Entries By felipe guarderas
February 10, 2025
Posted by: Joe Hoch, Felipe Guarderas
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 18,491'
Three for Three on Mexico’s Volcanoes!
A week of hail storms, dark clouds and lightning was nice and all, but as we drove closer to Tlachichuca and were treated to a stunning view of 18,500 foot Pico de Orizaba backed only by a blue sky, it felt like spring break.
We were running early and carried that luck all the way up the two hour 4x4 road to Piedra Grande, our Orizaba high camp at 14,000 feet. Dinner was at 4:30pm, and bed time came early at 5:30pm. This allowed us room to at least claim that we’d gotten some good sleep when tents were rattled at 11:30pm.
As we climbed under a bright half moon with light winds it seemed like cheating. After single-pushing on Ixta what we’d normally do in two days, a simple 4,500 foot climb was coming easy. That is until we hit the 17,000 foot mark and things started to grind.
But just as things were getting tougher with the elevation, Orizaba gave us all the classics. An amazing sunrise, the pyramid mountain shadow and finally the false summit with only a short walk to the true summit.
We all stood on top of the highest point in Mexico and third highest point in North America in the warm sun with barely any wind.
A great finish to a strong trip by all our climbers!
RMI Guide Joe Hoch
New Post Alerts:
Mexico's Volcanoes February 1, 2025
Puebla Rest Day and Off to Orizaba
After our single push of Ixta, the Mexico Volcanoes team deserved a rest. We took full advantage of Puebla’s welcoming streets, cathedrals and parks and mostly lazed around for a day.
Two nights of sleep, some light sightseeing, a gold plated brisket sandwich this time, and even some parking garage yoga later, we reluctantly packed the van back up and headed to Tlachichuca.
We’re off to attempt our highest summit of the trip, Volcan Orizaba. Wish us luck!
New Post Alerts:
Mexico's Volcanoes February 1, 2025
February 6, 2025
Posted by: Joe Hoch, Felipe Guarderas
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 17,340'
100% Team Summit of Ixta!
Fresh off our successful summit of Malinche dodging thunder storms, our Mexico Volcanoes team pulled into La Joya, our basecamp for Volcan Iztaccihautl, to find dime-sized hail falling and lightening cracking just overhead.
We overheard a trip report from some nice climbers who had camped at 15,500'. “Our hair was buzzing. We threw everything metal out of the tent, then the lightening struck! I still can’t feel my thumbs!”
This pretty well made our decision for us to not walk out into the storm to our high camp on a ridge. Easy decision, but it meant that summiting Ixta the next day would be anything but easy, and could only be done in a single push from La Joya.
We discussed with the team that this would be a very long and demanding day, and they were all excited for the challenge.
And they crushed it! We left camp at 1am and walked the normal three miles and 2,000 feet to high camp, then turned to the upper mountain, and no one flinched. Eight and a half total hours of climbing later we all stood in the sun on the 17,169' summit of Ixta.
Our total time on the climb was a little over 14 hours, with somewhere around 5,500 vertical feet. Half of which we normally do in a big day the day before. Strong work by our whole team!
As we pulled into Puebla around 6pm for our much needed rest day, there wasn't an open eye in the van.
RMI Guide Joe Hoch
New Post Alerts:
Mexico's Volcanoes February 1, 2025
February 3, 2025
Posted by: Joe Hoch, Felipe Guarderas
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 14,636'
100% Team Summit of La Malinche!
We arrived to La Malinche cabins at 10,000 feet under sun and puffy clouds. Everyone enjoyed a pleasant walk to stretch the legs, then went to rest and prepare for our big climb in the morning.
Around 5:30pm our tranquil mountain setting was rudely interrupted by dozens and dozens of lightening bolts and thunder that was way too close. Then the heavy rain started and as we went to bed, waterfalls and lakes were forming around the cabin grounds.
Surprisingly, 5 am brought a starry sky and perfect climbing temperatures! And as we made our way past tree-line at 12,800 feet, a rare sight greeted us-La Malinche covered in snow almost like the old timey photos in the basecamp restaurant.
