Mountain Climbing (Pico de Orizaba, MX) 10:00:00 [3] 6.0 mi (1:40:00 / mi) +1400m 57:58 / mi
Started climbing a half hour after midnight. Did the section through the Labyrinth in 1:40 versus three hours on Wed. Then onto the glacier for 2,500 ft of climb up the summit cone. The peak is a perfect volcanic cone, climbing at a constant 45 degrees, steepening even further towards the top. Snow was hard corn, perfect for crampons. Did not use our rope, as the snow was in such good shape. A fall, however, would have meant a long trip to the bottom unless stopped by self arrest.
Could really feel the altitude once we hit about 18k. Paced with pauses to keep heart rate just below max 160 for the last hour. Main rule is to just keep moving, however slowly.
Reached the crater rim right at sunrise, which was six and a half hours, actually a pretty good time. Circled part way around to the true summit. The crater is a perfect circle, maybe 300 m in diameter, with vertical walls dropping down several hundred meters on the inside (we could not see the bottom). The rim itself is a meter or two wide, with the crater dropping on one side, and the ice field dropping off the other. Not a place to loose your focus too much. Weather again clear and cold, but no wind on the summit. Could see a trace of the Gulf to the east, about 60 mi away. And volcanoes Popo and Izta to the west.
Back to the bottom by late morning. Hooked up with our 4x4 truck for a shuttle back to town.
Great climb with Greg and Andrew to 18,500 ft and the third highest peak in NA!