Entries from Expedition Dispatches
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Leaving Puebla after a good breakfast we drove though fields of cactus and learned about the different ways you can eat them from our driver Rogelio. Once in Tlachichuca, we sorted gear and piled into an old Dodge Power truck and drove to the high hut on Orizaba. Fortunately it had snowed recently and the roads were not very dusty and we made it up to the hut with great views of our upcoming climb. Once at the hut we ate and rested and listened to the cold wind on the hut as we waited for our early start. Wish us luck.
This morning (or night, depending on your point of view), the intrepid Team Blackberry/iPhone, awoke to darn near perfect climbing conditions and decided to give the old lady a shot. Our high camp had positioned us perfectly for a good shot at topping out on the first of our big volcanoes for this trip. We left under dark skies, high above the town lights of Amecameca and Chalco far below us. We walked steadily through the rocky glacial debris at the base of the Ayoloco Glacier, skirting the previous night's accumulated hail and gaining the ridge just before first light. Once on the ridge we bundled up because even though in Mexico it can still get cold in the wind at 17,000 feet. From the ridge we handled our new challenge of cold temps until gaining the true summit of Ixtaccihuatl as the sun broke over the horizon, illuminating our next adventure, Pico de Orizaba. After a few photos and some summit celebrations, we steeled ourselves for the descent back to our high camp and the homemade soup of Rogelio's (our trusted driver) wife, waiting for us at the trailhead. Easing our way back into wheeled transport, we stuck to the backroads, avoiding the weekend traffic and checking in to our hotel in the zona historica of the colonial city of Puebla. Tonight we will feast and enjoy a good night's sleep at relatively low elevations, using tomorrow to explore the city and recuperate for Pico de Orizaba, the highest mountain in Mexico.
Today we left the Alzimoni hut, moving to our high camp on Ixta. The crew did very well and we made in good style to our new home at 14,700 feet. After refueling on hot drinks, soup and dinner we turned in to catch some zzzz`s before our alpine start tomorrow. Wish us luck and good weather, we'll check in manana.
Leaving La Malinche this morning our team had a great breakfast en route to Amecameca where we took a quick look around and picked up some fresh food to cook this evening. It's always good to fill up before heading off on a climb. We drove up to the Altzimoni hut at 12,000 feet to acclimatize and stage for the beginning of our climb of Ixta. Tonight we will rest up for a big day tomorrow as we push up to our high camp below the Ayoloco glacier. Everyone is feeling great and ready to start to climb our first big objective. 'Til tomorrow.
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
With everyone in Mexico City, we met on the rooftop restaurant of the Majestic Hotel for our first breakfast together as a team. We discussed our strategies for acclimatization and getting up and down Ixta and Pico de Orizaba over coffee and desayuna.
To start our trip we left Mexico City for the high altitude Olympic training ground turned resort of La Malintzi. Here we hiked higher until we traded timber for a misty ridgetop at 13,000 feet on the volcano La Malinche, named after Cortez`s wife and translator. We relaxed/acclimatized before heading back to our cabin for pre-dinner showers. Tonight we will rest up for our trip to Amecameca and the hut at La Jolla to start our ascent of Ixta, kept warm by our hut`s fire. Buenas Noches from Mexico, hope all are warm up north.
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Today the remaining climbers successfully reached the summit of Cayambe. It was a cold, tough, and windy day. To add to that, the glaciers here in Ecuador have receded a significant amount the last few years. Because of this, the route that we climbed today felt like we were attempting a "Triple Lindy" see here. Despite the conditions that we had the team did great and persevered.
Everyone has safely returned to Quito and are getting ready for one last dinner and our long flights home.
Thanks for following.
Hey, hey, hey RMI. This is Casey and crew on the summit of Cayambe!
Great day yesterday. Everyone slept well last night and we got up about midnight again. Took us about 6 1/2 hours to summit. Clear, windy and cold today. Both trips have been real tough. These guys are real troopers and did a great job. We'll check in again when we get back to Quito.
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
After our climb on Cotopaxi we descended down into the comforts of hot showers, soft beds and thick air. Our refuge for the night was the beautiful Hosteria La Cienega. We had a nice dinner and then it was off to bed after such a long day.
Today most of the team headed back to Quito for their long flights home, while a few of us continued north with hopes of climbing one more mountain. Several hours of driving delivered us to yet another beautiful plantation called Hacienda Guachala. Guachala lies just below our next climbing objective, Cayambe. Cayambe is the third highest mountain in Ecuador and rises to 18,993'.
One more night of rest and we will head to back into the mountains.
Hello, this is Casey Grom calling from the summit of Cotopaxi!
We are just now standing on top in perfect weather with no wind. It has been a great day but a pretty tough day with deep snow and steep ice climbing to get us to the top. Our summit attempt took almost 7 1/2 hours and we have five out of nine climbers standing on the summit with Billy and me. We will be heading down soon and will check in later today from our next hacienda.
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Hola from Ecuador,
All is well as we prepare for our summit attempt.
We spent the first half of the day reviewing some basic climbing techniques on the glacier. Then the team had a quick lunch and a siesta to make up for some of the sleep we didn't get last night. Apparently a few of the team members forgot to mention they snore.
We had a nice dinner and then finished packing up the last bit of gear needed for our climb. Everyone is feeling good and excited for tonight's climb. The weather has been good thus far, clear in the mornings and cloudy in the afternoons. Hopefully it will be the same for us tomorrow.
Wish us luck!
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