La Mujer Dormida

Art Of Izta

2009-07-06T09:52:00.000-07:00

I've come across two more images of Izta (and Popo) during my travels. The first is a painting being displayed at a metro station. The second is a mural drawn on the shop front of a motocycle serving workshop. The art of these two mountains is everywhere!

El Maraton

2009-04-23T11:35:00.000-07:00

For the last couple of years I've taken on a challenge, just for fun. Something different to do. Something unusual, or difficult. And raised money for a charity while I'm at it.

This year I'm going to run the Mexico City Marathon. For the hell of it. And of course, raise a little money again. And I'm hoping you bloggers out there can help, again. Just like quite a few of you did last year...

I have set up a blog for my effort, Maraton 09, which I will monetize by doing adverts on it. How much I can get depends almost entirely on how high a page rank I get. How high a page rank I get depends almost entirely on how many of you will do me this small favour!

Just write a short post on your blog about my effort, including links to the blog using the key words Mexico City Marathon and Maraton de la Ciudad de Mexico.

The links should look like this : Mexico City Marathon | Maraton de la Ciudad de Mexico.

How does that help me raise money? These links help to increase my page rank and therefore let me monetize the blog to raise money. Last year I did the same sort of thing on my La Mujer Dormida blog, and each post a blogger did was worth, roughly, $10.

If double the number of bloggers wrote a post this year, it would likely increase my earning potential not double, but treble or quadruple. I can make much, much more from a blog with a page rank of 3 than I can from a blog with a page rank of two. So take 5 minutes and help me out! It doesn't have to be a long post - it's the links which really count! 10 words or a hundred words - whatever you have time for. You could always add the blog to your BlogRoll too - that can also help.

If you can find the time to do a post, let me know in the comments section of this post, and I'll add your blog to the Supporters widget in the sidebar of my Maraton blog. Gracias!!!

The Grand Total

2008-12-30T11:07:00.000-08:00

All the money is in and has now been sent off to WildCoast, the charity I was raising money for. The total in the end was $170. Not the grandest total ever, but it all counts. A big thank you to everyone who helped, be it with a donation, a link to this blog, or even bringing me boots from England!

The unsightly adverts, which helped to raise a lot of that money have now all been deleted so I have a tidy on topic blog once again! I will add to the blog more as time goes on, especially if I climb Izta again in February as is currently planned. Thanks again to everyone who helped!

2008-12-26T21:14:00.000-08:00

I had a thoroughly unexpected encounter with Izta and Popo today. I was giving a class in the center of the city, on the fourth floor of an office block, as I have done every week for the last 3 years. I sit at a table in front of the full length windows, as I always do. Except today, when I looked out of the window, there was Izta and Popo, clear as anything.

I've never seen them before from that window. Not because I haven't looked, because I have often, although not for the mountains because I had no idea they were in that direction. I've never seen them before because they are normally hidden by the tons and tons of particles that hang in the air and go by the collective name of 'pollution'.

Why was it so clear today? Normally, December, January and February are the worst months for pollution, with the cold air trapping the polluted air in the geographical bowl that Mexico City sits in. But it's Christmas, and over the last few days most of the city's cars, which contribute something like 75% of the air pollution, have not been roaming the streets. Everyone has either left the city for a holiday or have been sitting at home getting merry with family and friends. The streets have been largely deserted. Giving the atmosphere something of a break too.

Click here to see the photo on Flickr.

Izta in Art

2008-12-25T20:57:00.000-08:00

Popo and Izta are not just there for climbers....Mexican mythology and folklore depends on them. They are a prominent feature of artwork, and paintings of the two, together or individually can be found all over the place. On walls in offices commonly, but there is also a restaurant in the centre of the city with a huge mural of the two. The paintings below hang in the excellent Museo de Franz Mayer, and I thought I'd share them here.

Deportes Rubens

2008-12-12T19:02:00.000-08:00

I though I'd lost this address, but seeing as I've found it I'd best put the details up here before I lose them again!It's for a sports shop near the Zocalo where mountaineering gear can be bought or hired.

