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Show Wasatch Canyon Reporter Spring g Break ‘96: Summiting Orizabo hn Daniel Hall I yearned for something a little different and original to do over spring break, some- thing exotic and full of adventure, something that fit in my budget: my savings stood proudly at $US300. A week cruising St. George’s main street, or drunken paddling about Lake Foul might be good fun to the average _ Kappa Squid frat-boy, but I needed something a little more challenging. After much thought and with a little help from a friend, I decided to fulfill a|, tion, it is unimaginably huge. It makes Salt Lake look like some bed and breakfast town in the middle of Utah. If you think rush hour traffic on I-15 is bad, you haven’t been on any street in Mexico City at any time of the day. My goal was to get out of the city as fast as possible, and after a day layover there, (which included getting surrounded by machine gun toting soldiers as I tried to make my way around the National Palace- ghey, goal I had set for @ myself last winter, % #4 what the being to climb El Pico de Orizaba. ©. foot snaweapeed volcano just outside of Mexico City, and the third highest peak in North America. This idea came from talking to one of the ski patrolmen up at Bridger Bowl (outside of Bozeman) who told me he had skied Orizaba many years ago. So with this — trip, I could not only climb up to North America’s third highest summit, but also check out the possibilities of skiing the sucker. Flying into Mexico City, my first time out of the states, towards the east object of my exited all at the same time. I was curious to see how well I phobic keester around monster city speaking quite rudimentary this not Spanish. Mexico City is the world’s largest city, and true to reputa- was time consuming and very dusty. The road we were traveling upon looked as if it hadn’t seen rain for a few months. At long last we were at Piedre Grande and 14,000 ft. The Jamapa Glacier that crowns Glacier, with the altitude tug- ging at my lungs at the mountain that was kind enough boots stand every step, is Orizaba to let my atop its” windswept US dollars), for a journey of 18,410 feet is rough, especially if you were as unaclima-— tized as I was. It was hard for me to take summit shots between my gasping and wanting to throw up. The surrounding country- 90 miles. | A little while later, I Tlachichuca, appears Mexico, life to be far simpler summit. Life at side lay below me, as dry and was at the Indian town of - Tlachichuca, the jumping off point for climbing Orizaba. In tp . dusty as the Sahara was interested in the ski aspects that offered, and all I can desert. I potential Orizaba. say is, do’ not attempt to ski Orizaba in March! It is the end of the dry — season in Mexico, and the landscape has not seen moisture of any kind for months. Although the Jamapa Glacier is a permanent field of snow, in March it is a frozen, hard, sun-cupped jumble, and the effort it would take to haul up ski gear would not equal the descent down. Jamapa has However, some the excellent wide-open slope shots that would be good anytime before February. There is also an excellent frozen waterfall that spills down on the west Pipe at Orizaba that could be climbed by diehard ice climbers. The ice flows down through a very narrow slot between 2 cliffs. I ascended and descended in about eight hours, which is supposed to be a pretty good time. After accomplishing my goal I could justify some R&R. Two days later I was kicking back on the beach soaking up the rays at sea level, 2 days after being at 18,410 feet. Where else can you do that? The total cost of the trip including air fare came in at under $500. QSOS meee Ne Us EOe ae. THE IK END SANDWECH FRESH VEGGIES SLICED IN STORE DAILY SERVING TORY DELL QUALITY ME. aos GIRL SES ee SROADYSP LAZA; RCHARDS STREEET EE VEL 99 SOLITH MAIN, DOWNTOWN SALT LAKE city (801) 359-9400 Headaches *Bachaches 2 #3 Grande- Orizaba’s base camp, for only 45 pesos (about $6 a. = in beat-up red pick-up truck courtesy of The Reyes Family. The ride up to Piedre at 8:00 am. Only after a long, - grueling trudge up the Jamapa with VCR’s., all build. and other altitude, I left for the summit bus ride to Orizaba’s base camp was in a State of the art Mercedes-Benz passenger bus, with soft cushy chairs sorry narrow scrawny xeno- scared a few - feet above. That would be my ascent route to the top. After a long sleepless night, thanks to a very strong wind and the down the aisles. In fact, my was going to be able to get my nervous, and Orizaba’s summit was 2,000 desire- Orizaba. Contrary to what I anticipated, the Mexican bus system is not comprised of old rickety school busses with chickens running up and and 2 TV’s bright, climbers and I got a ride in a building was!), I fwas on my way I saw the glistening slopes of Orizaba for the first time near the small village of El Seco, and I felt my excitement I was and = know while marooned up i in Montana; That iam and their goods around the tidy cobbled streets, and the little Indian kids think it outof-this-world to play basketball with a “gringo.” I started playing some hoop with 2 Mexican boys around the age of 12, and before long, a mob_ of 20 or so kids had gathered around wanting to play. The next day dawned clear | wa didn’t Mules still. ctigpntt people ® ALL SEASONS "Allergies "Fatigue — Dizziness “Stress Tension Mausea If you notice any one of these warning signs, know that your nervous system, your key to health, may be affected. See your chiropractor immediately. 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