Duration
- 12 days
- 11 nights
Season
- Autumn
Client:Guide Ratio
3:1
Minimum Participants
3
Day 1: Travel to Mexico City
- Please arrive at Benito Juarez International Airport between 2-5pm. Your guide will pick you up there and drive 80-90 miles to the Cabañas San Luis Malinche. The group will stay in a private cabaña which you will return to several times throughout the trip. Time permitting, enjoy an evening walk to explore the local area before dinner. Later in the evening, enjoy dinner and discuss your upcoming ascent of La Malinche.
Day 2: Acclimatization on La Malinche
- Leave Cabañas San Luis Malinche after breakfast and drive up to the base of the peak. This is Mexico’s fifth highest mountain and an excellent peak to acclimatize on in preparation for the higher peaks. Begin your climb to treeline, through a shaded forest and up to a cleared saddle. Camp here for the night and enjoy the remainder of the evening cooking dinner and acclimatizing for the remainder of our time at altitude.
Day 3: Ascent of La Malinche (14,640 ft / 4462 m)
- Have an early breakfast at camp and depart for a long hike up to the summit of Malinche. After summiting, we will descend to break down camp and return to the cabañas for a late dinner and debrief.
Day 4: Travel to the base of Iztaccihuatl
- Depart Cabañas La Malinche in the morning. Enjoy lunch in Amecameca before driving up the rough dirt road to Izta basecamp on the edge of a pine forest at 12,800. We will spend the evening preparing our gear for the climb of Izta.
Day 5: High Camp on Izta
- Today we will move to a camp higher on the mountain around 15,500ft, which should take approximately 5 hours. The hut at High Camp is crude but provides wooden bunks and shelter from the wind. We will use the afternoon to refresh on the basics of ice axe technique and crampon walking.
Day 6: Ascent of Izta (17,260 ft / 5,260 m)
- We use the 'La Arista del Sol’, The Ridge of the Sun route to climb Izta, depending on the weather conditions and the strength of our team. The Ridge of the Sun is often referred to as "the knees" and is the standard route on the mountain. It is an 8 to 12 hour day to make the climb to the summit and back down to basecamp so we'll need to start early.The glacier itself includes shallow crevasses and small ice cliffs, but these can be passed easily. From the summit, the views are superb across to Popcatepetl (previously a popular peak to climb until it started erupting again), Puebla, and Mexico City. Descend all the way back down the mountain and drive back to the now familiar Cabañas for hot showers and a rewarding evening meal.
Day 7: Rest day and Travel to Orizaba
- After breakfast we will travel approximately 150 kilometers by road in our vehicle to the town of Tlachichuca, where we will stay at the famous Servimont Climbers Hostel, a former soap factory that has been preserved as a climbers’ hostel for over 40 years. Time permitting, there are opportunities to explore town in the afternoon and resupply at the market before enjoying a great dinner with the folks at Servimont. The evening will be spent preparing our gear for the ascent of Orizaba.
Day 8: Trek to Piedra Grande Hut
- After breakfast we will travel up the flanks of Orizaba in 4x4 vehicles to the Piedra Grande Hut, our basecamp on Orizaba, on the plateau just above treeline. Once we arrive we can do an acclimatization hike up to the labyrinth and stash water, technical gear, and our tents. If needed, we can also don our crampons and ice axes for a few more hours of ice axe and crampon technique practice. We will spend the night in the hut.
Day 9: High camp on Orizaba
- We will spend this day continuing to acclimatize to the altitude while moving up the peak to our high camp. After establishing camp, we will spend some time marking our route through an area commonly called the labyrinth while familiarizing ourselves with the terrain in preparation for climbing through the area in the dark on summit day. An early dinner and bedtime will give us all ample time to rest and prepare for the summit climb the next day.
