Izta & Orizaba Unguided?

[zootloopz]

Hello! I read the other recent thread on Pico as well as some historic threads and trip reports and am interested in making a trip to Mexico for some volcanoes!

As a grad student on a budget I would like to go unguided and minimize expenses as much as possible, but also be able to spend a few days exploring Mexico City as time won't be an issue.

I will be coming from the front range acclimated with lots of 13er/14er experience, fitness, and shoulder season experience using microspikes with waterproof boots and gaiters which I hope can be my setup for this trip. Time frame is basically anytime in January. I speak a little spanish and can likely manage getting around with google translate helping out.

--It looks like the southern approach on Orizaba is often dry, although a scree slog minimizing any need for mountaineering gear.
Does Izta require the use of crampons / ice axe / full mountaineering gear? Or will I be able to do it without these items if timed well conditions-wise?

--Any tips for managing logistics if not hiring a guided service?

--How does lodging look around Mexico City / Puebla? Anything to consider?

--Any other tips for the southern route on Orizaba / Izta / considering a trip like this?


Thank you all so much!

[Monster5]

Favoring scree over snow baffles me, but I understand the desire for minimal gear. That setup seems to work for the southern route, and the other route is quickly losing snow anyways.

For Izta, we could've easily gone with just micros and winter runners nearly two decades ago, so I'm sure the same holds now with the glaciers further receded. We took a taxi to the saddle, negotiating in downtown Amecameca the day before, with a pre-arranged pickup the next day. Amecameca was nice and more authentic. Overall, the peak was quicker and more pleasant than expected, and we wished we had arranged a single day pickup vs hauling tent and bag.

Mexico City is of course one of the largest metros in the world. Lodging and logistics are the same as traveling in any new city, but in a different language. Lodging can be pre-arranged on any common website, and taxi/ Uber readily available. The Centro is a neat spot to stay and walk around, and there are plenty of budget international modern hostels. You can find private drivers to pre-arrange all driving at a significant markup, or figure it out on the fly if you have the time. I'd personally shy away from public transport unless you have a good translation app, brush up on language, or etc. It isn't uncommon to take public transport from Mexico City to Puebla.

[zootloopz]

Favoring scree over snow baffles me...

Thanks for the response! I do not currently have enough experience with crampons and ice axe to warrant safely using them unroped / unguided. The main reason with this in mind for the southern route is to avoid ice and ensure a summit, despite the southern route likely not being pleasurable (at least on the ascent, hopefully the descent can be a nice scree ski).

Also planning to do both as single day objectives without any camping gear. Good to hear that about Izta with your experience. Noted on Amecameca and the thoughts on traveling in Mexico City.

Are there any other peaks in the area you think would be worth throwing into the mix? For the sake of some unique aspect you wouldn't be able to see or explore in Colorado? This is assuming I've already acclimated to 14k in CO before flying out.

[Eli Boardman]

Are there any other peaks in the area you think would be worth throwing into the mix? For the sake of some unique aspect you wouldn't be able to see or explore in Colorado? This is assuming I've already acclimated to 14k in CO before flying out.

Malinche is the obvious one, but IMO it's not that "different" to be worth it unless you just feel like climbing another (smaller) volcano.

Cerro Colorado is my choice for something to add--a very short hike from the trailhead on the south side of Orizaba, higher than anything in the Rockies, fairly obscure, and it's called "Colorado!"

https://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=28960

[Eli Watson]

It's good to be self-aware of your technical skills/limitations, but when we did the southern route on Orizaba I couldn't stop thinking, "Wow, I wish this pile of rubble was covered in snow." You can sure get up it, but in my opinion the best way to engage with bigger mountains is to not fight the obvious style. But I love snow, and this is a community where people eschew Snowmass's glorious standard route for the "S" Ridge of talus. YMMV.

Just as a head's up: Izta can look like this, too.

[SrSancho]

I've climbed Orizaba (from both sides) and Izta. For Orizaba's glaciated route, you'll need to contract an experienced 4x4 driver to get to the trailhead and crampons, etc. I went with a guide: Mountaineering Logistics (carretera, Xóchitl 250, 75050 San Miguel Zoapan, Pue., Mexico). For the non-glaciated route, I went solo. You don't need mountaineering equipment. If you have a 4x4, you can park near the refuge, saving you some dirt road miles. To avoid the sand: after passing the refuge, you'll see the spine of Orizaba and need to aim to the left towards the visible rock outcroppings; stay away from the obvious trails to the right in the sand. That trail in the sand is your way down, which goes very fast.

For Izta, you absolutely need crampons, ice axe, and strong hiking poles. You have to descend a steep glacier to get to the peak.

I recommend Nevado de Toluca (although the main access point appears to be closed), Volcán Sierra Negra (right next to Orizaba), and Malinche.

