| Report Type | Full |
| Peak(s) |
Pico de Orizaba - 18491 |
| Date Posted | 02/10/2013 |
| Date Climbed | 01/18/2013 |
| Author | herdbull |
| I climbed a really big rock with ice on it (Orizaba-Mexico) |
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Let me start off by warning you that this will be long, full of punctuation errors and crap and more than likely borderline boring but I figured I should put together a trip report of my recent solo trip to Mexico while it's still some what fresh in my mind. I also warn you that me is no writer, nor do I want to be. This TR will also not win any awards or honors but I figured someone out there might benefit from it as I have of other trip reports. Did I mention that it's long, very long  . So Bill, please don't hate me for taking up half a server with this report.I'm just an everyday average Joe from NE WI who sits at his desk all day and dreams about climbing big mtns. Well, on this one day & one trip my dream came true. I'm not a superstar mtn climber and I don't live at 5000'-6000' and get to take trips up into the mtns on the weekends. I live here, in WI, where there is no mtns and no altitude to speak of. Consider this more than just a trip report though, consider it a recollection of the entire trip and a way for me to share the whole experience with everyone. For others that have done it maybe there's a couple things they can relate to in this maybe not. Maybe they won't even read it, personally, I don't give a crap. This was big for me, as big as it gets. I had a lot riding on this trip. 5 days to fly there and back, acclimate and climb. How hard can it be   Looked good on paper. Fly, take bus and 4x4 jeep 6 hours out into the middle of nowhere in Mexico, climb big rock with ice on it, return home. For the better part of almost 20 years I've been chasing deer and elk around the mtns of Utah, Colorado and Arizona but always found myself climbing the nearest peak and taking pics while watching the sunrise. So in the fall of 2011 I decided to just leave the hunting gear at home and head out to climb 14ers. First up Longs Peak via the loft route. Hey, go big or go home right? I should mention a few months earlier a buddy and I were out in Co and I attempted Longs up the same route. It was still snowed in and a technical climb in early July. I made it as far as the notch and turned back due to weather paranoia. My ax and crampons had arrived in the mail the week before we left. Yeah, I was green, as green as it gets. The second trip in Sept. was a success and I was already "hooked" from my July attempt. I returned in the summer and fall of 2012 to knock out 29 more and started to turn my sights onto bigger things. One thing led to another, reading trips reports, internet research, talking with others..... and I found myself staring at a trip to Mexico to climb Pico de Orizaba at 18,491'. November was crazy with ordering gear, trying it out, more research, more gear. By the first week in Dec everything was here and being put through the motions. I felt if I ordered anything else I should leave a trip for the Fedex man  . Somewhere in the neighborhood of 16 or 17 packages came to my house in a very short time. I was in gear utopia!I found a local ski hill that allowed me train after 10pm and before 10am. So train I did. Mind you this "ski hill" barely has contour lines on a 7.5 min quad map but it's all I had. It wasn't so much for the physical part of it but getting used to the gear, trying to break it and break it in. Especially the Nepal Evos which pretty much break your feet in not the other way around. By Jan. 1st I was ready, everything was tweaked, adjusted and ready to go, as was I. Here I want to thank SurfNTurf & Iman and the group of 5 for their trip and wonderful trip report from earlier in November. It pretty much was the deciding factor in me making this trip happen. So I'm kind of returning the favor for someone else who may be on the fence. It came down to it really was as easy as getting on a plane to Mexico, climbing a mtn, and flying home. I went with one purpose and one purpose only and that was to see how the body would handle big altitude and how well the mind would hold up. The mental challenges that presented itself far outweighed the physical challenges for me on this climb. I don't even ever remember breathing heavy or being "out of breath" on the whole climb but yet was mentally exhausted by the time I reached the summit. But I also don't remember some of the fine details of the last hour or so of the actual climbing. For me anyways, I wasn't looking around, checking stuff out, smelling the roses..... no time for that. It was 100% focus on the task at hand. This is by far the biggest accomplishment of my life, one of the biggest physical challenges and by leaps & bounds the biggest mental