OTHER Trip Report 03/14/2008

Report Type	Full
Peak(s)	Orizaba - 18405
Date Posted	03/14/2008
Modified	03/24/2008
Date Climbed	02/04/2008
Author	DHatfield

Orizaba - Jamapa Glacier
January 30 - February 6th Mileage: Approximately 7.0 miles RT Elevation gain: Approximately 5,500‘; 4,500 from Piedra Grande Hut Partner: susanjoypaul After climbing a lot of 13ers and 14ers this past year we decided we needed a little more altitude. Susan had already done a "17er" (Iztaccihutal) and wanted to go higher - so Pico de Orizaba, an "18er," Mexico's high point, the highest volcano in North America and the 3rd highest peak in North America, seemed like a good option. And - being in Mexico, we know it was cheap! For training, we bumped up our usual morning gym routines, with four days of weight training, four days of cardio - supplemented with the usual attempts to get above 13,000' every weekend. For a "refresher" on glacier travel, we both re-took HAMS (High Altitude Mountaineering School) through the Pikes Peak Group of the CMC. They do a good job with the classroom sessions on nutrition, illness, expedition planning, etc - and the field sessions with Greg, Chris, and the other instructors were priceless. "Real-world" training consisted of high altitude hikes, like this day on Pikes Peak. And this extremely windy day on Sniktau. Some mornings were brutally cold, and our eyelashes grew icicles. We both felt we were ready for Orizaba. January 30th : We left DIA headed for Mexico City, making this my first trip out of the country, which made me just a little nervous. Susan had traveled abroad many times and had some good tips for me, though: like taping the end loops on my two big duffel bags with the same tape I used on my carabiners, to make them easy to locate in baggage claim; wrapping the sharp ends of my axe in wadded-up plastic grocery bags and duct tape; and carrying my boots on the plane - just in case our luggage got lost, because we could always rent everything if we had to, but we would not want to break in new boots on this trip! Stuff like that. Luckily everything went well and we quickly passed through immigration and customs in 30 minutes - thank goodness we didn't have big lines to wait for. The hotel we were staying at, Holiday Inn Plaza Dali, picked us up at the airport for a hassle-free trip to our first stay in Mexico City. After eating a wonderful, filling dinner and drinking way too much wine, (not sure if the wine was great for acclimatization but it sure tasted great), at the hotel restaurant we crashed for some much needed rest while anxiously waiting to arrive in Tlachicuca the next morning. January 31st: After yet another and final - or at least we thought - meal of "real food" at the hotel restaurant, the Servimont shuttle driver named Rogeio picked us up right on time at 10:00am. We filled all our Nalgenes with water from the hotel (clearly marked as "potable"); we really didn't want to risk getting sick so we only drank or obtained water from reliable sources, in addition to chewing a Pepto-Bismol tablet each day, 1 in the morning and 1 at night. The first thing I noticed very quickly is the driving is very crazy compared to here in the states and I was very happy to not have to drive in the mess. Along the drive to Tlachichuca, about 140 miles east of Mexico City, we had great views of the other large volcanoes: Iztaccihuatl (17,126') and Popocatepetl (17,887'). As we neared Puebla we could see La Malinche (14,640') too. After a nice 3 hour drive we arrived in Tlachichuca with Orizaba looming high above the village. I still couldn't believe that I was finally there and would soon be climbing Orizaba, after the last 4 months planning, training, and thinking about it. We drove into Servimont, aka Senor Gerardo Reyes' or "The Doctor's" climbers' compound, which would be our accommodations for the days before and after our summit bid. Our bunks were located upstairs, amidst the inner-workings of the 150 year old, renovated soap factory. The Reyeses have converted this area to a dorm with many old relics, making it feel like living in a museum. The walls are covered with signed posters from climbing greats like R.J. Secor, Phil Ershler and Carlos Carsolio, and there's a climbers' log dating back to 1947 where everyone who passes through documents their experience on the mountain. I loved this place!! Since we arrived early, after getting settled in we took a nice little walk around the town in which I realized how poor some of these communities are and makes me feel like