Tips/Inquiries for Orizaba
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Planning a mid/late December Orizaba trip, and have a few questions for those with experience on the mountain! |
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A good sharp ax and crampons, along with some experience and skills should get you there and back in two days if fit. |
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You won't need screws or a rope. Things will be fine in December, that is peak season there will be lots of people. 7 days for acclimitzation should be fine, if you do it right. Don't drink alcohol, get lots of rest, drink lots of water, etc. Don't stay in the hut, you won't get any sleep. Have fun, Orizaba is a nice little trip! |
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Skied it November of 2015 and here's what I remember. The earlier you go (late october/november) gives you a better shot at good snow conditions because summer is the rainy season. Later I imagine it can become less enjoyable to ski but probably less likely to storm on you as well. We stayed a night in Puebla and then drove the next day to Piedra Grande hut. We hiked out that afternoon and set camp around 16,000 feet. Wouldn't you know it we all felt like shit that night, but once we were moving early the next morning we felt pretty decent. Summited that morning and then skied down. Definitely worth bringing skis in my opinion, as you can ski right off the summit and we were able to skin from the start of the glacier all the way to the top. Drove to Veracruz the same night as our summit and ended the evening with beers on the beach...quite a scene change! On our way back to Mexico City, summited Iztaccíhuatl at 17000+. It's on the way back to Mexico City and wasn't skiable (we ditched the skis about half way to the summit) but a super mellow hike with unreal views and a sweet summit. Also worth checking out Teotihuacan during the trip (UNESCO world heritage site super close to Mexico City). |
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Your plan sounds good. The mountain itself, at least in the conditions we experienced it, was super mellow. Crampons and ice axe are plenty. The guided parties are roped, but that seems likely due to standard guiding protocol. |
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If you are worried about acclimating you could also spend another day on Nevada de Toluca. Its a short walk to a 15K summit and Toluca is a very pleasant town. |
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Thank you guys, I appreciate the info! What did you do for transportation from Mexico City to Puebla/Tlachichuca? Additionally, any experience with the Servimont Hostel? |
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1) I would bring a few screws. i turned around last year @ 17k ft as the glacier surface was too icy for my comfort. My understanding is last year's conditions were historically bad but I wish I was more prepared re: ice protection. My previous trip in Oct 2016 was on a soft, stable, generally perfect snow pack - we never even considered placing protection. |
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Was up there last year in December, turned around like almost all other parties did at the glacier. Ice was too thin to feel good about screws, and too thick to punch pickets through for 1800’. It was an unusual year by all accounts, but that should answer #1 for you. |
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Stein Pull wrote: I'm booked with the Cancholas for a trip in three weeks. What issues did you have with them? |
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Stein, this is the second time I've seen you talk down Conchola on here, and you didn't tell us why the last time either. What was so bad about it? I really enjoyed staying there. |
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Mike Dahlquist wrote: Stein, this is the second time I've seen you talk down Conchola on here, and you didn't tell us why the last time either. What was so bad about it? I really enjoyed staying there. Sure. They failed to meet what I consider basic minimums for a hostel. The mattresses in two of the three rooms in which we stayed were the oldest and worst I have ever seen. They were simply springs with cloth covering them, and it was more comfortable to sleep on the concrete floor on my thermarest. No towels, soap, or other essentials were provided. The food was poor and served in too small quantities (and none of us are large individuals who eat a lot). The overall hostel was dirty, from the rooms, to the communal bathrooms, to the communal showers. They seemingly go to very little effort to keep anything clean. The price is also extremely high. During the planning stages we were considering adding an additional night or two at the hostel after climbing Orizaba. After seeing how bad Conchola was, we were able to book several nights at the Marriott in Mexico City for cheaper than Conchola. I know there are few options, but I cannot recommend Conchola to anyone. |
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Stein Pull wrote: Very strange, none of this matches up with my experience there. The food was quite good and basically all-you-can-eat (and I'm a huge pig). The beds were comfy, though maybe not what a Marriott denizen is used to. They gave us towels, soap, and shampoo to shower with, and the bathrooms were very clean. How much did they charge you per night, and what were you expecting to pay? I can't remember what the exchange rate was last year, but I can't have paid more than $20 a night with two meals. $19 (with food) at the Marriott seems like you got a great deal, let me know who your travel agent is! |
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Another question - how did you go about checking axes/crampons/gear for the flight? Did you just stick em in a duffle and call it good? |
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Ice axes and crampons are fine as checked luggage. You can not take them in a carry on. I put all my gear in large duffels. |
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Adding to the knowledge pile. I was there early January 2019. I had been caving around Xilitla, Huichihuayán and Aquismón for about a week prior. |
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I stayed here: |
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Ccmtneer wrote: Thank you guys, I appreciate the info! What did you do for transportation from Mexico City to Puebla/Tlachichuca? Additionally, any experience with the Servimont Hostel? I was just there in January. There is a bus from Puebla City to Tlachichuca. It is super cheap with AU or Valles. Servimont is super rad and worth every penny. Dr. Reyes is a great dude and extremely helpful. Great food too. |
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Stephen Cummings wrote: I stayed here: Our trip happened back in December and went well. We ended up also staying at Orizaba Mountain Guides. Awesome people, great hostel and food, and also 1,300 ft higher than Servimont (9800 ft vs 8500 ft). We also had them pick us up and drop us off in Mexico City, which was priced very reasonably. ($100 per person round trip) |