challenge I've ever encountered. Not to mention traveling into Mexico solo, without speaking the language and ending up in some small village in the middle of nowhere. What a ride it was and what a wonderful experience and a wonderful mountain. For those of you that climb 14ers this climb made those seem like a walk in the park. Like a simple walk to the grocery store to pick up bread and milk. You just battle so much more at these altitudes than you do in the states. It changes things when you have to deal with the altitude, low o2 levels and somewhat of a strenuous climb. This climb makes most 14ers look like a simple walk up. It's more a battle against the altitude than the climb itself. I knew physically I was ready but was worried about the trip through Mexico and traveling in a foreign country where you don't speak the language. Did I mention I was going solo? I knew uno words in Spanish and that was uno . Screw it, a few emails later with the wonderful people at Summit Orizaba who came highly recommended and things were in motion. Everything that was relayed to me about the Cancholas was spot on. The Mexican hospitality was/is second to none and the closeness of the family was great to see. Staying with them was the icing on the cake and as big a part of the trip as the climb itself. I think we here in the states could learn a thing or 2 about family values, hospitality and how wonderful family can be. They truly do let you into their lives while you are there.I told you this was long and I haven't even gotten to the trip yet. Now where was I.... oh yeah the trip. I had an early 5:50am flight out of Appleton, WI. Well it was 6:00am and I was still standing at the terminal. Delta had me on a 50 min layover (gulp) in ATL. 20 mins late departing left me pulling an OJ through the airport. And no, I wasn't trying on black leather gloves that were too small. Last one on the plane to Mexico City with about 2 mins to spare before the door closed. Let me tell you it's a long run from C37 to E33 in ATL. Here's where it hit me for the first time, 90% of the people on this plane did not speak English as their first language or English at all. Holy crap, I'm going to Mexico  ! After deplaning and heading towards the country check-in point I searched out another American and started to talk with him. He had done this dozens of times and told me some of the stuff to watch out for and how the whole process works. It's pretty easy, wait in line, give them the form, then go get your bags and head out. Important note here, bring a black pen with you in your carry-on. You will need it for the forms and more than likely the flight attendant won't have one. It saves time at the check-in process. And learn some Spanish too!While in line I met a 19 year old girl from the states, she was alone, heading to see the sights and hostel jump. her first time in Mexico too so I think she was also searching out for fellow English speaking friends. I give her all the kudos in the world. What an adventure she was going to have. Upon getting your bags go through the minimal security check point and head to the right. Do a $$ exchange at one of the numerous places and head on out the big set of glass doors to the bus terminal. As was passed on to me when exchanging money wait till your farther towards the bus station. Don't go to the very place you see because more than likely they have a different (lower) exchange rate than if you wait. Cancholas take U.S. Dollars so I only exchanged $80. That should cover the bus fare, some minimal food and maybe some other things in Tlahchichuca. The bus station is right there through the door and actually pretty small. You can't miss it. Go to the (https://www.estrellaroja.com.mx/) ticket counter and grab your round-trip (redondo) ticket (billete) to CAPU in Puebla for 420 pesos and wait for the proper bus. I emphasize proper bus.  This is where some Spanish may come in handy. There are no monitors, scrolling displays or signs for the buses that are coming and going. Sometimes they announce them most of the time they do not. Every time a bus would pull in I would show my ticket to the lady at the security screening area because you really didn't know which one it was going to be. She kept saying next bus, next bus in English. Well so has it "next bus" came and went....  with my bag on it! They gladly and easily exchanged my ticket for the next bus. My one and only concern was my bag, which had all my gear in it. Uhhgg. Where would it end up? Would my trip be done before it started? About 10 mins before my actual bus arrived she motioned for me to come over and sent me through the check point and out towards where the bus was arriving. I jokingly grabbed my ear and pulled myself through the checkpoint. They all laughed and smiled. I was told by a new friend before I left that smiles and laughter break language barriers. He was right. I was assured everything was ok and my bag would be waiting for me in Puebla. This bus was fantastic, complete with movie, choice of beverage and a small gift bag of treats. So I kicked back and enjoyed the views out the window as we cruised through Mexico City. Tadaaaa..... there it was. All locked up and waiting for me. I grabbed that and headed towards my departure terminal to Tlahchichuca and timed it perfect as the bus was just ready to leave. 