OX Expeditions — Attraction in Sacatepéquez

This review is my experience with Ox Expeditions Acatenango overnight tour(not hostel). I hope I'm able to shine light on what to expect but also give feedback to Ox Co. 7/16/19 to 7/17/19.

Review(TLDR at bottom): My gf is American Guatemalan and did the Acatenango tour 5 years ago with Ox and she remembers it was a great experience.

Morning of the tour: Our first mistake was not bringing our own packs since we knew it was included(used to cost extra 5 yrs ago). The reason they are included now is bc its literally the same gear from 5 years ago and they are all very worn packs. It took me 15 minutes to find a decently functioning one. I was stressing out switching from one bag to another when I found broken clips, holes, missing zippers, etc. My gf also was having a hard time and swapped all her stuff last minute when she found major issues with her pack (Pic of mine included which doesnt do it justice). If you backpack often, you know that you need to trust your gear. We were rushing to stay on time and it wasn't pleasant.

Breakfast before the hike was disappointing, I recommend bringing more food in addition to the breakfast as the first part of the hike is intense uphill.

Lunch was an amazing sandwich with different options. Dinner was a good pasta plus warmed sangria (amazing). 2nd breakfast was banana and cinnamon bread plus coffee.

More on gear: They provide good ponchos. The gloves and beanies were pretty worn out and didnt seem too clean (lots of missing pairs). When we returned them sweaty and used, the girl helping us (who was new) said she's not sure if they wash them after each tour and we put them back in same bins we got them out of which a few of us who asked were really upset about. Tents arent horrible but worn. The sleeping pads are very uncomfortable and cheap. Expect little sleep if you're not used to a hard plank.

What you're carrying: They delegate the meals and tent gear through the group, we had 9 total not including guides. When you signup, dont put advanced else you might be carrying the 1-2kg jug of sauce for the pasta dinner which is 1 of 2 for the entire group. My pack was probably about 14-18 kg (30-40lbs) and it was too big on me even after adjusting. I also was delagated a 4 person tent and everyone has to carry their own food and water (4+ liters). Expect at least 14kg on your way up. Also 20 degree sleeping bags are included, mine was fine.

The hike: Its pretty intense uphill the entire first half, not for the inexperienced or if you're not in descent shape. The breakpoints are placed well. 2nd half moves faster as its not as steep.

Overnight: The base camp itself is nothing special but has an amazing view of fuego/valley. There is a 10m circle of trash 30m away from camp to squat and take a dump into/around(its pretty bad). Some other base camps are much more established with telescopes, fire pits with chairs and stable gazebo covers since its windy and rains often in rainy season. Eruptions are far apart so its nice to stay warm and comfortable. For Ox we are literally sitting around a make shift "firepit" that has some trash around it, sitting on the gravel around it to stay warm (no rocks or anything around camp to sit on). The group I was with were great and we made the best of it. Bring plenty of warm clothing.

Tour guides: Alonzo was our guide. Hes an awesome guide, professional and nice to have conversations with. We picked up another guide along the way who was also professional and seemed well-trained. All the guides for most of these tour agencies are local and know each other. Seems like they all help each other out and its great. Great people all around so make sure you tip them well.

TLDR: Pros with Ox: -Great tour guides -Meals overall were great aside from first breakfast -Online guides are very helpful

Cons with Ox: -Expensive for what you get, check out "Whicho and Charlie's" for example -Gear is dated, may not be cleaned frequently, bring your own pack! -Could be better organized overall. -Base camp "bathroom" is an...

I would not recommend this company for the following reasons:

ONE. I felt extreme pressure to keep up with the pace set by the guides throughout.

This is despite meeting all minimum requirements for pace (eg the first checkpoint must be reached in 40 mins and I reached it in exactly 30 but a couple of mins behind the other members of the group). I spent a fair bit of time with the guide Romeo who frequently made comments about hurrying up or “knowing what you signed up for” (unnecessarily combative?) Difficulties with the demanding pace could affect anyone as it’s hard to tell how the altitude and gradient will affect you until you’re on the slopes of the volcano.

I of course appreciate that this is a challenging hike but I really felt confident completing this at the pace I was comfortable with, and the frequent instructions to hurry up transformed it from an enjoyable walk to a miserable one. I think it was downright dangerous that the guide encouraged me to skip breaks on the way down. I cried for a large part of the descent as I had been told by the guide that the bus would leave without me if I finished behind the rest of the group. We finished the trek at exactly the predicted time and were back at the headquarters in Antigua 30 mins early, so there should have been no issues with my pace (and the company themselves emphasise in their documentation that some groups are slow and some are fast so all timings are estimates).

N.B. I know the company usually fatshame customers who criticise them online so, to gauge the required fitness level, I am a 5’3” 28-year old woman of average but not excellent fitness (run twice per week but not fast, have hiked smaller mountains and volcanoes with ease, have completed marathons and triathlons). There were two other women in my group of 13 who were probably of a similar level to me but they didn’t struggle as much as they hired porters to carry their bags. Ox list this trek in their office as “suitable for someone of average fitness” (compared to Fuego, etc, which they list as “above average fitness” or “extremely fit”).

