Altun Ha question

I've been reading up on the site, and it seems that most of it is pretty accessible.

My concern is climbing....steep staircases throw me for a loop unless there's a rail to hang on to. It's just a phobia --I can climb a hill without holding onto anything, but not a steep staircase.

am I going to have an issue climbing the ruins?

The Mayans didn't believe in hand rails. The steps are not uniform and aren't regulation 6-8" heights. More like 18-24" heights. . But it's not taboo to crawl up the temples on all fours.

it's not going up I fear...it's the trip down again. but if the stairs are super wide...I can lean on significant other and let him help me balance.

The stairs at Altun Ha that you climb actually aren't original to the ruin- they were built by archeologists during the excavation. They're not particularly steep, but the individual steps are large (both height-wise and width-wise), so they could be difficult for someone with mobility issues, but as far as your phobic issue you should feel pretty stable. I think I remember there being a wooden railing as well for at least part of the way up, but I could be wrong on that point.

The stairs are a bit steep, but doable. The site is worth visiting, even if you don't choose to climb to the top. Many people enjoyed the views from the ground.

When I visited Altun Ha the group of three of us were literally the only ones there (this was in 1990). I remember that climbing up the pyramid was easy, but getting down was scary. I think there was a ladder or something that I was able to use to get down.

Whether you climb or not, it's worth a visit.

We were on the Ryndam and in Belize Wed. Nov. 11. We took the Altun Ha tour through the ship and had a wonderful visit. The site was easy to walk around and I climbed the pyramid that had wooden railings. The steps were irregular and it was mildly strenuous for this in shape senior citizen. If you have difficulty walking or use a cane, I wouldn't climb. Other than that, the walkways were either dirt or grass. We felt we had a very informative tour with a knowledgeable guide named Jake. I think his last name was Martinez.

Take the excursion, it was a great time! They have a handrail on one side for both stairwells. The steps are not uniform, however, it wasn't challenging. I took my time on the way down holding people up (I am 32 and have a slight phobia of climbing down stairs). Everyone is patient, the tour guides encourage slow movements for those who are worried. Don't have any tropical rum drinks for breakfast and you will be fine!

I had a pulmonary embolism (a blood clot went through my heart and landed in both lungs) in July.....I still get short of breath, but I want to climb up and see too. My family is having a fit. They think it will be to much for me. If I start climbing and get "winded" can I just sit and rest and then continue....or would I be in the way???

If there are handrails I will be fine. I climb 3 flights of stairs every morning just to get out of the subway.

I had a pulmonary embolism (a blood clot went through my heart and landed in both lungs) in July.....I still get short of breath, but I want to climb up and see too. My family is having a fit. They think it will be to much for me. If I start climbing and get "winded" can I just sit and rest and then continue....or would I be in the way???

I'd be more concerend with long plane rides and bus rides than climbing stairs. For anyone who has had a DVT or PE, please talk to your doctor before taking long trips!

...and there is nothing wrong with going down sideways, backwards or on your bum! :D We found different 'descent' methods were being used depending on the person, their abilities, height, etc.

When descending from 'Chichen itza' I did a one foot at a time, backwards descent - took a long time and my legs felt like jelly afterwards! Last climb was at Lamanai - wow - hard work and it was roasting in the hot sun! Happened to have a few 6 foot tall firefighters in our group - they literally just 'walked' up the steps normally - and I (who am vertically challenged at 5'1) had to take like 4 steps for their every one.... took me forever - and coming down was hard too but I did it.

Will be visiting Altun Ha in a couple of weeks and hope to add that to the 'temples I have climbed' list! :D