58 pesos later and we're off. It was now almost 6pm and getting dark. An hour later and it's pitch black. and I mean pitch black. Not much for lights in the middle of nowhere in Mexico. Leaves one a little uneasy. Riding along into the dark of night not knowing basically anything. Makes for one heck of an adventure! Another hour or so goes by and I'm thinking I missed my stop. I have no idea where else this bus might be going so I pull out the instructions from the Cancholas (thank you for these) and ask the senorita in front of me for some input. I point to the paper which is in Spanish and point behind, then point to the paper and point forward. I do this a couple times and she points behind..... I'm instantly struck with fear and overcome with an unexplainable emotion. The fear that I'm now riding into who knows where in Mexico. The next 15 mins are filled with anxiety, fear, caution.... and whatever else. where will I end up?Then there it is...    I was up early the next morning, maybe 5:30. Finalized the gear, showered and went looking for cafe. Me's gotta have my cafe in the morning. Low and behold Maribel is whipping up a Mexican feast for breakfast. Her cooking is excellent and you won't be hungry or leave hungry. The food just keeps coming and coming and coming. She assured me again that my $$, passport and other stuff that I wasn't taking up the mtn was safe in my room. Some more cafe and I decided it was time for a quick walk around the city center and then off for the hut. Man, what a sight when you open that door  It was just me today and we were on the road around 11:00am.   My driver swept up, picked up garbage and did some other housekeeping before departing. I think he was there for maybe an hour. Not knowing me and my abilities I also think he hung around to see how I handled 14K and to check me out before leaving me alone. They all seem to take care of the place (climbers hut) as if it's there own. The place looks to be in pretty good shape too. It appears to have a new concrete roof, an additional room on the back end that is maybe going to be the "kitchen" area. Bathroom maintenance is also evident. Home sweet home for up to 60 climbers. About 2 hours later another group from town arrived and I moved to the small hut. Which has also seen some recent maintenance. I was settled in when 2 guys from AK asked if they could bunk with me. Heck yeah it was good to have some company. Another hour and they were settled so I took off around 3:45 for an acclimation hike.  It was going to be the longest "short night" of my life and sleep would be hard to come by. I crawled into the bag sometime around 7:00 pm with the alarm set for 1'ish. 8 o'clock, 9 o'clock, 10 o'clock.... why can't I sleep? Slight fever, HR a little elevated... hmm.... this wasn't good. Next thing I know the alarm is going off and I hadn't slept a wink. (1) 7 min. snooze and I dragged my hinder out of the bag. Initial o2 levels in the 70's WTF , really. I was worried. Then it hit me, 3 guys sleeping in a little tin can without a lot of fresh air movement. So I went outside to use the restroom and let the body take in some good fresh mountain air for 10 mins or so. Levels immediately started to rise and within mins was hanging around 88. What a mental relief.As I was standing out there another big group from the main hut was heading out. It looked to be around a dozen or so. It was game on now after being totally rejuvinated by the o2 readings. After no sleep and really only feeling about 50% that was the only spark I needed. Boiled some water for some coffee, I know, not the beverage of choice but I love me some coffee in the morning. I had packed along some of my signature home made muffins for the trip and slammed that down. Topped it off with 24oz of water while gearing up and it was out the door I went. I know the other 2 guys didn't give me a chance in hell at this point and quite honestly, neither did I. I even made that comment in a short video I took right outside the hut as I headed up the aqueduct. HERE I GO, 2am, 30 degrees, clear skies, an absolute gorgeous morning to go climb a big rock with ice on it. The huge first mental hurdle of the trip had been overcome.... getting out of that warm and cozy bag on zero sleep and really not feeling all that great but