What an amazing hike we did today. Starting in the dense trees of the national park (which are open in Mexico), we headed up past horses grazing and children laughing to 12,000 feet where we met some really nice people who were excited to joke with us. We kept our slow and constant pace all the way to 13,500 feet where the trail became rockier and the air lighter. After a break of dried fruit and protein bars we headed to the summit of La Malinche at 14,500 feet. We were in a light cloud so no great views but it felt got to be up there and not too winded. Here's a picture of Sue at the high break. Feeling happy and proud, we chitchatted all the way down to hot showers and enchiladas!
RMI Guide Christina Dale
We are perched on the side of La Malinche this evening settling into our nice but chilly cabin. We took a walk this afternoon to see how our bodies feel after being rudely moved to 10 thousand feet and it felt great. Tomorrow we'll head up 4,400 feet to the summit and hopefully get nice views over to Pico de Orizaba, our next objective. Quick shout out to Norm from the mountains of Mexico!
RMI Guide Christina Dale
We had a great summit day on Orizaba; cold at times, warm at times and lots of new snow on a mountain that desperately needs it. The descent from the summit was warm and straightforward, what else could you ask for? The Team is staying in a turn of the century soap factory turned climbers hostel, packing for their flights tomorrow and enjoying some showers and refreshments to wrap up another great Mexico Volcanoes trip.
RMI Guide Mike King
Hey, this is Mike with the Mexico volcanoes team. We are standing at 18,491 feet on a clear, windless day on the summit of Pico de Orizaba. We had a cold calm morning to start off with lots of new snow on the route made for great climbing. The team is doing well. We will be descending here momentarily. We will send you a message when we're back safe down in Tlachichuca. Thanks for following along. Everyone's doing great.
RMI Guide Mike King
RMI Guide Mike King calls from the summit of Pico de Orizaba.
We had a relaxing day in historic Puebla yesterday. The Team spent the day walking around the markets and taking in the beautiful buildings and cathedrals. The city was founded in 1531 and is a busy commercial hub filled with murals, colorful buildings, delicious food and several ornate cathedrals.
Today we are headed East through rolling Mexican farm land to the small village of Tlachichuca near the base of Pico de Orizaba. After we pack our gear, 4x4 trucks drive us up to Piedra Grande hut at 14,000’. From there we will get ready for a summit bid tomorrow.
The weather looks promising and recent snowfall should make for great climbing. Everyone is doing well and looking forward to the main objective, 18,491’ Orizaba.
RMI Guide Mike King
We got an early start to our summit day. The first section is a steep scree slope, a big bite to chew when you wake up at midnight. As we gained the ridge we were surprised by the amount of snow, making for efficient climbing. The weather was warm for 15,000’+ and light winds allowed us to wear a few layers and stay comfortable while winding up and down the five false summits of Ixtaccihuatl.
With the city lights glowing in each direction and shooting stars across the horizon the Team kept plugging away until we reached the summit.
So many climbs ascend with the sunrise to thier backs. The unplanned benefit to summiting in the dark was that we descended into the rising sun with stellar views of Orizaba poking through the clouds. Alpineglow on the snow flanked sides of Ixta was a nice reward.
We are back down and headed to Puebla for a day of rest, culture and tacos al pastor. Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Mike King
Today we woke to what might be the clearest morning of the Mexican countryside one might ever see. With the massive populations of Mexico City and Puebla the view is usually obscured with smoke, volcanic fog, smog. This morning we could make out high rise buildings and had a crystal clear view of Orizaba.
The Team took four hours to ascend to High Camp, located at 15,500’. We had warm weather and heavy packs. Everyone is relaxing in their tents as afternoon clouds roll through.
We will have some dinner and prepare for our summit bid tomorrow morning. Should be a nice day if the recent weather holds.
RMI Guide Mike King
This is Mike checking in from the lower flanks of Ixta. Today we had a casual breakfast and a two plus hour drive to the National Park where our first climbing objective is. We are at a hut looking out on the snow covered peaks of Ixta and Popo. There has been lots of rain this week which means good climbing conditions. The Team has been taking in the scenic countryside in between some short walks to acclimate. We have our gear checked and are getting ready for a delicious dinner before turning in for the night. Tomorrow we head to High Camp to get ready for a summit bid. Fingers crossed for good weather and calm winds.
RMI Guide Mike King
Hi, this is Mike with the Mexico Volcanoes program. Everyone arrived yesterday with all our bags and we spent the night in Mexico city. We loaded our vehicle this morning and toward the mountains. We had a nice, casual day today. Lots of rain and thunderstorms kept us from hiking La Malinche. The group is hanging out watching some football and we are going to sleep tonight around 10,000', the former training center for the Mexican Olympic team. We'll be heading over to Ixta tomorrow. We will be checking in every day from here on out. Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Mike King
We are all back safely in town after a successful summit of Pico de Orizaba! The entire team stood on top after a long day climbing up the Jamapa Glacier. We had thunder and lightning last night that turned into snow all the way down to the hut. The skies cleared around 12:45 am and we were out the door at 1 on a warm night. The Team is sorting gear for flights home in the morning and looking forward to a good dinner and restful nights sleep. Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Mike King
Great picture, Uie, keep smiling! Enjoy yourself, good climbing, and stay safe, please!!!
Posted by: Pam Zechlinski on 1/19/2019 at 4:16 pm
Sue : Sounds like a spectacular trip, have fun and be safe
Of course very jealous of you in good way
Posted by: Sandra E on 1/16/2019 at 5:16 am
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