Canchola Familia Difficulty?

Discussion area for peaks outside of the USA
Forum rules
  • This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
  • Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
  • Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
  • Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
For more details, please see the Terms of Use you agreed to when joining the forum.
Post Reply
User avatar
timf
Posts: 715
Joined: 8/10/2007
14ers: 35  3 
13ers: 27
Trip Reports (2)
 

Canchola Familia Difficulty?

Post by timf »

So we've been emailing the Canchola family and having no response. Are they busy with another line of work outside of the Nov-Mar volcano season?
Have any of you had to call them or have another outfitter lined up as a just in case?

I've heard nothing but good things of the Cancholas, but can't seem to reach them for some reason.
User avatar
speth
Posts: 684
Joined: 4/16/2010
14ers: 58  5 
13ers: 44
Trip Reports (3)
 

Re: Canchola Familia Difficulty?

Post by speth »

timf wrote:So we've been emailing the Canchola family and having no response. Are they busy with another line of work outside of the Nov-Mar volcano season?
Have any of you had to call them or have another outfitter lined up as a just in case?

I've heard nothing but good things of the Cancholas, but can't seem to reach them for some reason.
Someone also recently asked me for the contact information for the Cancholas, said they were having trouble getting a response. Not sure what the story is.

All I want is to just have fun, live my life like a son of a gun
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sarcasm or not, it's not even funny to post something like this. Not at this time. Reported.
User avatar
kaiman
Posts: 1367
Joined: 5/3/2006
Trip Reports (10)
 

Re: Canchola Familia Difficulty?

Post by kaiman »

You may want to try calling them directly instead of emailing. I know their website/email is run by someone in Mexico City who charges them an arm and a leg so they may not be getting their email. Also when I was there last November, the Internet service was pretty spotty and slow in Tlachachuca so maybe they're not online at all right now.
"I want to keep the mountains clean of racism, religion and politics. In the mountains this should play no role."

- Joe Stettner

"I haven't climbed Everest, skied to the poles, or sailed single-handed around the world. The goals I set out to accomplish aren't easily measured or quantified by world records or "firsts." The reasons I climb, and the climbs I do, are about more than distance or altitude, they are about breaking barriers within myself."

- Andy Kirkpatrick
User avatar
speth
Posts: 684
Joined: 4/16/2010
14ers: 58  5 
13ers: 44
Trip Reports (3)
 

Re: Canchola Familia Difficulty?

Post by speth »

kaiman wrote:You may want to try calling them directly instead of emailing. I know their website/email is run by someone in Mexico City who charges them an arm and a leg so they may not be getting their email. Also when I was there last November, the Internet service was pretty spotty and slow in Tlachachuca so maybe they're not online at all right now.
The number I have is 01 245 451 5082

Edit - just to clarify, if you can't speak Spanish, Joaquin is conversational in English, and Maribel can speak English perfectly fine. I'd feel comfortable making plans and accommodations with her over the phone.

All I want is to just have fun, live my life like a son of a gun
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sarcasm or not, it's not even funny to post something like this. Not at this time. Reported.
User avatar
antivoyage
Posts: 22
Joined: 10/17/2015
Trip Reports (1)
 
Contact:

Re: Canchola Familia Difficulty?

Post by antivoyage »

I recently contacted all three of the major guides around Tlachichuca and had the opposite experience. The Reyes that manage Servimont, responded immediately, but then took 4-5 days to get me pricing. The Cancholas who operate SummitOrizaba.com got me pricing within a day. Same for Roberto 'el Oso' Flores who has set up shop a little further up the hill in Zoapan (~3,000 m).

If it helps, I'll leave the pricing for a hypothetical group of four (includes guiding).

Summit Orizaba: $585
Servimont: $347
Orizaba Mountain Guides: $470


timf wrote:So we've been emailing the Canchola family and having no response. Are they busy with another line of work outside of the Nov-Mar volcano season?
Have any of you had to call them or have another outfitter lined up as a just in case?

I've heard nothing but good things of the Cancholas, but can't seem to reach them for some reason.
Last edited by antivoyage on Mon Oct 19, 2015 1:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
Surprise! Mexico has the 3rd tallest mountain in N America at 5,636 m. An affordable, achievable high altitude challenge for trekkers, skiers & climbers. http://anti.voyage @antivoyage
CorduroyCalves
Posts: 1911
Joined: 4/10/2006
14ers: 16 
13ers: 1
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Canchola Familia Difficulty?

Post by CorduroyCalves »

timf and I are going with the Cancholas/Summitorizaba. It's $170pp which includes transportation to/from Piedra Grande Hut, two nights at their hostel with breakfast and dinner, 19L water and fuel. Seems more than reasonable IMO.
Life is too short to pay full retail for outdoor gear!

"God has cared for these trees, saved them from draught, disease, avalanches, and a thousand straining, leveling tempasts and floods; but he cannot save them from fools; only Uncle Sam can do that."--John Muir
User avatar
antivoyage
Posts: 22
Joined: 10/17/2015
Trip Reports (1)
 
Contact:

Re: Canchola Familia Difficulty?

Post by antivoyage »

The unguided options are substantially cheaper, clearly. The Reyes/Servimont said they'd do it for $40 less, but that's for dormitory accommodation.

If you haven't reserved already and you're looking to save a buck, Hotel Gerar is P200 ($12) per night and you can halve what the Cancholas are charging you by hiring a taxi to Hidalgo for P130 ($7.50) and eating locally.

I don't think a tab at the Casa Blanca ever came out to more than P150 ($9) for a dinner with drinks. Tacos at Yilber are like P60 ($3.50) with a beer...

When I was there in January this year, the water source mentioned in the Secor book was steadily trickling in subfreezing temperatures.
CorduroyCalves wrote:timf and I are going with the Cancholas/Summitorizaba. It's $170pp which includes transportation to/from Piedra Grande Hut, two nights at their hostel with breakfast and dinner, 19L water and fuel. Seems more than reasonable IMO.
Surprise! Mexico has the 3rd tallest mountain in N America at 5,636 m. An affordable, achievable high altitude challenge for trekkers, skiers & climbers. http://anti.voyage @antivoyage
Post Reply