I really do take a lot for granted that other are not so lucky to have. Once we got back to the compound, we visited with a nice fellow, named Tyler from Rochester, NY who had just soloed - and summited - Orizaba earlier that day, so it was really fun to pick his brain about the climb. After visiting for a while with him, we discovered that he was another member of 14ers.com, and that he and Susan had even communicated about Orizaba a few weeks prior - it really is a small world out there! After eating our first delicious meal at Servimont we turned in for the night. Upstairs dorm area February 1st: This was our first acclimatization day, and we hiked up to approximately 13,500 feet with only about 1,500 feet gain so it was great to finally be "on Orizaba." This was also the day we met Luis Reyes, Communications Manager at Servimont, who was the guy that helped Susan make all the trip arrangements, and Manuel Benavida, our trekking guide for the next two days. After breakfast and a short 45 minute bumpy ride up the 4WD we stopped alongside the road and hiked up a trail that leads to the northwest side of the mountain, past a shrine to San Ysidro. The trail started up a nice canyon that passes a couple of wonderful waterfalls and meanders through open tundra. After a short lunch break we continued to the top of the basin just to the northwest of the start of the ridge leading up to the Sarcofago, a large rock formation high on Orizaba. Here we were the closest to Orizaba and probably would have had fantastic view, but unfortunately it was socked in above the clouds. Manuel, Luis and Susan at the end of our acclimatization hike I was hoping our summit bid day was not going to be the same way. It was very strange and unusual to see trees growing as high as 13,800 feet down here and it was also very warm, at least by Colorado standards. After pictures and a brief break we hiked back to the trailhead and then drove back to the Servimont compound where we met some other guys, two from Seattle, WA and two climbers from PA. After visiting with them for a bit, we realized the two climbers from Seattle were the same guys Susan met on Mount Rainer 7 months earlier. Did I already say - wow, it sure is a very small world? February 2nd: This for me was a very exciting day since the plan was to be finally heading up and camping near 13,000 feet on Orizaba, getting closer. We bought a five-gallon jug of fresh water from Senor Reyes for the rest of the trip, which he would have delivered to us high on the mountain the next day. Even though we brought a water filter and chlorine tabs on this trip, we never had to use them. We packed all our gear onto one of the old 60s vintage Dodge Power Wagons. Then we piled into the back and rode the very rough road up to toward the Piedra Grande Hut. Manuel, Susan, and I were dropped off about 3 miles below the hut, putting us at around 13,000 feet to camp in the forest for the night, while the others rode all the way up to the hut. Camping in the forest at 13,000. Since we set up camp just off the road, and it only around noon, Susan and I decided to do a little trek up the mountain to stretch our legs and see if we could see the top of the mountain better. Manuel hung back at camp, but only after we convinced him that we were totally OK with hiking on our own. Although he didn't speak very much English - and we spoke no Spanish - we figured out that he was a college student, six months away from getting his degree in Engineering and Sustainable Energy, which we thought was pretty cool. He had a book to read, so he was happy to crawl into his tent with his homework. View of Orizaba from just above our forest camp After a nice 2 ½ hour trek we returned and took a nap. Manuel made us a fantastic dinner, and it was great to have real food, since most of the time we live off of dehydrated meals. It was a little different having someone else preparing our food while camping - I think maybe I need this on all trips! Before turning in for the night we hiked to a nice little overlook, where Manuel pointed out all the villages and told us about all the celebrations they were having. The sky was perfectly clear, and the stars were shining above while fireworks exploded in the many villages below - Mexico seems to have a celebration of some sort every day of the year. I think I need to move to Mexico. February 3rd: It was great to wake up to a crystal clear sky with awesome views of Orizaba and after a delicious breakfast of hot coffee, pan-fried cheese quesadillas, sweet cream