I Was Told I Might Never Walk Again, so I Hiked a Volcano in Guatemala

"A volatile twin to Acatenango, it revealed itself when the fog lifted—bright, brilliant, and alive—as the earth growled and pillars of lava burst into the sky, glowing against dusk and lighting up the night again and again until morning. From our cliff‑side camp and the pre‑dawn push higher, I watched it erupt in the distance, a mesmerizing, angry fire framed by thousands of stars; others reached for phones, but I stood in stunned silence, wanting the image etched in my mind before I ever raised a camera. Our guide had promised a 4 a.m. start would bring us closer to its activity, and it delivered: a relentless, spectacular show that felt both dangerous and magnetic from across the saddle." - Tess Moormans