Back to Expeditions Page
General description
Itinerary
Price and payment info
Equipment list
Trip sign up
Past Trip Photos

Map

El Pico de Orizaba 18,405', Iztaccihautl 17,120'
El Nevado de Toluca 15,354', La Malinche 14,640'
Next expeditions: November 11-19th, 2017

Within hours of Mexico city you find the highest mountains in the country: Mexico's high volcanoes. These peaks offer North American and European climbers the opportunity to climb to altitudes above 17,000' on a short itinerary and a much lower budget than the Andes or the Himalayas. El Pico de Orizaba and Iztaccihuatl are big mountains requiring alpine skills such as scrambling, cramponing and knowing how to use an ice axe. This is probably the best first expedition for mountaineers with experience on peaks below 15,000' who are interested in High Altitude climbing. It's also an excellent expedition for experienced high altitude mountaineers who want an affordable, fun, challenging and interesting expedition. The climbing is great, the weather during the dry season (mid October through end of March) is warm, sunny and perfect for mountaineering. This trip is culturally fascinating and the food...well, you'll find the best Mexican food in the world in Mexico city!
   In spite of the bad reputation Mexico has been getting on the news because of violence, the Mexico city area and surroundings are probably safer now than before (which sadly is not true for the rest of the country). Because this expedition is personally led by Ricardo Peña who is from Mexico city and knows the area very well and because we have done more than 60 expeditions to these volcanoes we offer you the safest and best trip in the business. We have never had any problems, and this continues to be a very safe and enjoyable expedition! 
  Our standard expedition is a 9 day itinerary to climb Iztaccihuatl and el Pico de Orizaba. But we offer several variations:
-The Trilogy: Nevado de Toluca, Izta and Orizaba in 10 days
-A short 6 day itinerary of just Orizaba
as well as different combinations of La Malinche, Nevado de Toluca, Izta and Orizaba.
We also offer hiking and cultural  trips to Mexico where participants hike to the summit of La Malinche or Nevado de Toluca (both peaks are higher than anything in the US outside Alaska) and visit the pyramids of Teotihuacan and historic Mexico city. This is a great option for people who enjoy hiking and experiencing new cultures. Unlike the often visited beach resorts in Mexico, Mexico city is rich in history, having been the capital of the Aztec Empire, of New Spain, and now of Mexico. 
Why choose Alpine Expeditions for your Mexico adventure?
 All Alpine Expeditions guides (that guide this expedition) are originally from Mexico and they are all bilingual. Ricardo Peña himself has guided more than 60 expeditions to the volcanoes with an impressive record of 50 successful guided summits on Orizaba! ( Out of 51 Orizaba climbs). Hector Ponce has guided the volcanoes literally more than a hundred times (and has an impressive list of technical ascents on them as well as the speed record on Orizaba, Popo and Izta (see bio). With Alpine Expeditions you can be sure you will be getting the best expedition to Mexico in the guiding business. Having Mexican guides, you can be sure you will have the safest service (both on the mountain and while traveling through Mexico) and best possible itinerary with a well planned acclimatization schedule, the best logistics, the best restaurants and hotels and a cultural introduction to Mexico from a truly local perspective. Unlike bigger companies that often send their young guides in training, with Alpine Expeditions you will be guided by Ricardo Peña who is an expert on these peaks.

"The Mexican volcano trilogy was my first foray into high altitude mountaineering. I decided to go solo and signed up with Alpine Expeditions. The trip completed surpassed all my expectations. It was a great combination of challenging peaks and cultural excursions in a week’s time. Ricardo scheduled our climbs to maximize my acclimatization and it worked beautifully. He kept me well fed, safe, amused and comfortable. His knowledge of the local area and relationships with local guide services made the entire trip run smoothly. I had a most excellent adventure and would highly recommend Ricardo and his Mexican volcanoes trip to anyone wishing to climb a little higher! "
Christine Mellon, Seattle, Washington, USA