eli.boardman - Dec 27, 2018 10:16 am Date Climbed: Dec 30, 2017
Unguided, south slopes route
Whole family made the summit, beautiful conditions, no snow on the south-side route from 13k camp in Valle del Encuentro
GlacierCountry - Dec 20, 2018 2:58 pm Date Climbed: Dec 15, 2018
Perfect Conditions
Climbed as a 4 member team through a grant from the Mazamas climbing group. Did Volcan la Malinche as an acclimatization climb. Used Servimont for transportation and logistics (excellent). Stayed at the main hut and the smaller hut. Had some altitude issues in the group but nothing that couldn't be overcome. Played my trumpet on the summit!
solo - Dec 20, 2018 9:34 am Date Climbed: Dec 19, 2018
Summit success!
Conditions this year, per the locals, are much better than last year.
We awoke at midnight and Departed the OMG Basecamp (just below the Refugio) at 1:15am for the ruta regular. At the refugio, most people (incorrectly) assume the covered culvert is a concrete path and walk up it - don't be fooled! There are large chunks of concrete missing and the hollow sound tells me that some tourist is going to put their leg through another weak spot soon.
After the short (relatively flat) stretch above the Refugio, the burly and dusty trail led us along the base of the sarcophagus. There we put on crampons for the labrynth before arriving at the base of the glacier proper.
Conditions on the glacier were optimal with good consolidated snow and no evidence of crevasses or snow bridges.
Locals say that weather has been relatively good this year. I suffered 45+ mph winds that dramatically increased the "suck factor" but that is appearently an anomaly.
Ascent time: 5:45
Descent time: 2:30
And I'm 40 years old - so, suck it millennials
For logistics and guiding, I used Orizaba Mountain Guides and was very pleased with everything.
Feel free to PM if you need specific beta
Matt McCullough - Nov 26, 2018 8:21 am Date Climbed: Nov 2, 2017
Orizaba summit and treacherous snowboard descent
Summited with my guide (Juan Mendoza with Orizaba Mountain Guides) and then solo snowboarded (barely) from the top and down along the sloping crater rim. Treacherous icy conditions existed, however, immediately below the rim on the steep upper slopes. I decided to use crampons to climb down to slightly less steep conditions and where I thought the snow was bit softer (but still crusty) to allow snowboarding. As I started to descend again on my snowboard, I fell on my first attempt to turn as it was still too icy to hold the carve. I arrested by twisting my body to my side after skidding about 50 meters. I had decided to snowboard with my ice axe in my right hand, but it popped out of my grip immediately on my initial fall. I was very fortunate that I came to a stop. I decided it was too dangerous to attempt any further snowboarding. Unfortunately, a couple of weeks later another American climber died from a fall after he lost control while skiing the continued icy slopes below the summit.
Liba Kopeckova - Oct 23, 2018 8:07 pm Date Climbed: Oct 17, 2018
pretty bad conditions (hurricane response)
Went up the Jamapa Glacier route. It snowed overnight and the ground was covered from Piedra Grande Hut with fresh snow. The aqueduct section was iced up and we had to walk next to it. The night was still ok - we started around 1:30 Am. Clouds were moving during the night since we saw lights of towns below us on and off. We never got to see the sunrise or the morning shadow Pico creates.
We ran into a guided party above the Labyrinth section and it started to snow at that point. The jamapa glacier had a fresh snow on it and I was wondering about a slide danger. (It seemed stable on the way up, but it was sliding a little bit and layers were moving on the way down). We zigzagged up with a guided party below us (me and my companion). The guided party turned around at about 18,000 feet and we continued. It was a hard decision here, but we did not want to come back and spent another night at Piedra Grande Hut. The conditions were hard - no visibility, hard to estimate whether the slope is up or down, painful tiny ice hitting our faces. I used the Gaia application on my iPhone and it worked great. I don't think we would be able to return safely without it. And I am not sure that if I would not be able to follow up our progress on the map with detailed drawings of our route, I would not continue. My friend send me an e-mail about 3 people dying on Orizaba later that week. Watch out for hurricanes - locals thought this was affecting the weather, a lot of precipitation in late October on Pico de Orizaba. Be safe.