of wheat and chopped yellow apples and walnuts in whipped cream - prepared by Manuel of course - we packed up camp and enjoyed the short backpack 3 miles up the road to the Piedra Grande Hut, that sits at around 14,000 feet, where we would spend that night. The plan from there was to get up in the wee hours of the morning for our summit bid. The hike to the hut was nice and easy, since we only had to hump our big packs up 1,000 feet, but the views along the way were incredible. The only bad thing about the hike up to the hut was some ATV riders (over 2 dozen to be exact) blasting past us, throwing dust everywhere, cough... cough. The hike up to the hut was quite pleasant. Once at the hut we it just kind of hit me that, gee I guess we are really doing this . Since we expected the hut to be crowded and loud, we went ahead and set up the tent instead. Then we were introduced to our wonderful mountain guide, Fernando Posadas, who asked us a lot of questions in regard to our experience, gear, etc. He told us to get some sleep and meet him in the hut at 7pm for dinner. We spoke with all the climbers coming off the mountain, and they indicated that they didn't summit, due to getting altitude sickness, or the ice and snow being too hard this time of year. I really didn't like hearing that the night before our own summit bid. However, maybe most of these people just fly into Mexico City and then go up to the mountain the very next day and try to climb it - that is not very good for acclimatization, in my mind. One of the guys from Seattle gave Susan his altimeter to wear, which was a very nice gesture - and he had programmed it to go off at specific altitudes, like when we hit the elevations of Mt Whitney, Mont Blanc, etc. This would later prove to be quite amusing on our hike up the next day, in the dark. After visiting a little bit with other climbers and packing our packs for the summit bid we attempted to get some rest before dinner, but it was too early, we were too excited, and we mostly just laid there and waited for the alarm to go off. At 7pm we met with Manuel and Fernando in the hut and enjoyed a spaghetti dinner with melted cheese and mushrooms, and hot tea. Fernando told us to be ready for breakfast by 2:30 the next morning, and ready to depart for the summit by 3. We went back to the tent and finally slept. February 4th (Summit Day): The alarm went off at 2:00am and I was still a little nervous about this day since I have never been above 14,443 feet, but I would soon find out how I would do. We had a nice hot breakfast, and hot water to mix with our GU-2-0 drinks for the summit bid, all prepared by Manuel and Fernando. Again - I think I could get used to this. We left the hut and started hiking up the mountain at 3:17am with clear skies and 20 degree temps. For the first 200 feet or so we hiked on top of an old abandoned aqueduct that had some holes in it that you had to watch for. We didn't follow the aqueduct all the way to the end because supposedly that would force you into some wonderful, or not so wonderful, scree slopes. About 100 feet before the end we hiked to the north (right) side on some trails that had little scree, and in general provided much better footing. If you do this without a guide it would very good to scout out this area the day before, in the light, to see what is the best way since there are many trails around here, and not all are good. Once we arrived at the high camp that some climbers use to shorten the ascent, we stopped on put on our crampons, harnesses, and helmets and also took a brief food break. It was great to know for ever step I did from that point on was a new high altitude record for me. So far we were going great and the guide was setting a great, nice easy steady pace. Soon after leaving high camp we started through "The Labyrinth" - a steep, icy section that bridges the trail and the glacier - and after a little bit we stopped, as the guide thought it would be best to rope together do to the hard snow and ice, and remain that way until we got back to high camp after summit. I didn't think it was necessary to rope up; however with it being dark, making at least in my mind the slope feel steeper, I did feel more comfortable in case I slipped. Once we crested the Labyrinth we got our first views of Orizaba, WOW what a sight. The ice at the top of the Labyrinth sounded like shattering plates under our feet as we stepped on them. We continued hiking on up to the edge of the Jamapa Glacier before taking our final rest break until the crater