit but was only about 10-15 minutes behind the other group members. The view from the top was spectacular, and in all honesty, was like nothing I had ever seen before. Quickly, I began to photograph and take videos as the group was getting ready for the next part of the hike.
Once everyone was ready, Ramon led us another 200 meters around the crater to a point where we could descend into the crater.
Climbing Down Into the Crater of the Chichonal Volcano
To get down into the crater, Ramon explained it was a 200 meter climb that was going to be much more technical than the hike to the summit. It wasn’t overly dangerous as long as three of your four limbs were kept in contact with the rocks.
I told Ramon that I wasn’t going to climb down into the crater as many people in the group had decided to stay at the summit. As everyone else started to climb down into the crater, Rogelio, one of the other guides, told me I would regret not descending.
I took his advice and began the slow climb down into the Crater of the Chichonal Volcano. My height, I am 6 foot 5, worked in my favor, as many times I was able to climb down the rocks like a giant set of stairs.
The Crater of the Chichonal Volcano
After about 30-minutes, I made it down into the crater and was overjoyed. I was also a little worried as I was out of water.
Ramon had extra water with him and gave me close to a liter. He also poured in some electrolytes, which he thought would help with my headache and overheating.
I quickly photographed the crater and decided that I needed to start climbing back up as I knew it would take much longer for me than everyone else.
Returning to Basecamp
The climb back up to the summit was the toughest thing I have ever done in my life. Within the first 50 meters, I was exhausted and not sure if I would be able to make it the other 150 meters. Despite my head start, I was quickly passed by every other member of the group.
After another 50 meters, I was once again out of water and stuck on a ledge. Rogelio refused to leave my side and gave me what remained of his water. With his support, we took it about five feet a time. I would literally climb five steps and then rest for ten minutes. Rogelio also carried my backpack for me, which had my camera and GoPro in it.
Finally, after what seemed like two hours, I made it once again to the summit of El Chichón. At this point, I felt I was home free, as I am a very good hiker when elevation isn’t involved. Hiking down the ridge and then on the flat ground past the river valley didn’t seem nearly as daunting.
As I hiked back towards basecamp, I actually passed a few hikers and got far ahead of Rogelio. When I got to the river basin, I was excited. I knew I couldn’t drink the water, but I wanted to use it to cool down. In my excitement, I missed the entrance out of the river basin and continued a few hundred meters in the wrong direction.
I knew once I couldn’t see the footprints, especially those of the dog, that I was going the wrong way. I turned around and started to trek back and quickly ran into Rogelio, who had been looking for me. The poor man had followed my footprints, sprinting in panic, worried he would lose me.
Eventually, we made it back to the exit of the river basin, which was one final climb. Although it was only 20 meters to climb, it was the toughest 20 meters of my life.
After another 2.5 kilometers of walking on flat ground, I made it back to basecamp, where I was greeted with a standing ovation. I believe it was partially pity applause, but when talking to the group, they expressed their sheer joy that I was able to complete the hike.
I told them I was pretty embarrassed that I was the last one to finish, fell once, got lost, and ran out of water multiple times. One of the group members cheered me up by saying that I shouldn’t feel bad because a fellow climber had a diarrhea bathroom experience climbing back up to the summit and that “stuff” happens, and I should feel good about my accomplishment.
The entire trek was an amazing but humbling experience. I am appreciative of the support I received from my fellow hikers, as well as Ramon and Rogelio.
A Video of My Experience Summiting El Chichón
Below is a video of my journey summiting El Chichón and climbing down into the crater. If you enjoy my video, please like it and subscribe.
Chichonal Volcano Tours and Packages
Linked below is the tour package that I took with La Jungla. If you are interested in touring with Ramon, I would appreciate it if you would book using my link. Please note that as an affiliate of Viator I will receive a small commission if you book using my link. This commission is at no cost to you.
We work hand in hand with the communities of the Zoque culture that live around the Volcano and integrate into our tours in different ways, I already know with food, with native guides, with stories and legends, and above all they teach us to value this type of natural wonders. Remember that our guides are specialized in hiking and nature so they will make you have a pleasant, safe time and especially learning from the place where you are.
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