Wheelbarrow - Feb 5, 2018 10:02 pm Date Climbed: Jan 22, 2018
First time out of the country
Trouble securing a rental car in Mexico City for 2.5 days so had to rush the summit push. Didn't sleep well so opted to forego the alpine start to not risk my livelihood in lieu of aiming for a new high record–15,500 feet! I'll be back.
sbkelley - Jan 10, 2018 1:32 am Date Climbed: Jan 3, 2018
Ruta Sur
Joining this list of those modified climbing plans from Jamapa to the Ruta Sur this year due to route conditions, but glad we got to see this side of the mountain. Scree slog is tough on the way up - especially right below the summit - but fun on the way down. Great sunrise and sunset views, and a wonderful all-around experience!
mfox79 - Jan 8, 2018 8:13 pm Date Climbed: Jan 3, 2018
Ruta Sur
The Jamapa Glacier was pure ice so we decided to climb the Ruta Sur. Fun scrambling and loose rock. overall time was 5 hours up and 2 hours down. Slight headache at the summit but a great summit with amazing views. I hope to get on the Jamapa Glacier some day.
wdimpfl - Dec 22, 2017 4:10 am Date Climbed: Dec 28, 1970
Orizaba from Tlachichuca
Date approximate. On the recommendation of Arlene Blum I organized a trip to climb the volcanoes in Mexico. Will Spiegelman and Urs Kuhnlein joined me. We drove from the San Francisco Bay Area to San Diego, walked across the border to Tijuana, flew Aeromexico to Mexico City, took the bus to Tlachichuca, Hired Sr. Reyes to drive us to the hut at ~14,000 ft, and started the climb at about 3 AM. Without being acclimatized I counted 15 breaths per step near the summit. I had breathed so hard and my epiglottis had become so flexed that it painfully folded back into my throat when I swallowed.
brackham - Nov 3, 2017 8:35 pm Date Climbed: Mar 19, 2017
Like a Dream
First international climbing trip with Ashley, Gabe, and Amy. Everyone summited and no one got sick.
Beautiful conditions on the glacier and just a little more windy than we would have liked. Started out from camp at 12:30 am, summited just after 8 am, and made it back to camp around 3 pm, exhausted. A stray dog met us on the trail and followed us all the way to the summit.
The hike up during the night felt like a dream, especially the trail of headlights on the glacier.
Mark Vaughn - May 17, 2017 7:12 pm Date Climbed: Apr 10, 2017
Malinche Orizaba and Oaxaca
We climbed Malinche and Pico de Orizaba and then whent to Oaxaca, guys... totally worth it!! We did it with a company called SeeMexico.com where you can find different trip variations. We chose Orizaba and Oaxaca as we wanted to travel further. We climbed on April 2017 and the conditions where very good
Arrival Day:
We started Mexico City airport, where they picked us up, and took us to our inn for the night.
Day one, Malinche climb:
We woke up ahead of schedule, took the auto and headed to La Malinche where we did our first climb, which certainly helped get acclimatized for our Pico ascent. We finished the day at Tlachichuca, Mexico in a lodging owned by the locals (Canchola family), which is ok.
Day Two, Acclimation day:
Rodolfo and Daniel, our guides drove us to Pico the Orizaba Base camp where we made a two hour hike to further acclimatize. After the hike, we had lunch and supper and we essentially relaxed ourselves for the rest of the evening.
Day Three, Climbing day:
We began climbing at 1:45 am. Making a beeline for the Jamapa Glacier, which we came to at around 4:00 am. There we geared up and headed towards the summit (Local experienced guise, Ice Ax, crampons and rope are 100% required).