rim. We could see a group of 5 climbers way ahead making their way for the summit and it really put into scale the fact that we still had a long way to go. Just as we started heading up the glacier another climber behind us caught up and followed us for awhile before he ended up turning around. Above the laryrinth Starting up Jamapa Glacier with other climbers far ahead We started heading up by hiking to just above the saddle on the summit side between the Sarcofago and Orizaba. The climbing started gently and kept getting steeper and steeper and about ½ way up my calves started killing me, forcing us to slow down and start making big switchbacks. Yup, it's steep Susan is feeling quite full of herself here, realizing that the summit is just moments away! I guess I need to exercise those muscles a little more often. The final pitch to the rim gets to about 45-50 degrees for the last 200 vertical feet and it just seemed to take forever, but once I saw the rim I started to realize that I am actually going to make it since it would be just a short little stroll to the summit. We stopped here to eat the peanut butter sandwiches that Manuel had prepared for us, and guzzle as much liquid as we could. The crater seemed bottomless here - and the views around us were incredible! With perfectly clear skies and no wind, we had lucked out on the perfect summit day. At 11:17am we arrived at the true summit, the top of Mexico. Congrats Susan! From here you could see forever. After taking a lot of pictures and soaking in the awesome views we started the long descend back down to the Piedra Grande Hut. On the way down I took lead on the rope, and I was glad there wasn't any really big crevasses on the mountain, only some tiny cracks that were so small you would have to work to get your foot stuck in them. On the way down it got so hot we actually had to strip down to our base layers, with the sun beating on us and reflecting off the snow. The rest of the way down went uneventfully, other then toward the end we started getting tired. Coming down the Mountain. We arrived back at the Piedra Grande Hut at 4:17pm. I still couldn't believe we did it - and after a brief visit with our friends from WA and PA, our mountain driver, Joel, drove us back down the bumpy 4WD rode to Servimont Compound, where we celebrated over cold bottles of Corona and another fantastic meal and turned on for the night. I realized I had been eating like a pig on the trip, when I actually fell through one of the beds, oops. I should mention here how good the food was at Servimont. Lourdes (LuLu) the cook made us the most delicious meals every day there, with fresh fruits, meats, cheeses, and even home-made desserts every night like chocolate cake and caramel flan. It wasn't my fault - really. February 5th: After our one last breakfast, saying our good-byes, and taking care of tips for the drivers, cook, and guides, we headed back to Mexico City with Rogeio. I knew I was going to miss this place and the wonderful people at Servimont. We were both a little sad to be leaving, but it was nice to enjoy - again - the drive back through the many tiny villages and Mexican countryside. Even the road side checkpoint, where the Federales with their semi-automatic weapons strapped across their chests, was not so unpleasant. It was, after all, a very nice day for us, after a very perfect climb. Once we unloaded our stuff at the hotel we decided to head over to Casa Azul, the Frida Kahlo museum, since we still had a little time and Susan and I both love museums. I learned that Frida was married to Diego Rivera, another important Mexican artist, but she had an affair with Leon Trotsky, who was later hacked to death with an ice axe. The museum and all the art in it was really beautiful, though. Then we headed back to the hotel, where we ate another incredible meal and drank even more wine than we had on the day in. February 6th: We flew back home. The trip back was uneventful other then losing some luggage, which thankfully arrived back a day later all intact. This was one of the best trips I have ever had and thanks again Susan for letting me tag along as I had a wonderful time. Now time to start planning that next trip . The whole operation that Servimont runs was excellent and it was totally flawless, everything from the great guides, cooks, transportation, and experience on the mountain and if anyone is in need of a guide I would highly recommend that you consider them. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Orizaba - Jamapa Glacier