Deportes Ruben´s

Venustiano Carranza 17

Col. Centro, México D.F.

Tels: 5518-6373, 5518-5636, 5512-7037

Fax: 5512-8312

Website

Post Update!

And funnily enough I happened to walk past the shop yesterday - so photo was duly taken! I can also give directions as well. Walk from the cathedral across the Zocalo (the main square), keeping the cathedral behind you. The jewellry shops should be to your right, and it's best you are on that side of the square. When the Zocalo ends, keep going for one block, then take your first right. Walk up there for about 5 minutes and you'll start seeing loads of sports shops. Rubens is on your left about ten minutes from the Zocalo.

Popo Pano

2008-12-12T13:06:00.000-08:00

I've found a neat bit of software and created a VR panorama from a series of photos I took whilst climbing up Izta. Put your cursor on the image and drag left and right. You can zoom in and out with the scroll wheel, but the photo sadly doesn't have as much detail as I'd like. If the image isn't displaying, or just to see it in a full windowm click here.

These Boots Were Made For Walking

2008-12-01T08:56:00.000-08:00

I was very pleased with my boots. How pleased? Pleased enough to photograph them! Well, one of them anyway. Which brings me to the point of the post - the equipment needed to go up Izta. A simple list of everything -

Thermal pantalones, two lightweight polyester trousers, a T-shirt, a lightweight jumper, a good warm waterproof jacket, a pair of thermal gloves, an acrylic hat, a tent, a sleeping bag, a rucksack, several chocolate bars, several bananas, several packets of nuts, a couple of packed tortas (sandwiches), four one litre bottles of Gatorade, three pairs of socks (all worn at the same time!) a head torch, crampons. Oh, and the boots!

That was it. Was there anything else I should have taken but didn't? Actually a thermal vest would have been good. And had I camped up at the Grupo de los Cien hut, I'd have taken more liquid.

I did notice a fair few people doing it without crampons, wearing jeans and even in trainers. Recommendable? I have to say as it's dry season, you could probably get away with jeans. It's a small risk, but if you have better clothing why take the risk? I'd perfer to be in jeans and boots though than in polyester trousers and trainers. As for the crampons....we didn't need them in the end, but then we didn't make it up to the summit where the snow is!

Los Amigos

2008-11-23T19:01:00.000-08:00

Amongst my many photos are snaps of my amigos, the guys I climbed Izta with. Like any journey you make, it's only as good as the company you keep, and I can't complain I didn't have some good chaps along with me!

Adrian, my English student and the first to join up!

Adrian's cousin Victor (left) and our guide Hilarion.

Enrique and Angel, former colleagues of Adrian.

Happy Internet Story

2008-11-23T11:15:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest issues I had in climbing Izta was finding appropriate footwear - trainers just really aren't the best thing to have on your feet. But here in Mexico, shoe retailers don't have anything for a UK size 11 foot! Nothing at all. The largest shoe I've ever seen here was a 10, and just the one pair in one shop. Otherwise a size 9 is about as big as they get.

But I was rescued. A chap in the UK with a passion for mountain climbing had come across my blog, as as luck had it he had a trip to Mexico planned. After a few emails had been exchanged about his forthcoming adventure, to climb the Nevado de Toluca, Izta and the giant Pico de Orizaba, and my own plans, I hit upon the idea of seeing if he could bring me over a pair of decent boots.

And he was more than obliging, which was something of a lifesaver! The power of the internet, and PayPal, should never be underestimated! We met a couple of weeks ago, and the boots fortunately fit perfectly. They will remain treasured items and will hopefully see lots more use. Their climbs were more successful than mine, successfully summitting all three peaks.

I thanked them plenty, but one last official, blogged thank you, where it all began, doesn't hurt at all! Gracias amigos!

The Photographs

2008-11-20T11:05:00.000-08:00

I've processed and uploaded all my photos to Flickr now, and you can see them by clicking on the link under the photo below. I've arranged the seven sets into a collection - Flickr makes life so easy! This particular shot shows La Malinche, and a little further out Pico de Orizaba.

