Entries from Mexico
March 4, 2019
Posted by: Eric Frank, Jenny Konway
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 13,100'
The stoves are whistling and the Mexican Volcanoes team is enjoying a well deserved rest in our new home for the night: the Altzomoni Hut. Today was partially a rest day and partially logistics day to get ourselves in position for the next climb.
We woke this morning up slightly sore, but proud of yesterday's accomplishment. After a few hours on the bus, we made a pit stop in the small city of AmecaMeca to grab lunch and some last minute groceries. From there we drove a winding mountain road back into the clouds.
RMI Guide Eric Frank
March 3, 2019
Posted by: Eric Frank, Jenny Konway
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 14,636'
Greetings! Yesterday, the March Mexico Volcanoes team arrived in the heart of Mexico City, after catching flights from various parts of the country. It is always a long day of travel, but we all managed to arrive without excessive delay or loss of bags. That is a big first victory that puts us in position to get out in the mountains as soon as possible.
The team met for a short chat last night before going to dinner. There is a lot of experience represented in the group and with a good weather forecast, we expect to have a fun and successful trip.
After an early departure this morning from Mexico City, the team arrived at La Malintzi around 11am. We did a quick gear sort, then headed uphill. The skies were clear and the air warm as we made our way up towards the summit. After about five hours of hiking, the team reached the summit of Malinche and was rewarded with sweeping views of the surrounding areas. A quick descent led us back to hot showers and a delicious dinner of grilled meats, fresh chips, and guacamole. We're all headed off to bed after a great day, looking forward to tomorrow's adventures.
RMI Guide Eric Frank
We are back at Senior Reyes' historic soap factory turned climbers hostel. The Mexican music and loud fireworks are going off like we had some remote control. The roosters and dogs are going berserk. But all the local acoustic entertainment is just part of climbing and traveling in Mexico. We are wrapping up a great 10 days with a fun group of guys. We climbed and stood on top of three volcanoes, ate amazing food, sampled many of the local libations and enjoyed some of the clearest views of this area anyone in recent past has ever seen. This trip isn’t so much of an expedition as it’s a fun Mexican vacation where we climb high altitude volcanoes instead of sitting on the beach. If you need to test your mind, body and spirit at altitude this is a good choice. We will be getting an early start towards the airport tomorrow. Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Mike King
Thanks for the updates and fantastic pictures. Looks like everyone had a good and safe
Climb.
Posted by: Karen Knight on 2/24/2019 at 9:14 am
Awesome Mike!! Thank you for your posts. I am super torked up for next week with Eric and Jenny.
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 2/24/2019 at 2:17 am
February 23, 2019
Posted by: Mike King, Dustin Wittmier
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 18,491'
Couldn’t have asked for a nicer day to climb the 3rd highest peak in North America! The entire Team is here, feeling a little worked but with smiles on their faces. Warm, clear night to start and a slight breeze once up in the glacier. We have a lot of smoke obscuring the views to the East and clear skies our to the West with Ixta, Popo and La Malinche. We have a long descent ahead of us and we will check in once back at Sr. Reye’s hostel. Drew, we missed you up here, hope the flight went well!
RMI Guide Mike King
Wow! Amazing pictures! Glad you all made it safe and sound.
Posted by: Jean Wittmier on 2/24/2019 at 6:49 pm
The last two days have been a whirlwind. We had a long drive to Puebla after climbing Ixta. The team rallied out that night for a much needed meal and then hit the racks for some well deserved sleep. The Hotel Colonial in Puebla was built in 1865 and is located on the historic square among several massive cathedrals.
We spent the day off exploring historic Puebla. Some of the group got massages while others wandered the various markets and narrow streets lined with colorful buildings. We are recharged and ready to head towards Orizaba this morning. The ride to Senior Reye’s climbing hostel takes us hours hours East towards the Gulf of Mexico. From there we will pack our mountain gear and head up in 4x4 trucks through the dry grassy slopes and dense pine forests that cover the lower flanks of Orizaba. Once at the Piedra Grande hut we’ll get a walk in to stretch our legs and get some rest for the main objective, Orizaba’s 18,400’ summit.
The group is doing well and surprised how fast the trip has gone.
RMI Guide Mike King
On The Map
February 20, 2019
Posted by: Mike King, Dustin Wittmier
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 17,340'
This is Mike, we topped out on Ixtaccihuatl around 7:50 am with a stiff wind for the entire climb. The air temperature was warm and we had a beautiful full moon. The combination of moon light and wind made for a crystal clear climb and amazing sunrise. We are in our descent now and will check in once we are back down at the bus.