heading down the trail anyway. Cause that's what I do and that's why I'm here. Little did I know how much this mental toughness was going to pay off later. The climb starts out somewhat uneventful. You cruise up the aqueduct, veer to the right and start climbing through the rocks. This area is much like climbing most any 14er, loose rock, dirt, not overly steep. The Nepal Evos aren't the greatest boot in this terrain and if you had a lighter pair of hikers it might be beneficial to wear them starting out. Staying farther to the right as you pick your way through the lower end was the route of choice this year as well. It's pretty straight forward and easy to follow. I still have this sense that I can't believe this is it, I'm actually doing it. Wow, 1 lone headlamp heading to the summit of the 3rd tallest peak in N.A. I smile , this is awesome. I'm now about to where I turned around yesterday. I'm maybe an hour or 90 mins into it and lovin it. All the crappy feelings I had when I got up are gone. Even though I'm gaining altitude and working I'm feeling better with each passing minute. In fact I feel strong, real strong. It's haul ass time! Another hour passes through the rocks and I see head lamps. Within a half hour in the rocks I pass a rope team and head for the next one. The group of 11 is in 3 teams. They don't say much at all. They speak English as I heard them talking but they really didn't acknowledge me as I pass them. Just about to the Labyrinth now and I catch the next rope team but things come to a screeching halt as they set anchors and head up the ice. I'm torn.... do I pass, or do I stay behind, once they get moving they are going at a pretty good clip and I feel in the way so I let the 3rd team catch back up their group. At this point the trail is still obvious, even in the dark. We leap frog a bit more on some different routes through the Lab but both end up at the glacier at about the same time. It's now 6:15am. I'm somewhere near 16,250' standing at the bottom of a glacier and staring at what lies ahead of me as the sun just starts to lighten things up enough to where you don't need a headlamp. WOW....  Man I feel like a million bucks, I can't believe it. I'm still waiting for the effects of the altitude and ever thinning air to take hold. Over hearing some of their conversations they aren't doing nearly as well. I give them a 10-15 min head start out onto the glacier but catch them very quickly. Torn again on what to do  I tell myself this is now their summit, they were first on the mtn so they deserve the honors. I wouldn't pass a single one of them even if I feel I could and even if they stop for hours. They would summit first, it just seemed like the right thing to do. I relayed this to the last rope team as I stopped with them during a break. Not sure if they took it in the right context but I just wanted them to know I'd push their sorry butt to the summit if I could or had to just as long as they were there first.The route is easy to follow at this point... angle to the right and then work your way back to the left and stay to the right of the big rock. You can't miss the rock. It's slow going, right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot and so on and so forth. Another hour and they stop for a break. I hang at the back end not getting in their way and letting them do their thing as I do mine. Some short videos and a few pics but this is no place to mess around. One must stay 100% mentally attached and focused on what they are doing. We're probably around 17,200'  A guy at the back end of the group tells me I look strong. Amazingly I feel strong, no affects of standing almost 3000' above my previous maximum altitude. Take in some food and water and off I go. I let the group get 5 mins in front of me to stay out of harms way in case of a slip but I catch them quickly (again). Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot.  17,800' brings another stop and one of the guides has to turn back. He can't handle it today. I'm still feeling near 100%  Come to find out in talking they had hit Izta and Popo in the week leading up to this climb and some of them were pretty accomplished mtn climbers with some world traveling experience. What a boost, feeling strong and hearing praise from other climbers. But in the back of mind thoughts of "when" still lingered. When would the altitude be a factor. All the years of training, running, lifting and leading a very healthy lifestyle make the physical part of this climb very manageable for me. I love this sh!t. A push to about 18,100 or so yields a small 2 min break before the final push to the summit  I'd say the last 600'+ of vert on the climb is literally chopped into the ice. Almost like steps. Onward and upward......18,200' WHAM just like a damn freight train . I'm hit with instant