For what is worth Pico the Orizaba psychologically affects execution. It is dubious to see the summit all the way from the base until you reach it, as this makes you feel you are not progressing and can cause you to become desperate.
Once on the glacier, we climbed four more hours with a few short breaks until we reached the edge of the crater where we were finally got hit by the sun; However, the crater is more less thirty minutes away from the summit, where you can at last celebrate with your companions and guides.
The path down is exceptionally steep, I recommend going down utilizing the left side of the mountain, facing downwards (the right part, facing downwards, is extremely steep). I took us around six hours to get to the base camp (the aggregate climbing time was around 12:00 hrs).
Once at the Base camp, I was physically and mentally exhausted but our guides Rodolfo and Daniel gave us a Sandwich to boost our mood and thus, were prepared for Oaxaca, an absolute must after Orizaba.
Day Four and Five, Oaxaca Mexican Experience:
Once they took us to Hierve el Agua, which is a set of incredible petrified falls, we visited the arts and crafts market, ate at local restaurants, walked through ancient Zapotec ruins, we even learned how the Mezcal was created and of course we tasted it.
Day Six, Puebla and Cholula:
After two evenings in Oaxaca we took the van towards Mexico City stopping at Cholula, which is one of the greatest pyramids on the planet with a church at the top; Moreover, the view is quite fabulous as it has two of the greatest Mexican volcanoes directly behind it.
Day seven, Hasta la vista amigos
Last but not least, I would like to highlight Mexican food is fantastic and worth trying. Some of the dishes we recommend are: Mole, Tlayudas, Gusano de Maguey worms, which genuinely taste great, Mezcal, Esquites, and of course Tacos.
Unquestionably a remarkable excursion in Mexico. Yes, I would like to mention their portal www.seemexico.com for a remarkable trip & awesome guides.
gimpilator - Feb 20, 2017 10:35 pm Date Climbed: Jan 10, 2017
My 2nd Time! :)
I spent a month climbing volcanoes. Orizaba is agreat mountain and worth climbing twice.
Other peaks I bagged on this trip include...
Mexico:
Volcán La Malinche, Cofre de Perote, Volcán Iztaccíhuatl, Pico de Aguila, Nevado de Toluca, Cerro de Ombugo, Pico de Humboldt, Nevado de Colima, Cerro Tancitaro
Guatemala:
Volcán Pacaya, Volcán Tajumulco (country highpoint, 24th most prominent peak on earth), Volcán Concepción, Volcán Tacaná (2nd highest in Central America), Cerro Chemal "La Torre", Cerro Chemal "Cerro los Cuervos", Montañas Peña Blanca, Volcán Santa María, Volcán Atitlán, Volcán Acatenango
Costa Rica:
Volcán Poás, Volcán Barva, Volcán Irazú, Cerro Chirripó (country highpoint, 36th most prominent on earth), Cerro Piramide, Cerro Terbi, Cerro Buenavista
Smokieshiker - Jan 8, 2017 8:06 pm Date Climbed: Jan 4, 2017
Orizaba solo
Recap of my solo summit of Orizaba. Had great weather. Full trip report with videos can be found here. http://southernhighlanders.com/new/2017/01/09/orizaba-and-the-mexican-volcanos-summits-sun-and-snow/
skorpeo - Dec 13, 2016 11:18 pm Date Climbed: Dec 29, 2014
Perfect Day
I acclimated for two days on top of Pikes Peak in Colorado(4200 metres). This really made the summit day much easier. Great Peak.
Yulia Zi - Nov 30, 2016 1:02 am Date Climbed: Nov 16, 2016
Ukrainian Girl on the top of Pico de Orizaba
The highest and most difficult climb for me so far. Yes, it was not technically challenging indeed, but as you climb your first ever 18,000+ peak and also seriously hit by AMS for the first time ever, I count this one as a miracle. I stood on the top of Pico de Orizaba and wanted to cry from happiness together with my climbing partner Alex. Very little we knew, AMS will strike even harder on a way down with the change of the pressure of a rapid descent.