January 30 - February 6th
Mileage: Approximately 7.0 miles RT
Elevation gain: Approximately 5,500‘; 4,500 from Piedra Grande Hut
Partner: susanjoypaul

After climbing a lot of 13ers and 14ers this past year we decided we needed a little more altitude. Susan had already done a "17er" (Iztaccihutal) and wanted to go higher - so Pico de Orizaba, an "18er," Mexico's high point, the highest volcano in North America and the 3rd highest peak in North America, seemed like a good option. And - being in Mexico, we know it was cheap!

For training, we bumped up our usual morning gym routines, with four days of weight training, four days of cardio - supplemented with the usual attempts to get above 13,000' every weekend. For a "refresher" on glacier travel, we both re-took HAMS (High Altitude Mountaineering School) through the Pikes Peak Group of the CMC. They do a good job with the classroom sessions on nutrition, illness, expedition planning, etc - and the field sessions with Greg, Chris, and the other instructors were priceless.

"Real-world" training consisted of high altitude hikes, like this day on Pikes Peak.

And this extremely windy day on Sniktau.

Some mornings were brutally cold, and our eyelashes grew icicles.

We both felt we were ready for Orizaba.

January 30th : We left DIA headed for Mexico City, making this my first trip out of the country, which made me just a little nervous. Susan had traveled abroad many times and had some good tips for me, though: like taping the end loops on my two big duffel bags with the same tape I used on my carabiners, to make them easy to locate in baggage claim; wrapping the sharp ends of my axe in wadded-up plastic grocery bags and duct tape; and carrying my boots on the plane - just in case our luggage got lost, because we could always rent everything if we had to, but we would not want to break in new boots on this trip! Stuff like that. Luckily everything went well and we quickly passed through immigration and customs in 30 minutes - thank goodness we didn't have big lines to wait for. The hotel we were staying at, Holiday Inn Plaza Dali, picked us up at the airport for a hassle-free trip to our first stay in Mexico City. After eating a wonderful, filling dinner and drinking way too much wine, (not sure if the wine was great for acclimatization but it sure tasted great), at the hotel restaurant we crashed for some much needed rest while anxiously waiting to arrive in Tlachicuca the next morning.

January 31st: After yet another and final - or at least we thought - meal of "real food" at the hotel restaurant, the Servimont shuttle driver named Rogeio picked us up right on time at 10:00am. We filled all our Nalgenes with water from the hotel (clearly marked as "potable"); we really didn't want to risk getting sick so we only drank or obtained water from reliable sources, in addition to chewing a Pepto-Bismol tablet each day, 1 in the morning and 1 at night. The first thing I noticed very quickly is the driving is very crazy compared to here in the states and I was very happy to not have to drive in the mess.

Along the drive to Tlachichuca, about 140 miles east of Mexico City, we had great views of the other large volcanoes: Iztaccihuatl (17,126') and Popocatepetl (17,887').

As we neared Puebla we could see La Malinche (14,640') too.

After a nice 3 hour drive we arrived in Tlachichuca with Orizaba looming high above the village.

I still couldn't believe that I was finally there and would soon be climbing Orizaba, after the last 4 months planning, training, and thinking about it. We drove into Servimont, aka Senor Gerardo Reyes' or "The Doctor's" climbers' compound, which would be our accommodations for the days before and after our summit bid. Our bunks were located upstairs, amidst the inner-workings of the 150 year old, renovated soap factory. The Reyeses have converted this area to a dorm with many old relics, making it feel like living in a museum. The walls are covered with signed posters from climbing greats like R.J. Secor, Phil Ershler and Carlos Carsolio, and there's a climbers' log dating back to 1947 where everyone who passes through documents their experience on the mountain. I loved this place!! Since we arrived early, after getting settled in we took a nice little walk around the town in which I realized how poor some of these communities are and makes me feel like I really do take a lot for granted that other are not so lucky to have. Once we got back to the compound, we visited with a nice fellow, named Tyler from Rochester, NY who had just soloed - and summited - Orizaba earlier that day, so it was really fun to pick his brain about the climb. After visiting for a while with him, we discovered that he was another member of 14ers.com, and that he and Susan had even communicated about Orizaba a few weeks prior - it really is a small world out there! After eating our first delicious meal at Servimont we turned in for the night.

Upstairs dorm area

February 1st: This was our first acclimatization day, and we hiked up to approximately 13,500 feet with only about 1,500 feet gain so it was great to finally be "on Orizaba." This was also the day we met Luis Reyes, Communications Manager at Servimont, who was the guy that helped Susan make all the trip arrangements, and Manuel Benavida, our trekking guide for the next two days. After breakfast and a short 45 minute bumpy ride up the 4WD we stopped alongside the road and hiked up a trail that leads to the northwest side of the mountain, past a shrine to San Ysidro.

The trail started up a nice canyon that passes a couple of wonderful waterfalls and meanders through open tundra. After a short lunch break we continued to the top of the basin just to the northwest of the start of the ridge leading up to the Sarcofago, a large rock formation high on Orizaba. Here we were the closest to Orizaba and probably would have had fantastic view, but unfortunately it was socked in above the clouds.

Manuel, Luis and Susan at the end of our acclimatization hike

I was hoping our summit bid day was not going to be the same way. It was very strange and unusual to see trees growing as high as 13,800 feet down here and it was also very warm, at least by Colorado standards. After pictures and a brief break we hiked back to the trailhead and then drove back to the Servimont compound where we met some other guys, two from Seattle, WA and two climbers from PA. After visiting with them for a bit, we realized the two climbers from Seattle were the same guys Susan met on Mount Rainer 7 months earlier. Did I already say - wow, it sure is a very small world?