nausea, body aches, head aches and just an all around crappy feeling. At that very instant I wanted nothing more than to be back at the hut or at the hostel enjoying some fresh baked goods. But you can't think about that stuff. Focusing is harder and harder, oh no.. what is happening. I tune it out and concentrate even harder on the task at hand left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot, that sound of crampons and ice is there leading me to the summit. Now is the time to mentally push through it all. For the first time the trip has become hard, very hard but don't think about it, left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot. My mind is now mentally numb...... then..... just like that I hear them yell in front of me.... 30 feet, 20 feet, 10 feet.... I'M HERE!!!     Even now it still sends chills down my spine. I'm at the summit and the huge, massive mental weight that the climb puts on you has been lifted. I pushed through the last few hundred feet and the hardest thing I've ever done in my life and I'm here. It's sunny, warm, maybe 40-45. I get a hug from Anne (cause she's a hugger) a few other congrats from the group and I'm off to the side to enjoy the short moment on the summit by myself. A quick check of o2 levels shows me at 73 and a HR of 79. Not to shabby considering less than 52 hours earlier I was standing at my terminal waiting to board a plane at 780'. Not to mention at this point I have been up for 28 hours straight without sleep with roughly an 8 hour ascent to the summit. I snap a couple pics of the group for them, take in some water and food and prepare for the journey down. I realize now I haven't brought enough food and maybe not enough water. So I sort of ration both on the descent. Things are becoming easier the longer I'm on the summit but within 15 mins or so it's time to head down.  The trip down the glacier is uneventful and before you know it you're back down to the rocks and have stripped off most of the heavy layers. I search for my sunscreen only to find it later in the hut under my sleeping bag , uhggg. So a slightly burned neck is obtained on the descent. Back at the top of the Lab I talk with one of the guides and tell him they left an hour before me. At first he hardly even acknowledges me. I think he's pissed and I think he thinks I had a free ride but I tell him that's not the case. He asks if I'll help and carry ropes down for them and my response is HELL YES! Cause I love this mtn stuff, all of it, whether I was a part of it or not, I just love it. Plus it was a show of good faith for the "other" hostel/climbing group in Tlachichuca. I didn't want to create any waves. The weather is absolutely gorgeous and I have nothing else to do on this trip but get home. I had 2 days set aside to climb. Today (Friday) or the next day as my return flight out wasn't until Sunday afternoon. I stick around and help pulls ropes for them and offer to carry them to the hut but they insist that the bottom of the Lab is fine. I'm still smiling even though I just ate the last bit of my food and still have maybe 90 mins down. An uneventful trek down through the rocks. It's now maybe 50ish, sunny, no wind, so I set into a nice slow stroll down. Finally to the aqueduct and a few mins later I'm at the hut. I still feel pretty good as I meet my driver, shake hands and congrats are had all around. What a great day, a great experience and a great accomplishment. I fire up the stove for a mtn house on the ride down as I pack up gear. Adios hut. It's just me on the way down so I get the front seat and manage to eat an entire mtn house without dripping/spilling any on that rocky trip down the mtn. We stop for a couple pics on the way down and before you know I'm catching a nice warm shower and inhaling food back at the Hostel. It's around 6pm now and there's some other climbers that have come in. I talk with them go over the routes and discuss conditions. I'm still smiling as I head off to bed around 10pm and dream of the days events. What a day, what a wonderful day. I'm up the next morning around 5:30, grab a shower, mess with dirty gear and head in for breakfast. I ask if I can head back up the mtn. They look at me like I'm crazy. I have the day to hang out why not spend it hanging at an internationally known climbers hut? She says sure, as long as there's room, climbers and gear first. With a couple hours to kill I head the few blocks over the city center and enjoy the atmosphere. It's nice, it's amazingly safe for a small village in the middle of nowhere and even pretty clean. I recommend heading over there the night before and grab some fresh baked goods for the breakfast and to take up the mtn. 11:00am and the next group is going up. 2 jeep fulls but there's room for me in the back in the form of a makeshift bench seat. Yippeeee I get to go back up to the hut  We stop for a bathroom break and to lock in 4 wheel drive and I grab some video of the mtn.   