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Published: April 19th 2014
Orizaba From Piedra Grande Day 2
Weather mostly did not look at all like this for the 3 days there, Pico de Orizaba.Citaltépetl is the native word for Pico de Orizaba and means "Star Mountain." I was mildly shocked and chagrined that Orizaba (5,636 m or 18,491') is the 3rd highest mountain in all of North America. I summited early yesterday morning at 7:19 after a grueling hike and slog on the Jampa Glacier. I did not take this climb all that seriously and was not at all prepared for the extreme cold (severe cold front blew through this week) and high altitude. Now in Puebla where it is positively mobbed presumably because it is the end of Santa Semana. Nice city...
US$ ≈ 13 Mexican
pesos (M$)
Tlachichuca
Strictly one purpose town - setting up a climb of Pico de Orizaba. While not necessary, I spent the night here after the summit but it would have been possible to catch a bus to Puebla (departures every ~45 minutes or so) after returning from the volcano.
Accommodation and food I met Gerar of Hotel Gerar to ask about transport to Piedra Grande which is the high altitude
refugio on Pico de Orizaba and starting point for summit attempts. The transport wasn't going to work out since I was solo but
Piedra Grande Refuge
4,270 meters ASL or 14,010' for the metric-phobic , Pico de Orizaba. I did stay at his work-in-progress hotel for M$200/night in a clean room with private hot water bathroom (imperative after freezing on the volcano), cable TV, and WiFi. There are only a few restaurants in town (a soldier told me there were none) but don't plan on breakfast before 9:00. There's an eminently forgettable pizzeria in town but I do remember that it was cheap and filling after making the summit on 3 Milky Ways and a couple of cereal bars.
Transport Caught a Valles bus to Puebla departing at 9:45, arriving at 11:35, costing M$69. No toilet on board so take care of business prior to boarding (no pit stops either). Minivans run to Cd. Serdán all day for M$9, taking about 20-30 minutes.
3 day/2 night trip to Pico de Orizaba After failing to find a climbing partner I opted to go with Servimont to Piedra Grande for M$850 round trip and hope I would meet some other climbers with whom I could try for the summit. The plan was to be driven to the
refugio Tuesday morning, Wednesday take an acclimatization hike, Thursday morning go for the summit, and be picked up Thursday afternoon.
Rest Day at Piedra Grande
Pretty comfy, Pico de Orizaba. I also rented crampons and an ice axe from Servimont for M$400 for the 2 days. Incidentally, both of these services were quite a bit cheaper with Gerar.
There was a Canadian couple also going for the summit with a guide and we were on the same schedule so they said I could go with them (unguided, of course). When we got to Piedra Grande everyone was pretty tired to so we all took a nap after lunch. Some time later (I did not know exactly what time since my watch battery recently died) I decided to stretch my legs and went for a hike above the
refugio. I hadn't intended to go very far so didn't bring anything but I was feeling pretty, pretty good and got all the way to the edge of the glacier in 2 hours. Figured it must have been getting late so I quickly headed back and reached Piedra Grande at 20:00 which was very surprising as I had no idea it was that late. Boiled up a pot of pasta and crashed by 21:00. Woke up in the middle of the night with a splitting headache so took an Advil and drank
In the Labyrinth at O'Dark Thirty
Actually 3:26 a.m. in a rocky section that was probably under a glacier not too long ago, Pico de Orizaba. a half liter of water. Everyone (Canadians had a cook and there were 2 other climbers so 6 of us total) slept until 8:00.
I was wiped out and seriously dehydrated so sat around the
refugio all day Wednesday drinking water and mango juice. The climb plan was to leave Thursday morning at 1:00. I barely slept but was ready to roll when we left at 1:15. It wasn't too cold when we left so I was wearing just thin layers of polypro under my shell pants and jacket; gloves and a fleece hat were necessary, though. It was much slower going than my solo trip to the glacier which we reached at 4:30. After fiddling around with the strap-on crampons I was itching to go and the Canadians were roped together with their guide and another climber who I think was Servimont's owner's son. Another solo climber joined us and we all left together at 5:00. It didn't take long for the 3 "groups" to be separated with me between the solo climber above and the rope team below. The Canadians soon turned around and it was just me and the other solo climber en route although he
Nearing the Summit Close to Sunrise
7:06 a.m. and struggling on the infinite field of nieve penitentes. Volcano's shadow on the horizon, Pico de Orizaba. was so fast and so far ahead of me that I felt like I was the only person on the mountain.