February 2nd: This for me was a very exciting day since the plan was to be finally heading up and camping near 13,000 feet on Orizaba, getting closer. We bought a five-gallon jug of fresh water from Senor Reyes for the rest of the trip, which he would have delivered to us high on the mountain the next day. Even though we brought a water filter and chlorine tabs on this trip, we never had to use them.

We packed all our gear onto one of the old 60s vintage Dodge Power Wagons.

Then we piled into the back and rode the very rough road up to toward the Piedra Grande Hut. Manuel, Susan, and I were dropped off about 3 miles below the hut, putting us at around 13,000 feet to camp in the forest for the night, while the others rode all the way up to the hut.

Camping in the forest at 13,000.

Since we set up camp just off the road, and it only around noon, Susan and I decided to do a little trek up the mountain to stretch our legs and see if we could see the top of the mountain better. Manuel hung back at camp, but only after we convinced him that we were totally OK with hiking on our own. Although he didn't speak very much English - and we spoke no Spanish - we figured out that he was a college student, six months away from getting his degree in Engineering and Sustainable Energy, which we thought was pretty cool. He had a book to read, so he was happy to crawl into his tent with his homework.

View of Orizaba from just above our forest camp

After a nice 2 ½ hour trek we returned and took a nap. Manuel made us a fantastic dinner, and it was great to have real food, since most of the time we live off of dehydrated meals. It was a little different having someone else preparing our food while camping - I think maybe I need this on all trips! Before turning in for the night we hiked to a nice little overlook, where Manuel pointed out all the villages and told us about all the celebrations they were having. The sky was perfectly clear, and the stars were shining above while fireworks exploded in the many villages below - Mexico seems to have a celebration of some sort every day of the year. I think I need to move to Mexico.

February 3rd: It was great to wake up to a crystal clear sky with awesome views of Orizaba and after a delicious breakfast of hot coffee, pan-fried cheese quesadillas, sweet cream of wheat and chopped yellow apples and walnuts in whipped cream - prepared by Manuel of course - we packed up camp and enjoyed the short backpack 3 miles up the road to the Piedra Grande Hut, that sits at around 14,000 feet, where we would spend that night. The plan from there was to get up in the wee hours of the morning for our summit bid. The hike to the hut was nice and easy, since we only had to hump our big packs up 1,000 feet, but the views along the way were incredible. The only bad thing about the hike up to the hut was some ATV riders (over 2 dozen to be exact) blasting past us, throwing dust everywhere, cough... cough.

The hike up to the hut was quite pleasant.

Once at the hut we it just kind of hit me that, gee I guess we are really doing this

. Since we expected the hut to be crowded and loud, we went ahead and set up the tent instead. Then we were introduced to our wonderful mountain guide, Fernando Posadas, who asked us a lot of questions in regard to our experience, gear, etc. He told us to get some sleep and meet him in the hut at 7pm for dinner. We spoke with all the climbers coming off the mountain, and they indicated that they didn't summit, due to getting altitude sickness, or the ice and snow being too hard this time of year. I really didn't like hearing that the night before our own summit bid. However, maybe most of these people just fly into Mexico City and then go up to the mountain the very next day and try to climb it - that is not very good for acclimatization, in my mind. One of the guys from Seattle gave Susan his altimeter to wear, which was a very nice gesture - and he had programmed it to go off at specific altitudes, like when we hit the elevations of Mt Whitney, Mont Blanc, etc. This would later prove to be quite amusing on our hike up the next day, in the dark. After visiting a little bit with other climbers and packing our packs for the summit bid we attempted to get some rest before dinner, but it was too early, we were too excited, and we mostly just laid there and waited for the alarm to go off. At 7pm we met with Manuel and Fernando in the hut and enjoyed a spaghetti dinner with melted cheese and mushrooms, and hot tea. Fernando told us to be ready for breakfast by 2:30 the next morning, and ready to depart for the summit by 3. We went back to the tent and finally slept.

