Mexico's highest mountain, Orizaba, awaits!
During this trip we will climb to the top of three tall volcanoes in Mexico (fortunately extinct volcanoes!). The tallest and most famous is of course Pico de Orizaba (5636 m) - the highest mountain in Mexico and the third highest mountain in North America. In addition, we will climb two more peaks in advance during the acclimatization process - the third highest mountain in Mexico iztaccihuatl (also known as Izta for short, height 5230 m) and the sixth highest mountain La Malinche (4461 m).
The mountains are quite high, but there is no need to do any difficult climbing, it is more of a hind leg job to climb them. If you are a little familiar with cats and a pickaxe, then even the highest peak in Mexico should be within your reach. If not, you will still have time to learn the basics before the trip. So this trip is also suitable for beginner mountaineering enthusiasts who have not been to high mountains before.
And we don't just have a serious mountaineering trip! All three mountains are close to each other, within a few hours' drive. So between the mountains we come back down to civilization every time and visit the local attractions. There is also room for two UNESCO World Heritage Site A worthy destination - resting among the mountains, we will spend the whole day in the old town of Puebla, surrounded by colonial churches and cathedrals and houses with painted ceramic tiles, and at the beginning of the trip we will visit the two thousand year old pyramids of Teotihuacan.
Last but not least: In December, the average daytime temperature in the Mexico City area is 20-25 degrees Celsius, there is very little rain, and there is at least 8 hours of sunshine a day. Well, not bad, right?!
NB: The photos used in the travel description below were actually taken during a mountain climbing trip to the volcanoes of Mexico in early 2020!
We are approaching the highest mountain in Mexico - Pico de Orizaba (5636 m). On the top pyramid of the peak, you can also see the Jamapa glacier, which the ascent route crosses.
Overview - short & sweet
Goal: Mexico's highest peak, Orizaba (5636m)
Dates: 5.-17.12.2021
Activity: mountain hiking and climbing
Adventure guide: Marko Aasa
Technical difficulty level: 2/5 (suitable for beginners)
Physical difficulty: 3/5 (moderate effort)
Group size: min 4 (already existing), max 8
Early bird (until 20.05.2021) — 1290€
Less dizzy chicken (from 21.05.2021) — 1450€
Please note: For community members discount of -5% applies
If the trip is canceled due to circumstances caused by the pandemic, we will refund the advance payment in full!
The Teotihuacan pyramids, 2000 years old - just 40 km away from Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, so we're definitely going to visit!
What mountains are these that we are climbing?
Most of the mountains in Mexico are actually volcanoes, but fortunately most of them are extinct. Three of the volcanoes are over 5000 meters high, and we will climb two of them (I would climb the third, but Popocatepetl is an active volcano and occasionally spews smoke and fire). There are also a whole bunch of lower volcanoes scattered throughout Mexico. The trio of volcanoes on our trip are located relatively close to Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, so we can cover the distances between them in reasonably short car rides.
The menu includes mountains like these:
🌋 La Malinche (4461 m) - this is a nice hiking mountain. We start early in the morning at an altitude of 3000 m, right out of bed at the campsite, and we climb up for a few hours through a nice pine forest. From there, a bit of land along the slope of stones and grass, and at the very end, a rocky summit pyramid. Accessible to everyone.
🌋 Iztaccihuatl (5230 m) - this is also more of a hiking mountain, but there may be some snow and ice at the top and depending on the weather conditions we will also put on crampons and pick up a pickaxe. We will also acclimatize before the summit climb.
🌋 Pico de Orizaba (5636 m) - technically a rather easy mountain, so suitable for novice mountaineers. At the beginning, a technically easy climb through a labyrinth of rocks. Above the snow line (which is at an altitude of 5000 m), you have to climb over the glacier using crampons, a pickaxe and a rope, the final pyramid is a bit steeper, you have to zig-zag, it can be icy here and there. The summit day is a long hike and can be physically difficult, so a reasonably normal athletic form is unfortunately not necessary.
Adventure train Marko rests his feet under the Orizaba peak pyramid on the Jamapa glacier, at an altitude of approximately 5200 m. In the background is the Orizaba pre-peak (the actual peak is a little further back).
Schedule and activities
DAY 1 - “ULTRA-COMFORTABLE” FLIGHT ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
We wake up early, around 4 in the morning. If we didn't have time to pack our things the night before, then even earlier - long-term mountaineering aviation practice has shown that sleeping on the last night is not worth considering. Waking up is followed by an airport and a plane, and then another airport and another plane. We fly to Frankfurt or somewhere around there first. And then on to the American continent. Incidentally, the Atlantic Ocean is much wider than it looks on the globe, so flying across it would require a serious 12-hour workday. Since the sun is moving with us, we will still arrive in Mexico that same evening - from there we will quickly take a taxi to the hotel in the capital, Mexico City, and hopefully we will also have time to take a short evening walk in the city.