[12ersRule]

Cerro Ajusco just south of Mexico City is an easy acclimatizer as well.

Agree on Cerro Colorado for a good warmup, we found a great scree slope to descend.

South side of Orizaba, you're practically guaranteed the summit if you're looking for that checkmark, plus it is pretty easy to get to good camping at 13k in pretty much any vehicle. There was one spot right near 13k that was tricky, but the rest of it is a piece of cake.

North side gets mixed reviews. In Mid-November 2022, the guides we met on top were reporting perfect conditions. I was soooo jealous of them, having just slogged through all that scree. My friend went in January, 2018 or 2019, and his guide actually turned them around at 16k because the glacier was so bad. Maybe the key is to be in early season right after the monsoon?

I skipped Izta because I was feeling the lack of sleep the whole trip. Flew into Mexico City, arrived 9pm or so. Waited a while for luggage and vehicle. Got stuck in a nasty traffic jam and didn't get to our hotel in Puebla until 2am or so. Insomnia for me persisted.

Nevada de Toluca is a great peak, but from there to Puebla is so painful. Trying to get through Mexico City can take many many hours.

[ChrisinAZ]

I did Toluca, Izta, and Orizaba ruta sur (south scree route) around new year's several years back.

Toluca was a fun scramble, there was some fresh snow high up but was able to keep it non technical (class 3 up the ridge to the summit, then scree down the other side back into the crater.

Izta, there's only a relatively brief section of glacier in dry conditions, but I recall it being more steep and icy than anticipated, and was glad I had actual crampons for it. That would be the safer bet, though you may get lucky with spikes. Easily the longest and most exhausting day of the three, I day hiked it from the climber's hut near the trailhead.

Orizaba from the S in dry conditions is indeed a pretty straightforward scree slog, just a very slow one due to the altitude. At least at the time, the Cancholas did not offer services up the S side, but Servimont did and I can highly recommend them. They were able to drive us up to the end of the road and it was only 40 minutes to the hut from there. I loathe steep icy snow with bad runout so I was fine with the route, even if less sporting-- I'd bring a helmet but no other special gear is needed in dry conditions. It overall felt very similar in style to a late season climb of the Clear Creek route on Shasta.

We hired a driver for flexibility and ease of getting around. If that's of interest I can try to dig up the contact info. Super nice guy.

[LifeIsGood]

time won't be an issue.

Well I don’t have much to add to all of the good contributions provided so far, but I half seriously do recommend doing as I once did: driving a jeep from San Diego, down the full length of Baja California, then shipping the vehicle on the ferry to Mazatlan, to spend a few months exploring Mexico. Somehow I never got robbed or even had anything stolen.

I went solo up more than half a dozen of Mexico’s highest peaks, including 14,000 foot Nevado de Colima, a glacier-free, nontechnical gem that hasn’t been mentioned yet:

IMG_2439.jpeg

[nyker]

A trip to Mexico to climb the volcanoes can be really cool. It can also be awful if you're not properly prepared or get sick for whatever reason.

You can definitely do it unguided if you're willing and able to deal with a few things yourself. Since you speak Spanish, that's one of the main obstacles so you've got that covered.

Getting to and from the various trailheads are among the more important things to deal with. If you have that taken care of you could likely just climb up yourself but you should go planning to use crampons and an ice axe. Maybe I'm too conservative but I would never go to Orizaba with microspikes.

One other advantage of heavier boots / thicker gaitors is just sheer warmth as you will be at higher altitude and it does get cold. I remember a couple groups that had people turning around because they had hiking shoes / thin boots with ski socks and they were unable to move their toes apparently nearing frostbite.

You should also have a way to communicate with emergency responders just in case. You don't want to be alone running into an emergency at 17,000 or 18,000 ft in a foreign country. Crevasses were not an issue on either peak.

Everyone will have a different view of the relative safety in the different areas where you'll go. Hiring a local driver will know the better routes to take that avoid the more sketchy areas. I would try to get a recommendation from someone you know who's used someone trustworthy. Even the well-trafficked areas could have some issues. On one of the main roads to La Malinche, we were stopped and searched for over an hour by Federales and local police with a sizable force of armed soldiers. Apparently that was during a period when there was a lot of contraband moving across jurisdictions and a higher level of crime.

Since you already will be acclimatized generally, you probably won't need to stay a night in Mexico City and you can go straight to one of the mountain areas, either to stay in a hut or a tent. Sierra Negra is a nice hike to do next to Orizaba.

I did the standard routes on both Izta and Orizaba, they are standard routes for a reason. I always prefer traveling on snow versus steep scree so while I was at the base of the South route on Orizaba acclimatizing, I never considered climbing it that way versus the north side on the glacier.

Treat water...