Expedition to the Ultra Mountains of Central Mexico - Summary1

1 An expedition review is published in the State Highpointer A-Z ("Apex to Zenith")
  quarterly newsletter. It is reproduced here as a summary with minor changes.

e report yet another Latin American expedition for county highpoint webmaster Adam Helman and friends, this time to Mexico for climbing "ultra" peaks (1,500+ meters [4,921 feet] of topographic prominence with 1,524 worldwide). Gaps in the three week itinerary from dangerous local threats were filled with several estado ("state") highpoints.

sugar cane
Sugar cane enroute to processing. (DG)

In adventurous Part I four climbers explored and reached several undocumented summits with a combination of Google Earth imagery, GPS technology, Spanish, local knowledge, a fair measure of luck and sheer perseverance. It was like bagging USA state highpoints without any books or reports!

In Part II six climbers tackled all the well-known Mexico's high volcanoes, Pico de Orizaba the most sought goal as Middle America's highest at 18,491 feet. The sole exception, sadly, is Popocatépetl which has been off-limits since the mid-1990s owing to nearly continual volcanism.

sculpture
A sculpture in Tlaxcala state.

An overall route map showing all goals is available.

The expedition climbed *every* peak, though some appeared doubtful at first, such as staring at Cerro La Joya's untamed brush with limestone cliffs and learning from locals that only a priest climbed it (decades ago). Could they have succeeded without three men and their machetes?

None of them were "easy" except for Cerro el Zamorano, the Guanajuato and Querétaro state highpoint. Here, orange ladders are bolted to the sheer cliffs for summit communication tower access. It's like South Dakota's Harney Peak with 400 vertical feet of aid-climbing!

kilns
Kilns near Tlachichuca.

Part I participants included county highpoint "king" Bob Packard, Duane Gilliland from Washington state and UK prom-bagger Robert Woodall. Part II included Duane G, Rob W, Greg Slayden, Collin Kamholz and Ryan Courtney. Collin recorded a new personal high atop Ixtaccíhuatl (17,159 feet), and similarly for Ryan (17,000 feet).

With 20 out of 32 total, Bob P. likely has more Mexico state highpoints than anybody else; and with Adam H. in second place at 16 (one-half). However they are each more pleased with 18 of Mexico's 26 ultra prominences.

Both Rob W. and Adam H. reached and exceeded 100 ultra peaks worldwide, a feat only four other climbers are known to have achieved (including Bob Packard).

Well done guys!

The author thanks everybody for their participation, hard work in expedition preparation, and willingness to "go the extra mile", quite literally, when success demanded nothing less. There resulted a Mexican climbing odyssey par excellence - one that shall not be equaled for a very long time.

Part II group
From viewer's left to right with Popocatépetl in background -
Ryan Courtney, Collin Kamholz, Greg Slayden, Adam Helman, Duane Gilliland and Rob Woodall

Introduction Part I Part II