November 15, 2013

Pico de Orizaba

I have a sage partner who has a great expression about the weather – “good weather always follows bad”.  Spot on.  Just got off the sat phone with Austin.  As we predicted, skies cleared and the stars sparkled last night as the team was preparing for their summit attempt on Pico de Orizaba.  No precip, no wind.  The storm which had kicked their butts on Ixta left just the right amount of new snow on Orizaba.  Perfect cramponing conditions the entire way.  The normally tricky ‘labyrinth’ was simply great, fun cramponing.   Their patience and persistence were awarded this morning with a spectacular summit of Orizaba.  Probably won’t get a lot better than this.

Team is already back at the Piedre Grande Hut and trucks are being loaded.  Won’t be long before the team will be back at the Reyes compound in Tlachichuca, with a beer in one hand, towel in the other and fighting for the first shower.  They’ll enjoy a great dinner with the Reyes family this evening and sleep like logs.  The return to Mexico City is tomorrow.

Quote of the day by Calvin Coolidge – “persistence and determination alone are omnipotent”.

Phil Ershler

November 14, 2013

A stormy Ixta a couple days ago. (Austin Shannon)

Spoke with Austin this afternoon.  The team and he are ensconced at the Piedre Grande hut on Orizaba, at about 14,400 ft.  Skies aren’t clear yet but the winds have stopped and so has the precip.  An inch or two of snow around the hut but that’s not bad.  Forecast is still for even better weather tomorrow.  We’re hopeful that when the guys wake around midnight that they’ll see stars up above.

We’ll know sometime tomorrow whether or not the weather gods smiled on the team.

Phil Ershler

November 13, 2013

Mexican countryside (Dustin Balderach)

Well, Austin, Dallas, Cato and team got their rear-ends kicked on Ixta.  Storms are quite unusual for this time of year in Mexico but not unheard of.  At high camp, winds were 50 plus with higher gusts.  After a couple of broken tent poles and enough hours of horizontal sleet, the gang said ‘this is stupid’ and got the heck out of there.  They retreated to the safety and security (and dryness) of the Altzamoni Hut for the night.  Winds stayed high throughout the night but now weather is improving and forecast is good.

Heading to Puebla today.  They’ll regroup and then head to the village of Tlachichuca and Pico de Orizaba.  It’s time for the weather gods to give the team a break!

Phil Ershler

November 11, 2013

Popo and Ixta as viewed from the air

IMG Senior Guide, Austin Shannon, called in a couple of times over the weekend from Mexico City.  Austin and Dallas Glass have a group of 9 climbers with them and have started our first Mexico trip for the season.  The guides flew down on Friday, a day early, to do some shopping and packing.  The team arrived on Saturday.  Everyone on schedule and with all their luggage.  Their first group dinner together was Saturday night, near the hotel.  Our driver/van met them Sunday morning and they were off.  Since 1976, we’ve worked with the Reyes family in Mexico.  The brothers, Gerardo and Luis, their father, Francisco, and their Uncle, Amador, have been the premier service helping foreign climbers get around Mexico and providing 4-wheel transportation/support/lodging/etc.  It’s like why would we work with anyone else?  Gerardo is a general surgeon, to boot.  Talk about having a great insurance policy!  There are less expensive ways to run a Mexico trip but there isn’t a better way to run a Mexico trip.  With a full group of 9 climbers, we’re also joined by one of our favorite Mexican guides.  Two guides from IMG and one from Mexico makes a great combination.

Anyhow, the team had a good acclimatization hike yesterday and spent the night at their hotel in Amecameca.  Today, they’re off to the Altzomoni Hut and a carry to about 15K.  Group seems strong and excited.  What more could we ask?

Phil Ershler