Day 10: Ascent of Orizaba (18,500 ft / 5,640 m)
- A 2am start is needed to reach the summit before snow conditions deteriorate in the midday sun. The route follows the Glacier de Jamapa, which is a straightforward slope at an average angle of 35°. We will rope up as there are occasional spots of hard ice. The route goes through the labyrinth and then travels onto the glacier itself, where we will switchback on the steep snow toward the crater rim. From here, we will follow the edge of the crater around to the summit, which is marked by a cross. The views across the Gulf of Mexico to the east and the central plateau to the west are quite breathtaking. After spending some time on the summit, we will descend back down to Piedra Grande Hut. The climb and descent should take 10 to 14 hours in total. Upon returning to Piedra Grande Hut, we will pack our gear into the 4x4 for transport back to Tlachichuca, where we will enjoy a celebratory meal at Servimont.
Day 11: Depart Tlachichuca for Mexico City
- We will depart for Mexico City after breakfast and stay there for the night before departing the following day. We can enjoy time enroute to Mexico City in Tlaxcala and/or enjoy an afternoon/evening out in Mexico City for dinner and entertainment. We will stay in an AirBnB in the famous Roma arts district of Mexico City.
Day 12: Travel Home
- We will travel together to the airport, so plan to spend time at the airport if your flight is later in the day. Please book your flight to depart at 9:30am or later if possible. You are responsible for your own meals on this day.
- Glacier Mountaineering Skills Course or equivalent experience.
- Previous experience hiking at elevations above 10,000 ft is recommended.
- Any additional backcountry or mountaineering experience will enhance your ability to learn, but is not required.
- Ability to hike for up to 8 hours and ascend up to 5000' with a 25 lb pack, several days in a row.
- Upon registration, you will receive a confirmation email full of important information - make sure to read it thoroughly!
- Expect to hear from your guide or our team about a month before your trip or course. You will receive an email containing even more details, including exact meet up location and time and any other pertinent precourse information.
- Plan to attend a virtual pre-trip meeting in the evening a few days before your course begins. This is required and a great opportunity to meet your guide, review gear, discuss your trip plan, and ask any last minute questions. The exact time of your meeting will be set by your instructor and noted in their welcome email.
- Leading up to your course, make sure to eat healthy, drink extra water, and get plenty of sleep.
- Your trip begins and ends at the airport. Please look for further communications from our office team regarding specific logistics for your international adventure!
- All along the way, our office team is available via email or phone to answer any questions you may have.
Up to 7 days of guided climbing and instruction including:
- Mountain weather.
- Expedition planning.
- Glacier rigging, rope team travel and rope management.
- Route finding and navigation off-trail and in glaciated terrain.
- Mountain hazards and safe travel practices.
- Crevasse rescue.
- Self-care in the mountains.
- High altitude climbing.
- Leadership, communication, and decision-making.
- Basic emergency response.
PLUS:
- A fun experience you’ll remember forever!
- A sense of accomplishment in achieving your goals for the trip.
- Confidence in your newfound skills and where to take them next.
- Tips and tricks to add to your toolbox from our professional and knowledgeable guides.
- A lasting connection with the people and culture of south-central Mexico.
Included:
- Private transportation to and from the airport & throughout the country
- 11 nights accommodations ranging from high camp mountain tenting to AirBnB
- Most meals beginning at Dinner on day 1 to Breakfast on day 11
- Professional guiding and instruction
- Park fees and any tolls, taxes, and tips related to services above
- Group climbing and camping gear (tent, stove, fuel, cooking equipment, water filtration, climbing rope, protection, 1st Aid kit)
Not Included:
- Flights or other travel to and from Mexico City
- Passport, Travel Visa, Departure Tax, or other fees related to entering or exiting Mexico
- Insurance of any kind
- Medication and vaccination expenses
- Clothing, personal items, and travel equipment
- Personal gear and climbing equipment
- Guide gratuity
- About 7 meals - plan on ~$8 per meal
- Any alcoholic beverages
- Miscellaneous spending money for drinks, souvenirs, and other items.
Payment & Cancellation Policies