February 4th (Summit Day): The alarm went off at 2:00am and I was still a little nervous about this day since I have never been above 14,443 feet, but I would soon find out how I would do. We had a nice hot breakfast, and hot water to mix with our GU-2-0 drinks for the summit bid, all prepared by Manuel and Fernando. Again - I think I could get used to this. We left the hut and started hiking up the mountain at 3:17am with clear skies and 20 degree temps. For the first 200 feet or so we hiked on top of an old abandoned aqueduct that had some holes in it that you had to watch for. We didn't follow the aqueduct all the way to the end because supposedly that would force you into some wonderful, or not so wonderful, scree slopes. About 100 feet before the end we hiked to the north (right) side on some trails that had little scree, and in general provided much better footing. If you do this without a guide it would very good to scout out this area the day before, in the light, to see what is the best way since there are many trails around here, and not all are good.

Once we arrived at the high camp that some climbers use to shorten the ascent, we stopped on put on our crampons, harnesses, and helmets and also took a brief food break. It was great to know for ever step I did from that point on was a new high altitude record for me. So far we were going great and the guide was setting a great, nice easy steady pace. Soon after leaving high camp we started through "The Labyrinth" - a steep, icy section that bridges the trail and the glacier - and after a little bit we stopped, as the guide thought it would be best to rope together do to the hard snow and ice, and remain that way until we got back to high camp after summit. I didn't think it was necessary to rope up; however with it being dark, making at least in my mind the slope feel steeper, I did feel more comfortable in case I slipped.

Once we crested the Labyrinth we got our first views of Orizaba, WOW what a sight.

The ice at the top of the Labyrinth sounded like shattering plates under our feet as we stepped on them. We continued hiking on up to the edge of the Jamapa Glacier before taking our final rest break until the crater rim. We could see a group of 5 climbers way ahead making their way for the summit and it really put into scale the fact that we still had a long way to go. Just as we started heading up the glacier another climber behind us caught up and followed us for awhile before he ended up turning around.

Above the laryrinth

Starting up Jamapa Glacier with other climbers far ahead

We started heading up by hiking to just above the saddle on the summit side between the Sarcofago and Orizaba. The climbing started gently and kept getting steeper and steeper and about ½ way up my calves started killing me, forcing us to slow down and start making big switchbacks.

Yup, it's steep

Susan is feeling quite full of herself here, realizing that the summit is just moments away!

I guess I need to exercise those muscles a little more often. The final pitch to the rim gets to about 45-50 degrees for the last 200 vertical feet and it just seemed to take forever, but once I saw the rim I started to realize that I am actually going to make it since it would be just a short little stroll to the summit. We stopped here to eat the peanut butter sandwiches that Manuel had prepared for us, and guzzle as much liquid as we could. The crater seemed bottomless here - and the views around us were incredible! With perfectly clear skies and no wind, we had lucked out on the perfect summit day.

At 11:17am we arrived at the true summit, the top of Mexico. Congrats Susan!

From here you could see forever.

After taking a lot of pictures and soaking in the awesome views we started the long descend back down to the Piedra Grande Hut.

On the way down I took lead on the rope, and I was glad there wasn't any really big crevasses on the mountain, only some tiny cracks that were so small you would have to work to get your foot stuck in them. On the way down it got so hot we actually had to strip down to our base layers, with the sun beating on us and reflecting off the snow. The rest of the way down went uneventfully, other then toward the end we started getting tired.

Coming down the Mountain.

We arrived back at the Piedra Grande Hut at 4:17pm. I still couldn't believe we did it - and after a brief visit with our friends from WA and PA, our mountain driver, Joel, drove us back down the bumpy 4WD rode to Servimont Compound, where we celebrated over cold bottles of Corona and another fantastic meal and turned on for the night. I realized I had been eating like a pig on the trip, when I actually fell through one of the beds, oops. I should mention here how good the food was at Servimont. Lourdes (LuLu) the cook made us the most delicious meals every day there, with fresh fruits, meats, cheeses, and even home-made desserts every night like chocolate cake and caramel flan. It wasn't my fault - really.

