San Miguel / Chaparrastique Volcano

December 31, 2022

**Updated 1/1/23 - video**

What a gem of a day today was! I had an extra day in Usulatan, so, on a whim and just by researching other YouTube videos, I found the Whatsapp number of a guide to go to Volcan Topaca. It didn't really look anything near the Santa Ana volcano, but I thought, what the hack - I needed to get out of this roach motel. I contacted Francisco about Volcan Topaca, and he asked if I was sure I didn't want to do the San Miguel Volcano instead. I really did want to do that, but I thought it was closed do to the fact it had just erupted a month ago, but he said it was open, so, by 8:30 last night we had confirmed all the logistics of picking me up from my hotel in the morning.

Here are some stats about this volcano, called either San Miguel or the Chaparrastique Volcano:

It is one of the most active volcanoes in El Salvador and Central America, erupting over 30 times in the last 300 years. Most recently in 2005, 2013, 2014, 2016, and Nov 29, 2022.
It is the 3rd highest volcano in El Salvador at 2,130m, but only by about 200 meters from first.
It is not summited by many people. This is because it is freakin' hard! Our group of 4 people were the only people we saw on the mountain all day.
Out & back distance: about 7.5 miles, elevation gain about 3,500 ft.

Francisco arrived about 6:30 with friends Fausco and Kevin, and we got to the parking area (house of someone he knows apparently) about 7:00. Fuasco was actually from Monterrey, CA, but had also lived in El Salvador for a while too. We shared some hiking stories - turns out we had both climbed half-dome in Yosemite recently. The climb up went through wildflowers, several coffee fields (of two different types of plants), avocado and mango trees. Side trivia note: One of El Salvador's largest sources of revenue is coffee and sugar cane exports.

It was the perfect day as far as temperature and visibility goes! When we got to the top, it was actually a bit chilly. Our guide, Francisco, put on an extra layer, but it was not that cold to me still. And not anywhere near as windy as Volcan Santa Ana was ~a week ago. It was such a treat having the whole place to ourselves on the top! We had lunch and then descended down into the crater for a bit. So many great pictures below! It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do this hike right after an eruption just a month earlier. We say so many rocks that got launched out of the crater and make impacts into the ground. Ash and mud were everywhere still. Hardly anyone had been up since that eruption - I felt like truly some of the first ones to witness some of these sights after it occurred. Francisco even had said in the 65 times he had been up here that he had not seen some of these sights. Finally we went down in a different way that afforded some skiing down in our shoes.

I don't have good internet where I am at now, so I will post an update when I get the video edited in a couple of days - you won't want to miss that one either!

Road block on the way to the volcano (very common in Central America)

I tried both the red and yellow coffee beans. They actually tasted like coffee! Sweet too!

Impact site of rocks after being launched out of the crater

Now this is actually a super-interesting picture! Can you figure it out? This rock was seen about 200 meters from the crest - it rolled down at laid to rest at this spot. it was so hot still that it burned the nearby plant! Only a month old rock still.

Small crater from impact of a rock coming down last month

At the very summit (if you can call it that)!

From left to right - me, Fausco, Franscisco (guide), and Kevin

It only took about 2 hours to come down, vs about 4 going up.

A butterfly back at the truck that I could not resist taking a pic of.

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