DAY 2 - CULTURE DAY
On the first day in Mexico, we will take leisurely tours. We will recover from the flight and adjust to the altitude (Mexico City is located at an altitude of 2250 m, which is already a bit) and the time difference (we are 8 hours ahead of Estonian time). 40 km from Mexico City is the ancient and archaeologically valuable sacred Indian city of Teotihuacan, with its magnificent pyramids and temples, which is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The pyramids there were built nearly 2000 years ago and at one time it was one of the largest ancient cities in all of America. In fact, the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan is the third largest pyramid in the world. We will set foot there in the first half of the day. In the evening, we will also take a closer look at Mexican food, drink, traffic, shopping, cafes, beer and urban culture.
DAY 3 - LET'S START GETTING TO KNOW THE MOUNTAINS
When we wake up in the morning, we pack ourselves into our cars and head towards the mountains. On the way, we pass through a beautiful colonial town called Tlaxcala, where we have a short city tour and lunch, and then drive to our first mountain, La Malinche, to a campsite. We spend the next two nights there - we sleep under a roof, beds, blankets, and pillows are all provided, and we cook our own food. It seems easy, but working at an altitude of 3000 meters is not quite the same as walking the streets of Kalamaja in Tallinn on a Saturday night.
DAY 4 - FIRST PEAK - LA MALINCHE
We wake up early, at 6. When we open our eyes, we don't want to get up. First, a light breakfast - we fry an egg and make ham and cheese sandwiches. This is followed by a peaceful, pleasant hike in the pine forest, with a bit of rock, grass and rubble slopes above. But if the dogs can do it, then why can't we? We reach an altitude of 4461 m - that's where La Malinche peak is located. We take some pictures for Instagram and go down to a familiar campsite. There we have a nice dinner and Corona (0.33) and then go to bed quickly. The day's harvest is 6 hours up and 3 hours down.
View of Mexico from our first peak, La Malinche (4461 m)
DAY 5 - DOWN THE SECOND MOUNTAIN - IZTACCIHUATL
We pack our things at the Malinche campsite and head down. Today's first stop is the small town of Amecameca, where we fill up on fuel, water and food and then race on (now up!) to the Altzomon mountain hut, where we spend the next night. The altitude there is already 3700 m, this is no joke, some participants may already start to move around. But it is necessary for acclimatization, honestly.
DAY 6 - WE CONTINUE TO ACCLIMATIATE, ALREADY HIGHER
We hike upwards and when we are exhausted, we spend the night at a high camp at 4700 m. We set up camp, review the mountaineering skills necessary for the summit climb, and go to bed early to be in shape for the summit climb tomorrow.
DAY 7 - IZTA SUMMIT DAY
Izta summit day, we climb to an altitude of 5230 meters. A long and hard day, as summit days always are. But by evening we plan to reach the bottom and drive on to the city of Puebla to rest.
DAY 8 - VACATION IN OLD TOWN OF PUEBLA
A beautiful place for a day off - Puebla's old town is not on the UNESCO World Heritage List for nothing (along with Tallinn's old town). Nice colonial old town vibe with art and craft markets, churches and cathedrals, shopping streets and eateries and otherwise a chill atmosphere. No need to climb anywhere, no need to exert yourself physically, just rest for our main goal - Orizaba.
DAY 9 - DRIVE TO THE FOOT OF MOUNT ORIZABA
Now we're taking a drive to the foot of Mexico's highest mountain - Orizaba. Already on the way, the mountain views start to give us some hints about the challenge ahead. The last major settlement before the mountain is the small town of Tlachichuca, and about ten kilometers further on there is a smaller village called Zoapan - there we pack ourselves into 4x4 jeeps to spend the last hour or two along the bumpy, sandy and rocky mountain road to reach the Piedra Grande mountain hut at an altitude of 4260 m. A simple dinner and taking pictures of the sunset follow, then a quick sleep to be in shape for the night climb to the summit.
DAY 10 - CLIMB TO ORIZABA PEAK
We wake up at 1 am (some of us haven't even slept yet), we have another hour to load up on calories and pack up our things, and then we start climbing the mountain. At first, there are rocks and cliffs, then we find a way through a stone labyrinth to the glacier. There we attach ropes to ourselves (because the climb gets steeper and there are some glacier cracks at the top) and the climb begins on a long and monotonous ice and snow slope. We reach the summit before noon, then a light rest under the summit ridge, and then several more hours of trudging back down. At the Piedra Grande hut, familiar jeeps are waiting for us, taking us back down to the village of Zoapan for a warm shower, a soft bed, and the long-awaited dinner.
DAY 11 - DRIVE BACK TO THE CAPITAL
A slow post-peak awakening and breakfast and a leisurely drive back to the capital, Mexico City. There will be some sightseeing and shopping stops along the way. Last goodbyes to Mexico and last visits to souvenir shops. We look at the Mexico City panorama and all its glory and mighty scale once again from high above the 160-meter-high skyscraper Torre Latinoamericana. And of course, we celebrate the summit as well!