Challenging, but so-so satisfying. Dr.Reyes fed us a nice dinner after our 16+ hours adventure. We recovered and climbed Izta two days after.
gordonye - Nov 24, 2016 1:41 am Date Climbed: Nov 22, 2016
Jamapa Glacier route
Climbed with Samantha, Louie, and Mike Chen. Good snow conditions and perfect weather. Took us 8 hours to ascend, 2.5 hours to descend with some glissading. Went with two guides from summitOrizaba. Hated the icy steep section of the Labyrinth.
silver13 - Nov 16, 2016 2:01 pm Date Climbed: Mar 15, 2016
Pico De Orizaba
Longest summit day for me ever! Started at 2AM from the Hut, Summit at noon and returned to the Hut at 7PM. Whole glacier was full of hard penitentes. Tough day but worth it!
xDoogiex - Nov 3, 2016 2:12 pm Date Climbed: Oct 20, 2016
First high altitude summit
Good times.report posted
utclimber - Oct 16, 2016 4:34 pm Date Climbed: Feb 15, 2004
Jamapa Glacier
First attempted in December 2000(?), but turned back due to a lenticular cloud over the summit. Successful second attempt a few years later.
seancau - Sep 2, 2016 5:18 pm Date Climbed: Nov 6, 2015
Beautiful Orizaba
Got a shared 4x4 from Tlachichuca with Sr. Reyes, then immediately hiked up to the labyrinth where I set up high camp at 4,750m. In hindsight I should have spent a night at the Piedra Grande Hut (4,200m) first, suffered badly from altitude sickness - headache, loss of appetite, very little sleep. The following morning started early (3:30am). The Jamapa Glacier seemed neverending, but somehow I found the energy to make the summit (9am) - an incredibly beautiful place - and was briefly the highest person in North America!
eli.boardman - Dec 27, 2018 10:16 am Date Climbed: Dec 30, 2017
Unguided, south slopes routeWhole family made the summit, beautiful conditions, no snow on the south-side route from 13k camp in Valle del Encuentro
GlacierCountry - Dec 20, 2018 2:58 pm Date Climbed: Dec 15, 2018
Perfect ConditionsClimbed as a 4 member team through a grant from the Mazamas climbing group. Did Volcan la Malinche as an acclimatization climb. Used Servimont for transportation and logistics (excellent). Stayed at the main hut and the smaller hut. Had some altitude issues in the group but nothing that couldn't be overcome. Played my trumpet on the summit!
solo - Dec 20, 2018 9:34 am Date Climbed: Dec 19, 2018
Summit success!Conditions this year, per the locals, are much better than last year.
We awoke at midnight and Departed the OMG Basecamp (just below the Refugio) at 1:15am for the ruta regular. At the refugio, most people (incorrectly) assume the covered culvert is a concrete path and walk up it - don't be fooled! There are large chunks of concrete missing and the hollow sound tells me that some tourist is going to put their leg through another weak spot soon.
After the short (relatively flat) stretch above the Refugio, the burly and dusty trail led us along the base of the sarcophagus. There we put on crampons for the labrynth before arriving at the base of the glacier proper.
Conditions on the glacier were optimal with good consolidated snow and no evidence of crevasses or snow bridges.
Locals say that weather has been relatively good this year. I suffered 45+ mph winds that dramatically increased the "suck factor" but that is appearently an anomaly.
Ascent time: 5:45
Descent time: 2:30
And I'm 40 years old - so, suck it millennials
For logistics and guiding, I used Orizaba Mountain Guides and was very pleased with everything.