February 5th: After our one last breakfast, saying our good-byes, and taking care of tips for the drivers, cook, and guides, we headed back to Mexico City with Rogeio. I knew I was going to miss this place and the wonderful people at Servimont. We were both a little sad to be leaving, but it was nice to enjoy - again - the drive back through the many tiny villages and Mexican countryside. Even the road side checkpoint, where the Federales with their semi-automatic weapons strapped across their chests, was not so unpleasant. It was, after all, a very nice day for us, after a very perfect climb. Once we unloaded our stuff at the hotel we decided to head over to Casa Azul, the Frida Kahlo museum, since we still had a little time and Susan and I both love museums. I learned that Frida was married to Diego Rivera, another important Mexican artist, but she had an affair with Leon Trotsky, who was later hacked to death with an ice axe. The museum and all the art in it was really beautiful, though. Then we headed back to the hotel, where we ate another incredible meal and drank even more wine than we had on the day in.

February 6th: We flew back home. The trip back was uneventful other then losing some luggage, which thankfully arrived back a day later all intact.

This was one of the best trips I have ever had and thanks again Susan for letting me tag along as I had a wonderful time. Now time to start planning that next trip

. The whole operation that Servimont runs was excellent and it was totally flawless, everything from the great guides, cooks, transportation, and experience on the mountain and if anyone is in need of a guide I would highly recommend that you consider them.

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

sgladbach	Thanks 3/16/2008 6:53am for a really complete report. I enjoyed the training tips and accomodations info. I never thought of icy eyelashes as pretty, but there‘s no denying. Tommorow, I‘m gonna start product development for the cosmetic company that‘ll let me retire wealthy in two years!
susanjoypaul	Howdy 3/16/2008 6:21pm dfreed83 - Enjoy! Wish I was going too! Steve - the training really paid off, for sure. We spent over an hour and a half at the summit and along the crater rim, above 18K‘, and never had any signs at all of AMS. Senor Gerardo Reyes said it must have been all the acclimatization we did on the mountain that week, but Fernando, our mountain guide, noted ”These two spend every weekend above 4K meters - they were acclimated when they got here!” We thought that was pretty funny, and it made us realize how lucky we are to live in Colorado, and have that advantage. As for the eyelashes: I think I look kind of like a sleepy camel, but hey - who knows - it could catch on! Thanks for reading Doug‘s report and the nice comments. Doug - Thanks for writing this up - it really was an amazing trip, wasn‘t it? In hindsight, I can‘t think of a single thing I would have done differently. As for the next trip - I‘m on it. Cotopaxi (19,347‘)and Chimborazo (20,565‘) in 2009 - if not sooner!
Kevin Baker	Kudos 3/16/2008 7:20pm Kudos on what sounded like an outstanding trip, Doug and Susan! Thanks for all the detailed beta as I hope to get down there in the next couple years or so. That must have been classic to see Doug punch through a bed. Wish I could have seen that blooper!
DHatfield	Thanks 11/30/2010 5:28pm All - Thanks for all the kind comments. Susan - Yes indeed it was an amazing trip and I must say it was the best I have been on yet!! Really Cotopaxi and Chimborazo is next, sounds cool. I knew you would be planning the next trip already and I can't wait!!. Kevin - You will love Orizaba. As to the breaking of the bed I think I shouldn't of ate so much, but it was too good to stop, nevertheless it was a good laugh.
Derek	great recap 2/5/2011 12:22am hope to be there soon myself. Congrats!

Caution: The information contained in this report may not be accurate and should not be the only resource used in preparation for your climb. Failure to have the necessary experience, physical conditioning, supplies or equipment can result in injury or death. 14ers.com and the author(s) of this report provide no warranties, either express or implied, that the information provided is accurate or reliable. By using the information provided, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless 14ers.com and the report author(s) with respect to any claims and demands against them, including any attorney fees and expenses. Please read the 14ers.com Safety and Disclaimer pages for more information.

Please respect private property: 14ers.com supports the rights of private landowners to determine how and by whom their land will be used. In Colorado, it is your responsibility to determine if land is private and to obtain the appropriate permission before entering the property.

14ers.com

Social

Mobile App