November 9, 2011
Postcard circa 1941 of Iztaccihuatl.
I always like starting a day with a call from one of our groups saying they just reached the summit of another peak somewhere in the world. My partner, George Dunn, call in at 8 am Pacific time to let me know that his entire team, minus one climber, stood on the summit this morning. A little cloudy and unsettled but good enough to climb safely. George personally stayed behind to escort one of our members down when he began to exhibit signs of altitude problems. This is the very reason you want a knowledgeable, experienced guide at the helm of a trip. Catch a potential problem early and keep it from becoming a serious problem.
Our congratulations to all. They’re heading down now and will try to get to the city of Puebla tonight for showers and a bed in the hotel. Dinner will be a late one but not that hard to handle on a warm evening in Mexico after a good summit.
Orizaba is next.
Phil Ershler