CONDITIONS ON CITLALTEPETL (Orizaba)

I want some help finding weather/snow/avalanche conditions for a trip planned the first week of March. Anyone know where to find such info? We've been getting A LOT of snow in New Mexico that's coming up from moisture in Mexico. I'm wondering if Tlachichuca and Citlaltepetl are getting hammered with snow, and what this might do to an attempt in March. Any info/experience?
Thanks,
Eddy
burquealpinist@hotmail.com

Orizaba is maritime with westers coming from the Pacific and localized stuff from the Atlantic. I presume this to be totally unlike the the New Mexico snow storms you have been experiencing. I was there when Hurricane Rick hit back in '97 or so...nasty rollers coming over the mountain and ripping ice off in sheets. I have been on Orizaba three times now and definitely recommend Ixta over Orizaba. Sure, Orizaba is higher, but the Jumapa (sp?) Glacier on Ixta is so much nicer than the regular old Norte Glacier on Orizaba. Plus Ixta has less people and a delightful view of Popo. Paseo De Cortez is just as beautiful as well.

Good luck, they are walk-ups, but way up and I wouldn't trust a Mexican hospital over a Boy Scout with a First Aid Badge!

The Jamapa is the glacier on Orizaba - the fun glacier on Ixta is the Ayoloco, which is much better than trudging through scree on the normal Arista del Sol route.

I wouldn't worry about it. I've been on Orizaba twice - once in Feb and once in March. Both times there was no fresh snow at all on the glacier. Snow doesn't fall too often down there after late November. I don't think the Jamapa glacier is steep enough to slide for the most part anyway. There is a couple of thousand miles of desert between Orizaba and New Mexico anyway, so the weather patterns won't be related.

Both times I've been on Orziaba in November -- no new snow at all... more like a permanent snowfield. My understanding is that it just gets icier as the year goes on. I've never heard of avalanche being an issue there.

Ixta had a bunch of trash (hauled out an entire garbage bag full), and would recommend the non-standard routes that traverse the glacier. We had to bribe the po-po to let us go beyond the roadblock (in the back of their pickup), as Popo was grubling at the time and they share the same road.

Tlachichuca was dry as a bone when I hiked up it once. Basically a big brown scree pile with a bunch of people on top.

Andrew Gram wrote:The Jamapa is the glacier on Orizaba - the fun glacier on Ixta is the Ayoloco, which is much better than trudging through scree on the normal Arista del Sol route.

That's what I get by going off memory. I haven't been down there since 2000 and I have had a lot of beer since then.

Ayoloco is awesome and well worth it.

Avery, Tlachichuca is a town! Are you talking about Nevado de Toluca or La Malinche?

Andrew Gram wrote:Avery, Tlachichuca is a town! Are you talking about Nevado de Toluca or La Malinche?

Andrew, you should know by now that I have no memory and less brain cells than ever. I figure they both start with a T and have about the same amount of snow.

I recommend La Malinche far above Toluca for an acclimatization climb... there's some sort of government-run resort nearby that was great and cheap. You could camp or get a room for cheap.

I second hand truck's comment on the Ayoloco glacier. FYI -- a light weight pair of crampons was invaluable on that one... the snow was more neve than anything.

Cheers!

Andrew Gram wrote:Tlachichuca is a town!

Yes, and definitely bring your own food for the mountain. The first time I went down there I planned on restocking in Tlachichuca and the pickings were real slim. I grew very sick of just beans and tortillas on the mountain. Under-cooked, crunchy beans that is...

I have never used the Reyes family, but I heard that is the pimping way to go. I did spend the night on Senor Limon's floor a few times and he is a great dude and will take you up to the hut at the base of the Jamapa Glacier.

The further right you climb the Ayoloco, the steeper it is. I took a line on the far right, and I was glad to have two technical tools and crampons, though I didn't rope up. It was probably about 60-70 degree glacial ice over there.

I've used the Reyes family twice, and i've really enjoyed it. The logbook there has good beta if you want to do something off the beaten track, or want to find out about ski conditions. The food is generally very good too.

Andrew Gram wrote:I've used the Reyes family twice, and i've really enjoyed it.

I chose to boycott the Reyes compound, as it seems they have a near-monopoly and kind of run the show down there. At home I have contact info for the hotel that drove us to the normal side of the mountain the first time and dropped us for a 2-day approach on the other side during the second trip. They were friendly as well as cheaper. If you are interested, let me know and I will try and dig up the info.

Handtruck is right... buying your food down there is not only a pain, but also somewhat risky.

Try Senor Joaquin's services and compound. Clean, off main street, great food. As far as normal routes, I'll take Big O over Ixta any day. I don't like hiking 500-1000 ft vertical of scree slide.

Boycotting the Reyes operation for some sort of perceived monoply seems like a real shame to me - they only seem like a monopoly because they started offering services many years before anyone else. They do a good job, are reasonably priced for their services(more than other guys, but more colorful too), and have been doing it for a very long time. Senor Reyes himself has climbed the mountain many times over the years, and is a wonderful guy to talk to if you speak some Spanish. To me, dinner at the Reyes is like having a drink at Ed's Cantina after climbing at Lumpy Ridge, or drinking a beer at the deli in yosemite. Its jsut part of the experience.