Feel free to PM if you need specific beta
Matt McCullough - Nov 26, 2018 8:21 am Date Climbed: Nov 2, 2017
Orizaba summit and treacherous snowboard descentSummited with my guide (Juan Mendoza with Orizaba Mountain Guides) and then solo snowboarded (barely) from the top and down along the sloping crater rim. Treacherous icy conditions existed, however, immediately below the rim on the steep upper slopes. I decided to use crampons to climb down to slightly less steep conditions and where I thought the snow was bit softer (but still crusty) to allow snowboarding. As I started to descend again on my snowboard, I fell on my first attempt to turn as it was still too icy to hold the carve. I arrested by twisting my body to my side after skidding about 50 meters. I had decided to snowboard with my ice axe in my right hand, but it popped out of my grip immediately on my initial fall. I was very fortunate that I came to a stop. I decided it was too dangerous to attempt any further snowboarding. Unfortunately, a couple of weeks later another American climber died from a fall after he lost control while skiing the continued icy slopes below the summit.
Liba Kopeckova - Oct 23, 2018 8:07 pm Date Climbed: Oct 17, 2018
pretty bad conditions (hurricane response)Went up the Jamapa Glacier route. It snowed overnight and the ground was covered from Piedra Grande Hut with fresh snow. The aqueduct section was iced up and we had to walk next to it. The night was still ok - we started around 1:30 Am. Clouds were moving during the night since we saw lights of towns below us on and off. We never got to see the sunrise or the morning shadow Pico creates.
We ran into a guided party above the Labyrinth section and it started to snow at that point. The jamapa glacier had a fresh snow on it and I was wondering about a slide danger. (It seemed stable on the way up, but it was sliding a little bit and layers were moving on the way down). We zigzagged up with a guided party below us (me and my companion). The guided party turned around at about 18,000 feet and we continued. It was a hard decision here, but we did not want to come back and spent another night at Piedra Grande Hut. The conditions were hard - no visibility, hard to estimate whether the slope is up or down, painful tiny ice hitting our faces. I used the Gaia application on my iPhone and it worked great. I don't think we would be able to return safely without it. And I am not sure that if I would not be able to follow up our progress on the map with detailed drawings of our route, I would not continue. My friend send me an e-mail about 3 people dying on Orizaba later that week. Watch out for hurricanes - locals thought this was affecting the weather, a lot of precipitation in late October on Pico de Orizaba. Be safe.
Wheelbarrow - Feb 5, 2018 10:02 pm Date Climbed: Jan 22, 2018
First time out of the countryTrouble securing a rental car in Mexico City for 2.5 days so had to rush the summit push. Didn't sleep well so opted to forego the alpine start to not risk my livelihood in lieu of aiming for a new high record–15,500 feet! I'll be back.
sbkelley - Jan 10, 2018 1:32 am Date Climbed: Jan 3, 2018
Ruta SurJoining this list of those modified climbing plans from Jamapa to the Ruta Sur this year due to route conditions, but glad we got to see this side of the mountain. Scree slog is tough on the way up - especially right below the summit - but fun on the way down. Great sunrise and sunset views, and a wonderful all-around experience!
mfox79 - Jan 8, 2018 8:13 pm Date Climbed: Jan 3, 2018
Ruta SurThe Jamapa Glacier was pure ice so we decided to climb the Ruta Sur. Fun scrambling and loose rock. overall time was 5 hours up and 2 hours down. Slight headache at the summit but a great summit with amazing views. I hope to get on the Jamapa Glacier some day.
wdimpfl - Dec 22, 2017 4:10 am Date Climbed: Dec 28, 1970
Orizaba from TlachichucaDate approximate. On the recommendation of Arlene Blum I organized a trip to climb the volcanoes in Mexico. Will Spiegelman and Urs Kuhnlein joined me. We drove from the San Francisco Bay Area to San Diego, walked across the border to Tijuana, flew Aeromexico to Mexico City, took the bus to Tlachichuca, Hired Sr. Reyes to drive us to the hut at ~14,000 ft, and started the climb at about 3 AM. Without being acclimatized I counted 15 breaths per step near the summit. I had breathed so hard and my epiglottis had become so flexed that it painfully folded back into my throat when I swallowed.
brackham - Nov 3, 2017 8:35 pm Date Climbed: Mar 19, 2017
Like a DreamFirst international climbing trip with Ashley, Gabe, and Amy. Everyone summited and no one got sick.
