The Team enjoyed a calm night at Lenas. When the moon is new to half-full the shooting stars are so plentiful that one person said, “it is as if the sky can’t hold all of them”. The Milky Way runs right down the valley skyline, the southern cross is unmistakable and the flashes of heat lightning over the horizon makes this night absolutely spectacular to sleep out of the tent.
We walked a little over 9 miles today and enjoyed a consistent breeze that kept us cool. From a casual glance the scenery doesn’t change to much and when taking a closer look one has never seen so many shades of brown, red and orange. The Team is doing well, acclimating to these higher altitudes and slowly adjusting to the dry desert air. Tonight we’ll dine on the second best chicken on the plant along with grilled vegetables and a bow tie pasta salad. You might be asking yourself where the best chicken is located at? For that you will have to head to Mexico with RMI to climb the Volcanoes and find out. Thanks for following along, we’ll check in from Plaza de Argentina tomorrow.
RMI Guide Mike King and Team
Hey Mike & Nick! I’m following along with you and wishing you and the team all the best with weather and strength. I had the 2nd best chicken with you last year. Looking forward to the best chicken in Mexico in March. Farmer Dave
The Team got a casual start to the morning with some breakfast and last minute packing and adjustments before the Mule drivers arrived to load our food and equipment for the next 2.5 weeks on Aconcagua. The morning sun already felt hot was we waited for our shuttle to the national park. We got started around 11am with a stiff breeze that turned into a very windy day. While wind makes some parts of being outside difficult, it lowered the temperatures and wicked our sweat, this cooling effect made for a nice hike to camp.
The Team is getting out of the sun, some in tents and some have found some shade among the massive boulders that surround camp. We will enjoy the afternoon and then throw down on the best steak and assorted grilled meats the world has ever known. The asado at Las Lenas is legendary, it’s rich and bountiful smoke is infused into your clothing, bringing back memories of the communal dinner and meatmares often associated with this wonderful start to an expedition. We are happy, healthy and looking forward to what tomorrow will bring. Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Mike King
The Team arrived over the last few days with most bags in tow and we are now in Penitentes. We took the afternoon to pack and sort gear for the mules and our trek to Aconcagua Base Camp. The warehouse is at the base of a defunct ski hill and looks like something out of the Argentine version of Hot tub time machine. We have a great local logistics company in Grajales Expeditions to help us get our gear through the high Andean desert valleys that we will hike through during the next three days.
The Team is doing well and excited to get walking tomorrow. We will be checking in each day, fingers crossed for clear weather and light winds. Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Mike King
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
Hey Mike & Nick! I’m following along with you and wishing you and the team all the best with weather and strength. I had the 2nd best chicken with you last year. Looking forward to the best chicken in Mexico in March. Farmer Dave
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 12/18/2018 at 3:29 am
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