Volcan Santo Tomas

Volcan Santo Tomas

Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 14.71000°N / 91.479°W
Additional Information Elevation: 11621 ft / 3542 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

Volcán Santo Tomás (also known as Volcán Pecul) is a large eroded stratovolcano located across a valley SE of Santa María volcano. Divided by Quetzaltenango and Solola districts. The summit of the volcano is capped by late-Quaternary andesitic tephra. A winding ridge connects Santo Tomás to Volcán Zunil, 4.5 km to the NE, a 3542-m-high stratovolcano that forms the topographic high point of the Santo Tomás - Zunil complex. Volcán Zunil is located on the SW rim of the 4-km-wide, 600-m-deep Tzanjuyub caldera, which is breached to the south by the Río Masa. Several lava domes are located on the caldera's northern flank and the NW flank of Volcán de Zunil. The youngest dome, Zunil was last active about 84,000 years ago. No Holocene eruptions are known from Santo Tomás, although it was included in the Catalog of Active Volcanoes of the World based on its geothermal activity. Solfataras and thermal springs are located on the west side of the ridge between Santo Tomás and Zunil.
Zunil and Santo Tomas peaksTwins volcanoes Zunil and Santo Tomas



Getting There

A) SHORT TRAIL (7 kms)
By bus or car from Guatemala city to Quetzaltenango (201 km). then go to the Zunil village (9km), redirect to Fuentes Geoginas (8 km). Chicken buses are very common, not to the last part to Fuentes Georginas, you need to look for a minibuses.

6 hours from Fuentes Geoginas to summit and back in 4 hours. In the begining is only a main trail, some minutes after is a crossrail, left go to Zunil volcano and Right to Santo Tomas.

B) LONG TRAIL (22 kms)From Filon Nahuala, is a 22 km hiking normally takes 3 days go and back.

C) EXTRA LONG HARD TRAIL 2 volcanoes (42 kms in only one direction) RECOMMENDEDOnly By bus recommended from Guatemala city to Alaska summit (149 km), starting to walk direct to "Las Antenas", this is the direct path to some villages and Zunil volcano. Zunil and Santo tomas are twins volcanoes. Trails is easy to follow, not problems at all. last time I spent 15 hours to Santo Tomas Summit. next day 4 hours to descent to Fuentes Geoginas, great place to finish this trip with all the facilities medical, camping, communication, restaurant and delicious thermal baths.

volcan Santo TomasBig ascents and descents to complete the long route 42km one way


Red Tape / Camping

Red TapeRoute B or C are free access. Route A is a little fee to entrance to Fuentes Georginas.

CampingOnly in Route A you will get any facilities you want. medical assitence, camping area, communications, restaurant and thermal baths.

Route B or C, NO facilities at all. Get prepare with enoght water and food.
Volcan Santo TomasViewed from Santiaguito's Volcano