yes, i need to check out that book and brush up on my crampon/ice axe skillz so would those acclimatization peaks that you guys mentioned allow me to practice those skills on snow,etc...? also do you guys think 6 - 8 days is sufficient for the total trip (acclimatization/rest day(s)/actual climb of orizaba)??
also, still trying to decide on using a guide service such as serviot? or tag along w/ some peeps from SP since i'd be going solo...the US based guided climbs run any where from 2 - 3 grand so how much do the local companies charge? oh one more thing to add to my long list of ?'s...how much would one expect to pay for airfare from cali into mexico city these days?
If you need a quick reminder, you can see much of the text of Secor's book online at Google Books.
I've just got back to the UK from our own Mexico trip, but we decided not to make it a rush job like many North Americans can so easily do. We travelled around by public bus, acclimatizing first on Nevado de Toluca, then Ixta before going on to Tlachichuca. I guess the climbing part of our trip took us 2 weeks, all told - but, hey, it was a 50th birthday present to myself, so why rush it? If you start with Ixta, you could acclimatise first at Altzomoni Hut, then head for the Grupo de los Cien Hut. Once up on the summit ridge you could very safely brush up your crampon/ice axe technique on the gentle icy slopes as you drop down to reach the level top of the Ayoloco Glacier. (You can't do this on NdeT or Malinche)
If you're confident of your winter skills plus performance at altitude, you should probably have no trouble on Orizaba under reasonable conditions. My 60+ climbing partner and I chose to avoid the mice and the starkness of the PG hut by taking stove and tent up to the high camp at 4,900m, so avoiding the need to rush in the morning. We felt this was a good decision, but even up there the odd mouse was still around, so mind your food wherever you go.
We used Snr Limon's 4WD service and accommodation, which I can't fault, although we were grateful that his daughter, Maribel, spoke such good English. Without any guiding services, this cost us US$ 130 each for 2 nights dinner, lodgings, breakfasts and, of course, his 4WD transport up the rugged dirt road to Piedra Grande. I get the impression that Servimont has an excellent reputation, but charges quite highly for it. We carried iodine out from the UK, but it never left our base hotels!
(PS: Our thanks to the chef in Haliku's group at the Piedra Grande Hut; the lemon tea given to us at the end of our own long summit day was just divine!)