Click here to see the Iztaccihuatl Collection

The Climb Report

2008-11-20T10:44:00.000-08:00

So the big weekend finally came, and we set off for the climb up Iztaccihuatl. We went with High Guides Mexico, who picked us up at midday at a location of our choice (COyoacan turned out to be the convenient meeting place for us all) and drove us to our destination in a big van along with two other climbers from the US.

First stop was the small town of Amecameca, just outside the Popo and Izta National Park for lunch, last minute food supplies and a short walk around. Then on up the mountain to Paseo de Cortes. This is where you pay your entrance fee to get in the park - very cheap, just 20 pesos per person I think. It also has the last toilet you'll see! It's just a big building and car park really, not a town.

Popocatapetl was a prominent view throughout the hike.

The drive up to La Joya takes a while, and we arrived at about 5pm. The original plan had been to go straight from there to the Grupo de los Cien hut, about a four hour hike away. But the hut was full, probably because in Mexico it was a long weekend with a public holiday on the Monday. So instead, we set up a couple of tents, got out the sleeping bags and went to bed at a very early 9pm, ready to begin the hike at 2 to 3am the next morning.

In hindsight, this turned out to be just as well. There were six of us in all, including the guide, Hilarion. Myself, my English student Adrian, his cousin Victor and a couple of his friends, Enrique and Angel. The altitude took it's toll on some of the party and the four hour hike turned into a 10 hour hike!

The Knees came into close view at the Grupo de los Cien hut.

The downside of this was that, having reached the hut, which lies at the base of the first main peak, the Knees, we had to turn around and head back. So there was no chance to reach the summit on this trip! The highest point attained was 5,000 metres, just a couple of hundred metres short of the main peak. So not bad, really!

I'm not going to give up though. I shall go again, and this time, with a new plan, reach the summit! Personally I had no problem with the altitude which was good. I will also have more to write about the trip over the next week or two!

High Guides Mexico

2008-11-06T07:53:00.000-08:00

I mentioned a while ago that we had found a guide. Or my student had. Ironically, it's the same company I found, HGMexico, but the bargain price of 750 pesos turned out to be too good to be true! That's for a single day walking around the mountain, not up it! The real price is 1,500 pesos, although it has to be added this price is for Mexicans. I am assuming that I will be granted honorary Mexican status for the trip, seeing as I am going with 5 or 6 real Mexicans and I do live here!

One good reason to hire a guide is to avoid the situation below....

Stay Over In Mexico City

2008-11-03T07:09:00.000-08:00

Mountain climbing season begins in December in Mexico, so lots of avid climbers will shortly be making their way to Pico de Orizaba or Iztaccihuatl and others. But whichever mountain or mountains they're planning climb - most will start by tackling a few smaller, easier peaks to help them acclimatize - most will start their trip in Mexico City. Whether they like it or not - the international airport is here.

And a fair number of them will suddenly feel lost. It's a huge city and they know next to nothing about it. They've just been reading up on the mountains they're visiting! But Mexico City is a fabulous place and well worth hanging around for a few days, or even a week if it's possible. It's a city that is relatively easy to move around with an excellent public transport system, and tourist facilities.

But what is there to see? Lots, of course! There is always something new happening, an old tradition being replayed, and plenty of permanent institutions to visit. Here's my Top Ten that should keep any visitor occupied for a few days at the very least...

1. The Zocalo. It's the worlds largest town square, and is the heart of the Historic Center, surrounded on all sides by colonial architectural masterpieces. The most evident is the huge Metropolitan Cathedral. You can climb onto the roof for just 12 pesos. On the left of the Cathedral (from the Cathedral's perspective!) is the National Palace. Entry is free, and it contains some of Diego Rivera's finest murals. You'll also find the Aztec dancers in the Zocalo, and the opportunity for a spiritual cleansing if you so desire.

