[JPM Travel Journals]
Dec 00
The following photographs and captions should summarize my trip to Mexico City and our mountain climbing of the volcano Iztaciquatl. My father, my brother Adam, and I had been training for several weeks. This was our first high altitude climb, though we've been camping and hiking for years.
We also visited sites in Mexico City, had some good times in the little town of Amecameca, and got to see the Pyramids at Teotihuacán. Though the climbing of Ixta did not ultimately find us at the summit, we determined, having far surpassed the altitude of most intermediate peaks (for example, Mt.Rainer, at about 14,500 feet,) that our trip was still a success. Our four days on the mountain, finishing with our night ascent and sleeping at 15,500, was quite an adventure.
Pyramid del Sol. Teotihuacán.
With my father. Hotel Catedral, Mexico City.
National Palace, Mexico City.
Mexico City. Feliz Navidad at Cathedral. Zocolo.
Amecameca town square with looming Ixta in background. From here it was a forty minute winding taxi or van ride to the mountain's base.
Pase de Cortes. Ixta. Incidentally, the crossing and resting point of a trek of thousands of walking pilgrims on their way to Mexico City's Basilica de Guadelope-- many with portaits and statues strapped to their backs.
Sunrise, Pase de Cortes. Morning of first acclimitization trek to LaJoya. It was cold, but beautiful, with the cows wandering around.
Adam with Popocapitel's warning sign. Popo erupted two days after we returned to the United States, forcing mass evacuations. Had we been long enough to acquire the acclimitization days we later realized we had needed, we would have been on or near the summit of Ixta, eight miles away, at 17100 feet while neighboring Popo was erupting.
The three of us about to embark on our first hike to LaJoya, from the lodge at Pase de Cortes.
On the way to LaJoya, base camp- approx 12800 feet.
With Jose's son. Approx 13800 feet on our ascent to the Shelter. The sun is setting and the temperature dropping fast.
Jose and his son. Moonscape above tree line. Wish I had a picture of this from at night time, on the ascent.. it was incredibly starkly beautiful. I think we were too cold and afraid to remember to take photographs then.
At the Shelter, the next morning. Approx 15500 feet. We managed to sleep, despite the altitude headaches, mice, and fear of the cold and AMS. Waking up, we decided it would be too dangerous for all of us to proceed four to six more hard hours to the summit, and unwise to separate. We descended.
On the descent, approximately 15,000 feet. Popo in the background.
(Return)
©2001 JPM. All photography and writing copyrighted.