Entries from Mexico

A day wandering among the colonial walls of Puebla leaves us relaxed and ready. A short drive and we're in Tlachichuca. After what feels like a much longer drive, we're at Piedra Grande. The road into the mountains is scarcely maintained and yet constantly ridden. Reminiscent of Ixtaccíhuatl's trails, there are a great many random intersections, deep ruts, protruding rocks, and washouts. The locals clearly hold scant regard for instructive signage, and thankfully, our driver needs none. We have one of our favorite meals of the trip at camp at 14000' -- more meat, cheese, veggies, and tortillas. And then it's time for bed.

By contrast, the 1 AM start feels reasonable. Still, the no-longer sleepers lament their rude departure from the cool and languid maw of REM sleep as they force down coffee and tea, oatmeal and cheerios. Dustin shares a vision of the world come to a white end. The would-be dreamers ascend through darkness, treading an old aqueduct, just a bit too steep to be an enjoyable trail, past random spray paint memorials, curiously abiding, and finally to the mouth of the Labyrinth. Weaving through this violent mess of a glacier's last destructive efforts, we finally make our way up and out to the current moraine, sandy and desolate. The Glacier lies above. Eerily still, devoid of the chaotic structures we associate with living glaciers, this mass of ice sits like a ghost on the mountain: a commemoration of a period of cooler Earth and accumulation of snow. 

Hunched and hooded like dark penitents the climbers huff and struggle to raise each onerous step. Slowly the sun lights the land but shares no perceivable warmth. Our route takes us up the north side of the peak and we poor solar supplicants are left shivering in the gray penumbra. After a few false summits we reach the highest point of Pico de Orizaba, along the deep crater's rim. A few steps down the steep, dusty bank, the air is curiously still, and we settle in to glean what we can from the thin atmosphere and supplement with snacks and water from our packs. 

A fine dinner and a better breakfast are gratefully consumed by our weary team back in the ex-soap factory of Servimont. Now we're headed home. 

RMI Guide Will Ambler and team

A dozen bright eyed cyclops laboring through the labyrinthine network of undesigned trails, clinging to each breath knowing the next will have less to offer. A cough escapes. For some of us this is the highest we've been, for all, the highest in recent memory. More to go.
Many hours later our team reached the summit of Iztaccíhuatl under a warm sun and brilliant blue sky. No small feat. And neither was the return. Though the views of the day extended far beyond the dusty trail of the night. Deep glacial valleys whose soft rock has been reworked by more recent year's liquids- delicate degradation of cyclopean castle walls. A gently erupting neighboring volcano, dispensing its vapors toward the valleys below.

Now as we look back up through the haze, the bittersweet, almost somber, feeling of a difficult journey tholed holds the occupants of our van; pensive and grateful.

RMI Guide Will Ambler

"Hard weather says the old man. Wrap me in the weathers of the earth, I will be hard and hard. My face will turn rain like the stones." Cormac McCarthy 

In our efforts of acclimatization our team enjoyed frosty wet winds, an in-depth tour of the grand interiors of a cloud. Our climbers bedazzled in rime; hooded migrants iced for a birthday. Happy birthday Nate! The summit of Volcan Malinche reached and no grand views but the middle floors of our gaseous estate. Soggy and satisfied we descended through scree, sand, and mud. Lungs and legs the better for it. Welcomed by the quadrupedal locals back to our interim homes at La Malintzi, we find the sub cloud world refreshing and rewarding. Another feast at 10,000 feet. Another cozy night in beds and cabins. Onward now to Iztaccíhuatl. Vamos viajeros. 

RMI Guide Will Ambler

The Mexico Volcanoes team led by RMI Guides Dustin Wittmier and Will Ambler arrived in Mexico City on Saturday. The team headed out of the city the following morning to La Malintzi resort, located at 10,000ft. They enjoyed a relaxing afternoon and began their acclimatization process.  Today the team stretched their legs and lungs on a hike to the summit of La Malinche, 14,636', it was cloudy and a bit cold.  They will return to the cabanas at the base of the mountain for a second night.  Tomorrow they will make their way to the base of Ixtaccihuatl.

We did it! Everyone made it to the top (and safely back down) of Pico de Orizaba  - what a day! We climbed for the third time this trip in perfectly calm, bright conditions and then got to watch a storm build from a single wisp of a cloud.

100% on top for all three very difficult mountains is not normal. I wish I could say it’s good guiding but the reality is it’s the character and determination of this crew.

It’s not been smooth sailing, have I see the biggest blister in my guiding career? Yes. Have we depleted the Imodium reserves? Also yes. Did we have not 1 but two pairs of boots break apart in seemingly unfixable ways? Why yes, yes we did. (shout out to duct tape and voile straps)

But it speaks to the resilience of every person on this team. I see in each of these team members an understanding of what it’s like to go to the depths of pain and suffering and move in it and through it with grace. 