The team was expecting a ‘training hike’, not a ‘mixed snow and ice alpine climb’, but the new snow was good walking, and after a couple belayed sections on the summit block we all gathered for a quick summit photo. Quick! Because as we smiled for the camera, thunder clapped right above our heads and it was time to go!
We walked down through dime sized hail and more thunder, which will only make the meat tower at dinner taste that much better!
New Post Alerts:
Mexico's Volcanoes February 1, 2025
February 2, 2025
Posted by: Joe Hoch, Felipe Guarderas
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 7,300'
Well I am happy to report that our Mexico Volcanoes team all arrived safely as of last night. We met in the lovely lobby of our Hotel Geneve and had a nice chat about what to expect in the next few days. Followed by a classic dinner of local tacos.
We’re headed this morning to La Malinche to begin acclimating to the elevation.
Tomorrow we go for our first summit, La Malinche at 14,500’!
RMI Guide Joe Hoch
New Post Alerts:
Mexico's Volcanoes February 1, 2025
July 24, 2024
Posted by: Drew O’Brien, George Hedreen, Sam Marjerison, Felipe Guarderas
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 9,460'
Good Morning!
Most of team opted for a full educational day over a difficult summit climb. Summit team woke up at 10pm and with high winds in camp we made the call to skip the walk and prepare for a full educational day today. We will finish our expedition skills training here at Camp Schurman before descending tomorrow.
RMI Guide Drew O'Brien and Team
July 8, 2024
Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Ben Luedtke, Tatum Whatford, Felipe Guarderas, Celeste Wilson, Arianna Drechsler
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Five Day Climb July 4 - 8 led by RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer & Ben Luedtke reached the summit of Mt. Rainier with 100% of their teams. The teams enjoyed clear skies and warm temperatures and lots of great photo opportunities.
Nice work everyone and congratulations!
PC: Ben Luedtke & Pete Van Deventer
What an amazing experience! Fun, safe, encouraging. I couldn’t quit smiling. The team was great, and the guides brought out the best in everyone. A transformative experience, and one I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. Training for this climb changed my life, and standing on top of the world for a few moments changed me forever. Truly grateful!
Posted by: Glory Dole on 7/15/2024 at 11:10 am
I could not thank enough to our RMI guides and team members who contributed and shared this lifelong memories. I really enjoyed the stores behind each climber on why dreamed the summit of Mt. Rainier and how to take efforts to make the dream become true.
I know I made a right choice to pick RMI as my guide service. I will definitely refer RMI to my friends for future mountaineering adventures.
Posted by: Shirley Zhang on 7/9/2024 at 7:51 pm
June 27, 2024
Posted by: Mike Walter, Daniel May, Raymond Holt, Felipe Guarderas
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 7,500'
The Kautz Seminar June 23 - 28 led by RMI Guides Mike Walter, Daniel May, Raymond Holt and Felipe Guarderas have enjoyed their week of training, climbing and learning. Conditions on the mountain did not allow them to make a summit attempt but the team was all in for the training they could complete and maybe had a little fun in the process.
Thanks for sharing your time with us in the mountains!
PC: Tim Holt
June 22, 2024
Posted by: Joe Hoch, Drew O’Brien, Felipe Guarderas, Calvin Jiricko, Stella Johnson, Mac Nolde
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 13,200'
The Four Day Climb led by RMI Guides Joe Hoch and Drew O'Brien reached 13,200' before route conditions forced the team to turn. The team is back at Camp Muir and will be returning to Rainier Basecamp in Ashford, WA this afternoon.
Congratulations Team!
Appreciate you looking after the public climbers’ safety as well.
Thank you!
Posted by: Bob Lindskov on 6/24/2024 at 7:59 am
Thank you Joe, Felipe, Stella, and Calvin, for the amazing experience on Rainier. The mountain was beautiful, the guides, were inspiring, and the group was full of wonderful people. The experience with rope teams and glacier travel was cool, and watching the guides and route setters make decisions on weather and carve out routes was eye opening. Hope to see everyone in the mountains again.
Posted by: Ajay Perumbeti on 6/23/2024 at 7:13 pm
Congratulations, Christian! Very proud of you. And thank you to Joe and team. Onward and upward to Orizaba! —- Dad
Posted by: Geoff Culbert on 2/8/2025 at 8:44 am
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