I was getting the itch again to get back into some altitude and summit a peak. Enter the stratovolcano Pico de Orizaba (or Citlaltépetl). At 18,491 ft it is the highest mountain in Mexico, highest volcano in North America, and the third-highest peak in North America. It has a beginner friendly route up the Jamapa Glacier, a great opportunity to work with ropes and use some crampons and ice axe. There was also some family friends who happened to be living in Mexico City at the time, so it was also a chance to visit with them and crash at their place for a few days and acclimatize, as the city sits at 7,350 ft, making it one of the highest capital cities in the world. After a few days I made the bus ride to the town Tlachichuca, the jumping off point for the north side of the mountain. After a night in a local hostel I met up with my guide and started the bumpy drive to basecamp. After an acclimatization hike around the area we began the summit push at midnight. It would end up being a very long, tiring, and cold climb. My finger tips felt numb as we made our way up the glacier before the sun popped up. Once at the top we enjoyed the views for a brief time, gazing into the caldera’s abyss, then started what would be a slow descent back to basecamp. All told it took about 12 hours, so not the quickest climb, but altitude-wise I felt good and did not take any medications. All natural baby! Afterward, I spent a couple more days sightseeing with the friends back in Mexico City.