As we talked about at the beginning everyone on this trip has a connection to the American Lung Association - we climbed every step for the loved ones we’ve lost, for the hope of something and some cure someday. And in the midst of it all - pain and suffering - we found hope and a belief in ourselves that we could make it through - just one more step, just to the next break. Moment by moment we live in the mountains and in our lives - keeping hope alive for what’s to come no matter how we feel in the now.

Thank you to each of you at home that donated and supported these 8 team members to believe in something bigger than themselves (a world with clean air, a world where there is a cure for all lung diseases) and to have the chance to do something hard along the way.

And thank you to mis Chivos (I know you all are reading this!!) it’s been a trip of a lifetime getting to know each of you, your incredible stories, your compassion and care for each other (and every animal we came across), your willingness to let loose and laugh on playgrounds and your trust in Josh, Allan and I to push you and challenge you in all ways in the mountains.

With so much gratitude,

RMI Guide Jess Wedel

UPDATE: Saturday, March 1, 2025 - 8:52 am PT

We received a quick note from RMI Guide Jess Wedel this morning: 

100% on top. We just walked off the summit of Pico de Orizaba. Beautiful clear day, but snow and clouds are on their way.

They will check in later today when they off the mountain and are back in Tlachichuca.

Congratulations to all the ALA climbers!  Nice work everyone! 

Friday, February 28, 2025 - 5:20 pm 

Checking in from just over 14,000' on the side of Pico de Orizaba!

We said goodbye to cutie Puebla this morning and drove to Servimont (our local outfitter) headquarters. 

We were greeted with big smiles by Dr. Reyes adn team We reshuffled our gear (one duffel to the mountain, and one duffel stays behind), had a delicious lunch and then loaded the 4x4 vehicles for what would be an adventurous drive up to Orizaba base camp. 

Everything was going as smoothly as possible while on the wildest 4x4 road until it wasn't. The steering on hte truck we were in snapped and next thing know we were standing on the side of the road coming up with a new plan. Some of us started walking toward camp and some of us waited for the new truck. It was there before we knew it and we were off. We picked up the walkers along the way and finally made it to base camp. We got the tents set up, dinner cooked and ended with a summit talk about what to expect for the climb.

Everyone is doing well and we are all excited to see what the mountain has to offer tomorrow.

RMI Guides Jess Wedel, Josh Geiser and Los Chivos

Thursday, February 27, 2025

Hola friends and family!

We have a rest day in Puebla - yay! The day started without any alarms and that was something we were all excited about. Everyone leisurely made their way to breakfast sometime after 9:00 am.

We all sat there together reminiscing on the trip so far - our good luck with weather, the challenge of both climbs, how many dogs we’ve accidentally fallen in love with, etc. 

We kept refilling our coffees and green juice; sipping and chatting for nearly two hours. It was a lovely and relaxed time.

But that’s where the relaxing ended for this crew as they opted for a more “active” rest day. Everyone took off to enjoy as much of the city as possible and lead by Vanessa (who had done all her Puebla research) they saw over nine different sights and interesting spots in town. From art galleries to Mezcal tasting to historical sites, they never stopped walking.

It was so fun at dinner to hear about what treasures people found and how we all spent our day.

We quickly marched back to the hotel for some last minute packing before we have an early start tomorrow to Pico de Orizaba.

RMI Guides Jess Wedel, Josh Geiser and Los Chivos

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Today the whole team stood at 17,160 feet on the summit of Ixtaccíhiuatl. It was a near perfect day with sunshine and no wind. 

Even with great weather it was a hard-fought summit on Ixtaccihuatl today. Everyone fighting through a host of maladies trying to hold them back - blisters, rumbling tummies, headaches and more. It will be no surprise to family and friends at home that every single person on this crew has serious GRIT!

One of the most special moments was the sunrise just as we were topping out onto the ridge - right before the final push to the top. It had been a particularly steep and icy stretch getting there. Just when we were all thinking we didn’t know if we could do it - we topped out to the golden glow of dawn. We sat and took it in for a few minutes, the boost we all needed to keep on.

Thirty minutes later, we were all standing on the summit together in perfect daylight.

After a long descent back to our camp, we packed up and continued downhill to the base. We were greeted by the awesome Servimont team with lunch and cheers!

After a little more packing (we’re expert packers now), we loaded the van and took off for real beds and showers in Puebla! As we were driving, the sun set outside our windows over Ixta and it was a perfect end to the day.

As we drove in the van, I heard conversations recalling the huge day and frequent “that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done” which is saying a lot coming from this experienced team.

Tomorrow we’ll have a well-earned rest day exploring the charming and historical city of Puebla. 

RMI Guides Jess Wedel, Josh Geiser and Los Chivos

Wednesday, February 26, 2025 - 6:04 am PT

RMI Guide Jess Wedel checked in at 6:04 am PT today to let us know the whole team was on the summit of Ixtaccihuatl at 17,340'.  They will send a blog later today once they descend to the trailhead and make their way to Puebla.  

Way to go team! Congrats!