Beautiful conditions on the glacier and just a little more windy than we would have liked. Started out from camp at 12:30 am, summited just after 8 am, and made it back to camp around 3 pm, exhausted. A stray dog met us on the trail and followed us all the way to the summit.
The hike up during the night felt like a dream, especially the trail of headlights on the glacier.
Mark Vaughn - May 17, 2017 7:12 pm Date Climbed: Apr 10, 2017
Malinche Orizaba and OaxacaWe climbed Malinche and Pico de Orizaba and then whent to Oaxaca, guys... totally worth it!! We did it with a company called SeeMexico.com where you can find different trip variations. We chose Orizaba and Oaxaca as we wanted to travel further. We climbed on April 2017 and the conditions where very good
Arrival Day:
We started Mexico City airport, where they picked us up, and took us to our inn for the night.
Day one, Malinche climb:
We woke up ahead of schedule, took the auto and headed to La Malinche where we did our first climb, which certainly helped get acclimatized for our Pico ascent. We finished the day at Tlachichuca, Mexico in a lodging owned by the locals (Canchola family), which is ok.
Day Two, Acclimation day:
Rodolfo and Daniel, our guides drove us to Pico the Orizaba Base camp where we made a two hour hike to further acclimatize. After the hike, we had lunch and supper and we essentially relaxed ourselves for the rest of the evening.
Day Three, Climbing day:
We began climbing at 1:45 am. Making a beeline for the Jamapa Glacier, which we came to at around 4:00 am. There we geared up and headed towards the summit (Local experienced guise, Ice Ax, crampons and rope are 100% required).
For what is worth Pico the Orizaba psychologically affects execution. It is dubious to see the summit all the way from the base until you reach it, as this makes you feel you are not progressing and can cause you to become desperate.
Once on the glacier, we climbed four more hours with a few short breaks until we reached the edge of the crater where we were finally got hit by the sun; However, the crater is more less thirty minutes away from the summit, where you can at last celebrate with your companions and guides.
The path down is exceptionally steep, I recommend going down utilizing the left side of the mountain, facing downwards (the right part, facing downwards, is extremely steep). I took us around six hours to get to the base camp (the aggregate climbing time was around 12:00 hrs).
Once at the Base camp, I was physically and mentally exhausted but our guides Rodolfo and Daniel gave us a Sandwich to boost our mood and thus, were prepared for Oaxaca, an absolute must after Orizaba.
Day Four and Five, Oaxaca Mexican Experience:
Once they took us to Hierve el Agua, which is a set of incredible petrified falls, we visited the arts and crafts market, ate at local restaurants, walked through ancient Zapotec ruins, we even learned how the Mezcal was created and of course we tasted it.
Day Six, Puebla and Cholula:
After two evenings in Oaxaca we took the van towards Mexico City stopping at Cholula, which is one of the greatest pyramids on the planet with a church at the top; Moreover, the view is quite fabulous as it has two of the greatest Mexican volcanoes directly behind it.
Day seven, Hasta la vista amigos
Last but not least, I would like to highlight Mexican food is fantastic and worth trying. Some of the dishes we recommend are: Mole, Tlayudas, Gusano de Maguey worms, which genuinely taste great, Mezcal, Esquites, and of course Tacos.
Unquestionably a remarkable excursion in Mexico. Yes, I would like to mention their portal www.seemexico.com for a remarkable trip & awesome guides.
gimpilator - Feb 20, 2017 10:35 pm Date Climbed: Jan 10, 2017
My 2nd Time! :)I spent a month climbing volcanoes. Orizaba is agreat mountain and worth climbing twice.