2. Bellas Artes. The National Arts Palace, just a ten to fifteen minute walk from the Zocalo, it's a fantastic piece of architecture with more of Mexico's finest murals inside. It's free to enter, but you'll have to pay 10 pesos to take photos. Well worth it. For the best photo of the palace, go into Sears opposite, take the elevator to the Coffee Shop (8 or 9) and wander out onto the balcony.

3. Paseo de la Reforma. More often just called Reforma, it's a huge avenue that runs from Bellas Artes to Chapultepec Park, and makes for a great walk. It's famous for it's street art exhibitions. At the moment there are dozens of decorative, sometimes bizarre, benches.

4. Chapultepec. A park, a lake, and a castle. All in one. Plan on spending a whole afternoon there, at least. The castle sits on a hill and like most of these institutions is a treasure trove of art and history. Want to take a paddle boat around the lake? No problems. There's also a zoo, but I can't really recommend that in good conscience.

5. Turibus. It's a simple enough concept. Every city has one. This turibus goes on a huge loop through the cities best parts, and you can get on and off at will. Bring suntan lotion and a cap if you want to sit on the top deck! It's a long ride.

6. Teotihucan Tour. Most hotels and hostels do this tour. It's a must. You'll visit the Basilica de Guadalupe, a Tequila farm, the Plaza de las Tres Culturas and then the monumental ancient pyramids.

7. Museo de Franz Mayer. One of my favourite museums in the Centro Historico, it's situated near Bellas Artes, and aside from all the art, has excellent temporary exhibitions and a wonderful coffee shop in an outdoor patio. 45 pesos entry.

8. Estadio Azteca and Dolores Olmedo. A ride down the Tren Ligero (see a Metro map for details) will take you past the world famous football stadium. A little further on at La Noria station, you'll find one of Mexico city's best kept secrets - the Museo de dolores Olmedo.

9. Lucha Libre. Check out Ticketmaster to get seats for the best wrestling show in the world. It's meant as a comedy/gymnastic experience, and you'll learn a lot about Mexican culture too. You can't take your camera in though.

10. Xochimilco. An excellent way to end a trip to the city, grab a tour to Xochimilco and ride down the canals in a big gondola, listening to Mariachis, eating tacos and drinking beer.

The Boots Are Here!

2008-11-01T09:57:00.000-07:00

The whole plan is coming together, finally. Two of the most important pieces of my Climbing Izta jigsaw have been put in place. Firstly, my boots have arrived, special delivery, courtesy of two amigos from the UK. They are a fine looking pair of boots and fit perfectly, thank goodness! They weren't terribly cheap for a peso earning gringo, but climbing a big mountain like Izta without them would have been .

Secondly, it looks like we've found ourselves a guide, with the essential equipment, including walking sticks and crampons. Most of the guide companies are set up for americans with dollars and are priced as such. USD$250 per person has been the average going rate. But we've found a more affordable company who charge just 750 pesos per person and that, I believe, includes transport and gear.

Mountain Climates

2008-10-28T05:26:00.000-07:00

There is one unavoidable, unpredictable and slightly frustrating issue with mountain climbing - the weather. As was ably demonstrated when we went up the Nevado de Toluca, it is often foggy. But unlike beach holidays, you can't really check the weather forecast and change plans on the fly. Mountains make their own climate, that can be pretty independent of the world around it, as you can see from the photo below. You just have to cross your fingers that it clears up when you summit!

A Learning Experience

2008-10-24T12:39:00.000-07:00

The trip up to the Nevado de Toluca was meant as a learning experience, an opportunity to experience a little 'light' mountain climbing before we attempt Iztaccihuatl next month. Was it a worthwhile exercise you might ask? Definitely was!

Did I learn just how much hard work it is to climb a mountain? Well, yes and no. I knew it was going to be a hard slog, but actually doing it brings home to you just how hard! The higher we got, the more sandy the ground was, and keeping your footing really becomes an issue!

