All,

I'll be around Mexico city from ~ Dec 11 - Dec 23rd, with my girlfriend. I'd love to climb something, but I have some criteria.

**I do not want to bring a bunch of gear from the states beyond a backpack (I'd consider a water filter and trekking poles but that's it). We would need to rent any gear we'd need.

**I want to start in Mexico City & return there within 3 days, four max.

**I don't want to spend a ton of money.

**Easy is a good thing, but aesthetics is most important.

Any ideas? Izta looks feasable. We'll be at Buena vista del ... (can't remember the rest) but it's in the State of Guerrero & then we'll be headed to the Yucatan.

Thank you!

-Scotty

Izta can often be done with hiking boots and trekking poles. La Malinche is a day hike that is low gear needed. Both have aesthetics of their own but neither are wilderness area type locations as they both receive a lot of visitors--local and foreign. Unless you want to rent gear Orizaba is beyond your criteria scope but in my opinion the nicer of the three mountains to climb and experience. Cheers!

malinche is ugly and there is trash everywhere. the mexicans throw their trash everywhere and do not see it as a problem. i am not critiquing them, just making an observation on how they treat the outdoors. FACT

Yes, there is often trash on the mountains, but some routes more than others and some not much at all.

Anyway, these might fit the bill:

Ajusco
La Malinche
Nevado Toluca
Cofre de Peorte (slopes are asthetic, especially the east side but the summit is not)

Paricutín and Colima (if open?) are possibilities, but might be too far out of Mexico City for you?

PS, forgive me for asking, but I'm mighty curious. Why the criteria only 3-4 days out of Mexico City? Mexico City does have some interesting sites, but is also very expensive (by Latin America standards), is extremely crowded and the air is so bad that it is brown and burns your lungs. Personally I would suggest seeing the historic and Aztec sites plus museums in a day or two than getting out.

Thanks all,

Scott - My girlfriend is inheriting a house in Buenavista de Cuellar, not to far south of Mexico city, otherwise we wouldn't even bother going there. The process "should" take 10 days. Given the time constraints and that there actually are a couple other things we want to do in the area, our striking range is limited. We'll be quite near Nevado de Toluca, so it's a good candidate. This isn't a climbing trip, and my girlfriend, though quite active, is not a climber (...yet). I'm just trying to sneak some climbing in.

We'll head to the Yucatan as fast as possible, dive some cenotes, some drifts in cozumel, and marvel at some ruins. But when in Rome why not breathe some thin polluted air

-Scotty

What is the minimum time (with acclimation included) one could start from Mexico city, climb Orizaba, and return to Mexico city? I presume you can rent gear somewhere, correct?

-Scotty

Duseks wrote:What is the minimum time (with acclimation included) one could start from Mexico city, climb Orizaba, and return to Mexico city? I presume you can rent gear somewhere, correct?

-Scotty

With private transport or the right bus timing you could arrive in Tlach and head up the mountain to the hut the same day. Climb that night and return after the climb to Tlach. Stay the night and return to FD the following day for approx 48 hours turn around if no glitches. Cheers!

as long as we are talking about quick trips up orizaba, I have a related question... how far is the parking lot from the refugio?... I will be climbing in january and bringing a car (possibly a dog too)... life would be much simpler if I can just climb straight from my rig, but I am not sure how much elevation that adds... sorry for hijacking your post...