The glacier was unlike anything I'd ever seen before, covered in
nieve penitentes and horribly difficult to navigate. I was really struggling with the altitude, cold, and terrain but I eventually settled into a worn path through the snow just as the glacier steepened which made the going a bit easier. It was so cold that I actually donned my balaclava which I've carried all around the world for almost 2 years and used for the first time in Mexico of all places. After an exceedingly arduous 2 hours and 19 minutes I finally reached the summit and hung around just long enough to snap a few "selfies" for documentation purposes. The trek down was actually much worse and it took me over an hour and a half to reach the edge of the glacier where I could take off the crampons and stash the ice axe. Even then the tediousness of the climb was not over as I had to descend the Labyrinth rock band before finally hitting easier terrain. The first trip down through the Labyrinth 2
Edge of the Crater
Not yet the summit which is off to the right, Pico de Orizaba. days earlier proved to be much easier. Early in the morning on summit day a lot of the gullies still had not received sun and were like sheets of ice - actually they were sheets of ice. I was barely able to keep myself upright or awake as I down-climbed several steep, bouldery sections before I landed on the well worn trail. Staggered back into Piedra Grande at 11:00. Was too amped to go to bed so finished off my food (couple near stale frosted donuts; can eat whatever I want during a climb) and waited for our ride to retrieve us at 13:00. Two hours later we were back in Tlachichuca basking in the relative warmth.
Ciudad Serdán
Much nicer than Tlachichuca and easy to get between the 2 towns.
Accommodation and food One of the guides I had been in contact with recommended Hotel Monte Carlo and it was fine. M$210 for my own room with private hot water bathroom, WiFi, and cable TV so I could watch ESPN Sunday Night Baseball's presentation of the New York Yankees crushing and mauling of the World Champion Boston Red Sox. The hotel's restaurant is open early for breakfast,
Traversing the Crater Rim
Now 7:15 a.m. and very close to the summit, Pico de Orizaba. excellent coffee. Down the street is a restaurant whose name is impossibly complex but fortunately the 4 course
menú del día is not and a bargain at M$60. Try the
mole poblano (the national dish of Mexico but originated in this region) if it is on the menu that day. Naturally there is a La Michoacana juice bar near the square but it was too cold in town for one of their frosty libations.
Transport 2
nd class buses to Puebla leave throughout the day, taking ~2 hours for M$66. Also no toilet on board.
Apizaco
Nice place to spend a night or two if Malinche is on the agenda otherwise not much to recommend it.
Accommodation and food Not too many choices here but it didn't take long to find Hotel Luis Alberto where I stayed 2 nights in a M$230 single with scalding hot water, private bathroom, cable TV, and WiFi. The attached MoccaArte Café serves great M$60 breakfasts with fantastic coffee (one free refill!). Close to the hotel is Restaurante El Medano with huge M$45
almuerzos. On the main square is Antonio's, delicious food but not as good a deal for M$60 and no drink included.
Avenida Hidalgo seems to concentrate a few good coffee shops; I liked Bistro 401 where a turbocharged
café americano was M$16. The hopping La Michoacana juice bar is on the square.
Transport ATAH 2
nd class buses run every 10 minutes to Puebla for M$42, takes 1-1½ hours depending on how many stops the driver makes (probably a lot). Can pay M$60 for an
ejecutivo bus that'll get there in an hour and may have a
toilette on board.
Day hike to Volcán Malintzin (a.k.a., Malinche) There is a
colectivo departing Apizaco at 8:20 (but get there at 8:00, M$20) from in front of the Elektra dept. store (few blocks from the hotel) for the Centro Turistico high on Malinche's flank. Doesn't take too long to get there and I was hiking by 9:00. The trail initially crosses a disused road several times before peeling off quite steeply (there's a huge sign saying "Cima," or summit, can't miss it). I reached the summit at 13:09 and was panting like a dog the last bit. The weather was incredible but I did not want to hang around too long as the last
colectivo back to Apizaco left at 17:00 and
Freezing on the Summit
7:19 a.m. a little over 6 hours after leaving Piedra Grande. Spent about 2 minutes on the summit then motored, Pico de Orizaba. I thought I might be able to catch the one at 15:00. Didn't make it as I got to the trailhead at 15:40 which was just enough time to wolf down a M$12
quesadilla chased with a M$25 liter of
agua (not actually water but water mixed with fruit juice). I was then lucky enough to catch a lift from one of the workers at the Centro Turistico all the way back to Apizaco.
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