Other peaks I bagged on this trip include...
Mexico:
Volcán La Malinche, Cofre de Perote, Volcán Iztaccíhuatl, Pico de Aguila, Nevado de Toluca, Cerro de Ombugo, Pico de Humboldt, Nevado de Colima, Cerro Tancitaro
Guatemala:
Volcán Pacaya, Volcán Tajumulco (country highpoint, 24th most prominent peak on earth), Volcán Concepción, Volcán Tacaná (2nd highest in Central America), Cerro Chemal "La Torre", Cerro Chemal "Cerro los Cuervos", Montañas Peña Blanca, Volcán Santa María, Volcán Atitlán, Volcán Acatenango
Costa Rica:
Volcán Poás, Volcán Barva, Volcán Irazú, Cerro Chirripó (country highpoint, 36th most prominent on earth), Cerro Piramide, Cerro Terbi, Cerro Buenavista
Trip report with photos
Smokieshiker - Jan 8, 2017 8:06 pm Date Climbed: Jan 4, 2017
Orizaba soloRecap of my solo summit of Orizaba. Had great weather. Full trip report with videos can be found here. http://southernhighlanders.com/new/2017/01/09/orizaba-and-the-mexican-volcanos-summits-sun-and-snow/
skorpeo - Dec 13, 2016 11:18 pm Date Climbed: Dec 29, 2014
Perfect DayI acclimated for two days on top of Pikes Peak in Colorado(4200 metres). This really made the summit day much easier. Great Peak.
Yulia Zi - Nov 30, 2016 1:02 am Date Climbed: Nov 16, 2016
Ukrainian Girl on the top of Pico de OrizabaThe highest and most difficult climb for me so far. Yes, it was not technically challenging indeed, but as you climb your first ever 18,000+ peak and also seriously hit by AMS for the first time ever, I count this one as a miracle. I stood on the top of Pico de Orizaba and wanted to cry from happiness together with my climbing partner Alex. Very little we knew, AMS will strike even harder on a way down with the change of the pressure of a rapid descent.
Challenging, but so-so satisfying. Dr.Reyes fed us a nice dinner after our 16+ hours adventure. We recovered and climbed Izta two days after.
gordonye - Nov 24, 2016 1:41 am Date Climbed: Nov 22, 2016
Jamapa Glacier routeClimbed with Samantha, Louie, and Mike Chen. Good snow conditions and perfect weather. Took us 8 hours to ascend, 2.5 hours to descend with some glissading. Went with two guides from summitOrizaba. Hated the icy steep section of the Labyrinth.
silver13 - Nov 16, 2016 2:01 pm Date Climbed: Mar 15, 2016
Pico De OrizabaLongest summit day for me ever! Started at 2AM from the Hut, Summit at noon and returned to the Hut at 7PM. Whole glacier was full of hard penitentes. Tough day but worth it!
xDoogiex - Nov 3, 2016 2:12 pm Date Climbed: Oct 20, 2016
First high altitude summitGood times.report posted
utclimber - Oct 16, 2016 4:34 pm Date Climbed: Feb 15, 2004
Jamapa GlacierFirst attempted in December 2000(?), but turned back due to a lenticular cloud over the summit. Successful second attempt a few years later.
seancau - Sep 2, 2016 5:18 pm Date Climbed: Nov 6, 2015
Beautiful OrizabaGot a shared 4x4 from Tlachichuca with Sr. Reyes, then immediately hiked up to the labyrinth where I set up high camp at 4,750m. In hindsight I should have spent a night at the Piedra Grande Hut (4,200m) first, suffered badly from altitude sickness - headache, loss of appetite, very little sleep. The following morning started early (3:30am). The Jamapa Glacier seemed neverending, but somehow I found the energy to make the summit (9am) - an incredibly beautiful place - and was briefly the highest person in North America!