RMI Guide Mike King
On The Map
February 19, 2019
Posted by: Mike King, Dustin Wittmier
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 15,300'
This is Mike checking in from 15,300’ on Ixta. We got a casual start to the day with a big breakfast and final packing of our equipment. It’s always a bummer to have 40ish pounds of stuff for just one night out. The trail ascends a ridge with a series of weaknesses that allow for a moderate elevation gain. We enjoyed clear views of Orizaba and La Malinche. From camp you could even pick out the glimmer of glass on the high rise building of Mexico City.
The traditional high camp where the Refugio sits is currently occupied by a 50+ member unit of the Mexican Army. We opted for the camp that is slightly lower to have a quiet evening. The wind is currently shaking the tents and depositing grit on our teeth. We’ll have some dinner and get our packs ready for tomorrow’s summit bid. The weather looks good, so fingers crossed for clear skies and no electrics storms.
RMI Guide Mike King
February 18, 2019
Posted by: Mike King, Dustin Wittmier
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 14,501'
It took six attempts but finally the weather cooperated for a successful acclimatization hike to the top of La Malinche, 14,501’. A new high point for some of our Team. The ‘day hike’ is the equivalent of a Rainier summit day from Camp Muir in elevation gain. The Team did well despite having just arrived sea level more or less.
This morning we are in route to Ixta, a quick stop for breakfast and coffee then a travel day to the Altzomani Hut. There, we will pack for our hike to high camp and enjoy a nice dinner and spectacular sunset. Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Mike King
February 17, 2019
Posted by: Mike King, Dustin Wittmier
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 7,300'
This is Mike checking in for the Mexico Volcanoes team. Everyone arrived with bags in tow yesterday. We will head out in a few minutes for a day hike on La Malinche. The goal today is to stretch the legs and lungs a bit and sleep at 10,000’ tonight. Our drive today takes us out of Mexico City and into the surrounding countryside for three scenic hours before climbing the lower slopes of the mountain. we’ll spend the night in little cabanas after our acclimatization hike. We’ll check in each day, thanks for following along.
RMI Guides Mike King & Dustin Wittmier
Have a safe journey
Posted by: Dick and Kay Seubert on 2/18/2019 at 1:12 pm
Have a great climb, and post lots of pictures!!
Posted by: Ray Wittmier on 2/17/2019 at 7:14 pm
January 26, 2019
Posted by: Christina Dale, Grayson Swingle, Alan Davis
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Congratulations to the team who was the highest people in North America today, assuming no one is climbing Denali or Logan. We had a restless night of sleep listening to the winds howling but by the time we awoke at 11:30pm they were just gusting. The team did a great job taking care of themselves and climbing well.
One of our favorite parts of this trip has been the people in this group. The other night at dinner we came up with trail names for everyone. Breezy is an up for anything Appalachian Trail through hiker. Flama Blanc is a high energy positive Greek restaurant owner. Payday is a world traveler and mountaineer who makes everyone feel comfortable. Lorenzo is the backbone of our team, supporting us with snacks and good advice. Posh is a calculated climber who can take on whatever he wants. Major Tom is a photographer who captures the beauty in the land and smiles on our faces. St. Ronaldo is a fun loving athlete who makes a ten-hour day look easy. Data is a brilliant and curious life long learner who always has a great story to share. Endurance is the calm and confident leader who everyone wants to follow for his perfect form. Baklava is a smart trail chatter who is great for trail distractions. Then the guides: Muel has the strength of a lion and the courage of a bear, Doc is a determined and amazing leader, and lastly me named Jefe, who has the pleasure of traveling and climbing with this great team!
Thank you all.
-Jefe
On The Map
I couldn’t have asked for a better guide team in Christina, Grayson and Alan! It was an absolute pleasure meeting some great climbers and getting ourselves up some mountains. Keep climbing everyone!!
Posted by: Mychal Wooldridge on 1/27/2019 at 12:47 pm
Jefe Mule and Doc deserve all the credit for making this the best RMI trip yet. Hope our paths cross again! Breezy
Posted by: Andreas Renner on 1/27/2019 at 12:42 pm
So great to hear you guys had success and reached the Top!! So Cool! All the best from your Canadian climbing buddy Dave K!
Posted by: Darcy M on 3/7/2019 at 2:39 pm
Round and round he goes, where he stops, nobody knows: thanks for the adventurous spirit, John. Your friends and family!
Posted by: Peg Wilson on 3/7/2019 at 7:03 am
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