Pico de Orizaba (18,491ft/5,636m) is the highest point in Mexico and the third highest point in North America. This is a popular mountaineering objective and a great way to introduce yourself to high altitude climbing. If the advertised date does not work for you, please call us to arrange for a private trip.
Pico de Orizaba (18,491 ft / 5636 m) is the highest point in Mexico and the third highest point in North America. This is a popular mountaineering objective on its own and a great introduction to high altitude climbing.
A shorter itinerary and lower guest-to-guide ratio set this trip apart. And while this trip is relatively short – only 7 or 8 days – we spend those days maximizing our acclimatization. We’ll take a unique trekking approach from the town of Tlachichuca to the refuge at the base of the route, carrying light day packs while our heavier mountain equipment is shuttled up by car. To make this trip possible we’ve teamed up with Servimont Climbing Adventures, a three-generation local logistics and guide service.
Overall Difficulty Level: Difficult
Skills Required:Experience with crampons recommended .
Fitness Level: Very strenuous due to climbing at high altitude
Day 1: Meet your guide in Mexico City, Mexico. We’ll then drive to the town of Tlachichuca (8500 ft / 2600 m), and stay in the Servimont Lodge, our base for the week.
Day 2: Because of the sudden elevation gain, we’ll take the first day a little easy and have a light day hike, climbing no higher than 11,800 ft / 3600 m, on the west slopes of Orizaba.
Day 3: We’ll start an overnight trek that will give us added acclimatization and some light exercise. Carrying light day packs and with a local Servimont hiking guide, we’ll start climbing up the west slopes of Orizaba, and meet our camping equipment at 11150 ft / 3400 m.
Day 4: Finish the overnight trek to the Peidra Grande refuge (14,000 ft / 4270 m), where we’ll thank our hiking guide, meet our warden, and be reunited with all of our mountain equipment.
Day 5: A final acclimatization hike to the Jamapa Glacier, climbing no higher than 16,000 ft / 4900 m.
Day 6: Summit Day! Climb the Jamapa Glacier to the crater rim! Then we’ll be met by a driver at the Piedra Grande refuge and be driven back to Tlachichuca for a celebratory dinner and final night.
Day 7: POSSIBLE WEATHER DAY. We recommend that everyone “pad” their trip by one day to allow for a possible weather delay. This can be as simple as purchasing refundable tickets to allow for an earlier booking home. If we choose to take this weather day, there will be added costs not included in the price advertised.
Day 8: Travel day to Puebla, and return home.
PGS Supplied
Our hope is to ski off the summit of Pico de Orizaba, but this will be decided based on the conditions we find while we are there.
Although tipping is not a requirement, it is considered standard practice in the guiding industry and is appreciated by our guides. We generally recommend roughly 10%-15% of your course or trip cost or a flat amount that you are comfortable with.
