Regional discussion and conditions reports for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Please post partners requests and trip plans in the Mexico Climbing Partners section.
Can anyone give me information on camping high on Orizaba. I will soon be 60 years old and the high camps seem to help me on summit day. Summited Rainier last year from high camp 11,000 and had plenty of leg left to make it across crater to true summit. This seems to work well for me any suggestions.
If you are planning the normal route then the hut is about 14k. You can put a tent up higher between 15k (before the labrynth) or 16k at the base of the glacier. I'd aim for 16k then you can melt snow/ice for water if you don't want to haul it up with you. There are numerous tent sites with rock walls to pick from. Cheers!
I just got off Orizaba 5 hours ago and there are tent platforms just below the glacier at 16,000 ft. There was a group that set up a high camp and returned to the hut for some thicker air. They returned the next day for an early morning summit bid. These guys were also a little older and their guide thought this would be their best shot at summitting. These tent platforms are a moderate 2 hours ish above the hut.