DAY 12 - IT'S TIME TO LEAVE
If you haven't had enough culture yet, then we'll plan to visit Mexico City's magnificent Anthropology Museum in the morning - it's the number 1 attraction in the Mexican capital on the well-known travel website TripAdvisor. Mexico City is one of the world's elite cities in terms of museum concentration, with at least 150 museums, so everyone will find something for themselves. Then we'll wander the streets, markets and shops for a while and then we'll pack our things to get to the airport for the evening flight back.
DAY 13 - WE ARRIVE IN TALLINN ENTHUSIASTIC
We will spend this day again in the extremely comfortable seats of the planes, where the stewardesses serve hot and cold drinks and switching from one movie to another is almost automatic, and in the homely, cozy atmosphere of the airports. We will arrive in Tallinn late in the evening. It will probably rain, the Christmas tree on the Town Hall Square is already decorated, and Christmas carols are playing on the radio.
NB! The schedule and planned activities may be subject to change - for example, due to weather and conditions or the wishes of passengers.
Trip highlights
🏃♀️ Sunrise on the Orizaba slope on the icy Jamapa glacier at an altitude of 5000 m
🤸♀️ Delicious corn drink Corona and cactus drink Mezcal
🏃♂️ Cacti, pyramids, cathedrals and tacos
Travel cost
Price includes - the entire mountain program, transport and accommodation
Trip organization, preparation, on-site organization and mountain guidance
With Orizaba experience Elamus+ giid
Local transportation in Mexico, including all rides from the airport to the foothills and back
All overnight stays throughout the trip (including city stays in Mexico City and Puebla, plus Malinche and the foothills of the Izta and Orizaba mountains)
Breakfast, lunch and dinner in the mountains
Special climbing equipment for the group (ropes, ice augers, carabiners, and other glacier equipment)
Group pharmacy (i.e. altitude sickness medication) and health assessment
Stylish Elamus+ sports shirt for each participant
Video and image material
Price does not include - flights, personal belongings and optional activities
Flight tickets Tallinn-Mexico City-Tallinn (~800€)
Insurance (travel insurance and mandatory sports insurance suitable for mountain hiking)
Covid-related testing and documentation
Personal hiking equipment (including toiletries and medication) and personal climbing equipment (crawlers, pickaxe, climbing harness, helmet - these can be rented if needed)
Meals outside the mountains
Excursions, museums, unscheduled transportation, etc. (or if you want to do something extra)
Equipment
Orizaba is a pretty high mountain and above 5000 meters you need to climb on snow, ice and glaciers. Therefore, participants need their own personal mountaineering equipment - crampons, belt, pickaxe, helmet, and we also bring Elamus+ group equipment, ropes, etc. All items can also be rented, so there is no need to make a large investment in purchasing equipment. We plan to spend the night primarily in mountain huts, but it is not excluded that we will also have to spend a few nights in tents. We will specify and review the necessary equipment before the trip.
Travel documents, flights and coronavirus
The participant is responsible for the validity and orderliness of their travel documents. The following documents are required for this trip:
passport(no visa required);
suitable for mountain hiking sports insuranceA suitable sports insurance policy must be carried and is a prerequisite for participating in the mountain hike;
travel insurance;
if Mexico requires a travel permit before travel Covid-19 test or other related documents, then these are also the responsibility of the participant
At least one month before the trip, we will make a decision whether the trip is possible and safe enough under the Covid-19 conditions. If the trip is canceled due to circumstances caused by the pandemic, we will of course refund the advance payment in full.
Read more frequently asked questions. Didn't get an answer? Feel free to ask the adventure locomotive!
Registering for the tour
Before registering, please read travel conditions. To secure your place on the trip, a deposit (3%) must be paid within 20 business days of receiving the confirmation and invoice by email; if there are less than 30 days left until the trip, the total cost (100%) must be paid. Read more: frequently asked questions.
Other footnote information
Plan your trip early and start training for it. We will organize several trial trips, training sessions and recommend training plans beforehand. It would be a shame if the peak was only behind the physique. Also a good opportunity to get in shape. ;)
Summits are not guaranteed. As you might expect, weather is king in the mountains. So it is entirely possible that weather or dangerous conditions will prevent us from even attempting the summit. Nevertheless, it will definitely be an awesome experience!
Although at the end of the day everyone is still responsible for their own actions and consequences, we do our best to mitigate the risks associated with mountaineering. As a result, the group leader has the right to make ongoing decisions about the competence of the participants, the suitability of their equipment, physical/mental capacity, etc. and, if necessary, for example, to prohibit participation on summit day if it endangers the health of the group or the participant themselves. Hopefully, of course, there will be no need for this.
Read also travel conditions.
Back in civilization after climbing Orizaba