Upon arriving I check o2 levels.... 93!  So we unload everything and people are gathering gear, organizing, everyone's everyone's happy and chatty. By now the hut has maybe 20-25 people in it and the other smaller hut has filled up too. There's even a handful of tents being put up. Which brings me to the mice. We battled with them for the first 20-30 mins in the small hut. The second you turned off the flashlight you could hear them climbing and running around. If you stay in there put every single thing used for cooking, during cooking and all your food and water bottles in a duffel or sealable bag right away. These things were into everything we had out. Even the windscreen for my stove. You may even be able to bait them outside with some food. That way at least they are out there and not inside. I also suggest a tent either bring one or rent one as there's enough flat open places right there at the hut to put them up. By now the main hut was a food mecca, a couple double burner propane stoves, fresh sandwiches and plenty of other stuff. Kind of community comida. Everyone here shares and what is theirs is yours. It was sunny again, maybe 50 but the winds were a bit heavier today. Gusting to maybe 30 MPH at the hut. And it was dry, really dry so sand ended up going everything and getting in everything. I had left my glacier glasses at the hostel - stupid me. My contacts were taking the brunt of it. I Took another hike and literally flew up to about 15,500'.  Back down the mtn we go arriving around 6:00pm just in time for..... yepp more Mexican food and time enjoying the hospitality and warmth of the Cancholan home. Maribel speaks pretty fluent English and Joaquin speaks enough to communicate. He showed me around the house and the pictures of his father years ago in the same small village. It was a great ending to the trip. I ended up sharing my room that final night with a younger kid who walked in from the bus station. He was from turkey and was going to climb in a few days. We talked and went over the route and shared climbing stories and eventually crashed around 10pm. I hated for the day to end knowing what was coming the next day. I had an early start the next morning. Showered, packed everything up and went in the house and grabbed some breakfast. No one was up yet but Joaquin who I passed outside. He was going to "speak the truths" at 6:00am. We hugged, a real hug with meaning, said our goodbyes and some final parting words in which he pointed his fist to my chest then to his and said in English "2 big friends". I know it was only a few days but these people really let you into their lives, their homes and everything they have. What a great final memory to be sent home with. The mtn was glowing  I arrive back the airport with plenty of time to exchange my money back to dollars, grab something to eat and check in. Once at the gate I am somewhat relieved to see and talk with mainly Americans returning to Atlanta. As nice as it was there it's comforting, to say the least, to see other English speaking Americans. No hiccups and before you know it I'm in ATL. I absolutely cruise through customs and recheck the bag. I'm standing at my next gate roughly 20 mins later than when we got off the plane. Wow, that was speedy and it's probably got something to do with the new International terminal at ATL. I don't eat out much due to my healthy lifestyle but with 90 mins before I had to depart for ATW I picked out a burger joint and wolfed down a burger and some fries. It just felt so American. I figured I had earned it by this point. I was saddened by the fact that very soon I would be landing at home and it will all have come to an end but hopefully it will only be the start of many more trips to foreign lands to climb their wonderful mtns. Hope you enjoyed my journey, the recollection of the trip, the climb and 5 days of my life. Feel free to ask any questions about anything. I love talking about climbing, the gear, the trip and everything in between. I know there's probably some details I left out that I will think of later but hopefully someone gets some good data from this. If you're on the fence about this climb, just go and go with confidence. I have all the photos and videos uploaded to my FB page along with the ones in the report. Please stop by and view them if you feel ever so compelled to. This trip has changed my life for the better and things are.... well..... different. It has also opened many new doors for me. At least for now it still has me smiling on the inside and it has changed my thinking about life and the things in it. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
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