TWO. They sprung two additional charges or potential charges on me.

Firstly, as previously mentioned, the guide told me that the 1 hour bus back to Antigua would leave without me, and explained that I would need to pay for alternative transport (this wasn’t mentioned as a possibility in the briefing or documentation). I did eventually catch the main bus.

I was also charged $3 on my return for a “damaged” sleeping bag liner with a few loose stitches. $3 isn’t bad but this was just everyday wear and tear and seemed stingy to charge. They do tell you to take pictures of your kit beforehand but this damage was very minor and I doubt I would have noticed it.

THREE. Their response to criticism is shocking.

I am anticipating that their official response will be the same as to previous reviewers, with smart-arse, dismissive comments including “we recommend a few less donuts and syrup”, “it seems mother nature is not concerned with your feelings”, “motivational cheerleader guides exist only in your imagination”, “beautiful hike, terrible person”, “you virtue signalling Karen”, and “take the next year and work on your cardio and physical condition”. Surely that attitude alone is enough for anyone to steer clear.

It’s a shame as it’s a beautiful volcano and could be a Central American highlight if completed under different circumstances.

Other comments… Acatenango itself was interesting, eg the alpine forest + cloud forest. There are shops for coffee/ snacks. The base camp toilet is a trek to get to (not good overnight and didn’t feel safe if alone). The food was excellent for hiking… a sandwich for lunch; pasta, banana bread, marshmallows and wine for dinner; plus breakfast on both days. You will need walking poles (100QTD extra). The guides didn’t give us much info about the volcano. At one point they explained a local name for one of the trees, and pointed out the Pacific Ocean… but overall not very...

There are people of all sizes, ages, and athletic abilities who attempt this hike. It's challenging, but YOU CAN DEFINITELY DO IT. I did read a comment to a review from OX Expeditions, and they did write, "are always looking for ways to accommodate all fitness levels."

If you want to avoid discouragement from guides and prefer to set your own pace and not be rushed, consider booking a different tour company for a day hike or even a private one.

Prior to the day of the hike, we went into the office to pay our remaining balance and ask what time we should arrive the following day. Customer Service was fantastic. However, once we returned from the hike, they tried to tell us we we owed $40 more because the rate was $79 per person. Absolutely not, we reserved for $65 per person with a $87 deposit. This was corrected, and the balance was zeroed out.

Moreover, my husband, son, and I went on the Fuego day-hike. Upon arriving at the OX Expeditions office, we were briefed on the estimated hike duration. They provided a sandwich (for lunch) and headlamps. The Trekking Poles were $13 ea USD. We left the office around 4:30 a.m., reaching the starting point of Acatenango around 5:20 a.m. However, we were surprised to find that porters were not available for the day hike.

As we began the ascend, I took breaks, but the guide repeatedly said, "4 more hours of hiking, you’re falling behind, didn't you read the PDF," which was disheartening. By 6 a.m., I reached the first checkpoint (800 meters per the guide). I asked the group how long they were waiting to find out I was only 10 minutes behind them. My husband was 20 minutes behind. After a quick snack, I felt re-energized and ready to continue with the group. However, the guide told the faster hikers to go ahead, assuming I wouldn’t reach the next checkpoint in time. My husband and I were frustrated, as he found me waiting on him with a guide because I was losing time I could have spent hiking. My husband ended up hiking back down alone while I proceeded, but at this time, I had already lost 30 minutes. Feeling pressured to rush up the valcano to meet with the rest of the group, I told the guide I would turn around and meet up with my husband to walk back with him.

We had a small group (7 including us 3). I was expecting the OX Expedition way: "are always looking for ways to accommodate all fitness levels." We could have continued on a good pace, and if we didn't make it to the top then we would eventually see the group descend and obviously descend with them, but at least we can say we challenged ourselves instead of having someone doubt our abilities and force us to quit.

My son arrived at the Acatenango summit around 9:20am, and said it was flat for an hour, and we definitely could have made it. The guide told the group that "due to cloud coverage, it would be pointless to hike fuego." That alone should be discontinued and was not. The group returned to the starting point at 12:00 pm.

Throughout, the guide seemed focused on his watch rather than allowing us the flexibility to challenge ourselves. He even made a rude comment, suggesting I needed to train more. Living in Florida, we don’t have mountains for training, but I’m an active mom of four, 5'5" and 165 lbs, mostly muscle. While descending, my husband and I saw ALL kinds of people—different ages, sizes, and fitness levels—were taking breaks, some even sitting down not even close to 800 meters, but guess what! Their guides were right there, slow pacing it.

This experience left us disappointed. The guide’s impatience and the lack of support affected our journey.

In the end, we're happy our 17-year-old son had a great time and reached the summit, but for my husband and me, this was a less-than-positive experience. We will attempt again with a...