The altitude itself was a concern - would any of us get altitude sickness, or otherwise feel unwell? Fortunately no one felt any the worse for being 4690 metres above sea level, and I myself was quite relieved to feel so good. Being the smoker that I am, I had worried that any more oxygen deprivation might cause my limbs to give up! I suspect that living in Mexico City helps on two counts. Firstly, I already live at an altitude of 2600 metres. Secondly, the air here is so polluted that being depreived of the oxygen stuff is something my body has gotten used to!

I really do need some proper hiking shoes though. I didn't slip on the way up in my trainers, but I did have a couple of small, but quickly recovered slips on the way down! It's also been pointed out to me that wearing cooton jeans is a cardinal sin when mountain climbing, so I guess I need to look for some light weight and waterproof trousers too!

Another lesson learned regards recovery. It was pretty tiring going up the Nevado de Toluca, but Izta is going to be a much bigger task. So we are probably going to put back the climb by one week. The 17th of November, a Monday, is a bank holiday here, and I think most of us will need the extra day to regain our strength and use of our muscles!

It's easy to think that Izta is just 500 or 600 metres taller than the Nevado de Toluca - 4690 metres compared to 5200 metres or so. But we were able to drive more than half way up the Nevado de Toluca! That won't be the case with Izta. And that 600 odd extra metres...that's one and a half Sears Towers!

But the most valuable lesson? Izta is a big mountain, and a big task. But doing Toluca's finest mountain in preparation has given us all confidence - we can do it! Even if we just target the knees, we'll be up to the challenge. The 'we' part is very important by the way. One of my students (not someone in on this venture) went up the Nevado de Toluca on a school trip many years ago. One of his classmates, got seperated, lost and slipped on the edge of a steep drop and died. There's been a fair few fatalities on that mountain.

Anyway, I leave this post with a little video I took from the summit of the Nevado de Toluca. It's very short, and there's not much to see. A little rock, which drops off sharply, disappearing quickly into a blanket of fog!

Nevado De Toluca photos

2008-10-21T11:36:00.000-07:00

I've finally processed and uploaded all my photos from the mountain. Do you like fog? Because there was plenty of that! But the skies did clear for a few minutes and allow me to get a few nice shots, and there were some interesting flowers up there too.The photo below is of the path leading to the Moon Lake, before the really tough climbing, but it gives a little idea as to how barren and rocky it is up there.

Click here for the photos on Flickr

Climbing Nevado De Toluca

2008-10-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, also my birthday incidentally, I climbed the Nevado de Toluca with a few of the gang who will also be going up Izta with me. Plus my wife Paola, who decided to brave the elements this time, but who has no intention of trying to climb Izta! The Nevado de Toluca is no small mountain, but you do have the advantage of being able to drive half way up.But it's still a 4690 metre mountain, only 600 metres shorter than Izta itself.

Although in fairness, this isn't as much of a cheat as it sounds. You could easily walk up that first part - it's not challenging, just time consuming. What we did establish very quickly though, was that today was going to be a cold and very misty day! Sometimes, if it's clear you can get not only great views at the top, but see the lakes bathed in sunshine which gives then a very blue, surreal look. Not today though - that's the thing with climbing mountains.

Anyway, we parked up and began the hour/hour and a half long walk to the two crater lakes, which is a fairly leisurely hike along pathways, and is definitely not something anyone would struggle with. Families bring their kids along this part of the journey. We did have a bit of luck. Near the first lake, the Moon Lake, the heavy mist temporarily subsided and we got some nice photos of the valley below and the lake itself. But by the time we had gone around a largish hill to see the Sun Lake, the mist had returned.

Then for the hard part. Climbing to the summit. I have to say now, I have more respect for those guys who have climbed Everest and other monster peaks than ever before! It's hard work! It's probably only an hour long hike, or two hours for the less fit or energetic. But it's up steepish ground, on very unstable ground that continually changes from sandy to rocky. It's easy to slip, and impossible in places to keep a great pace.

There were six of us in all, and only four of us finally made it to the summit. Paola and one of the others (who may well change his mind about Izta!) stopped just 50 to 75 metres short of the summit, exhausted. It seems a shame that they got so close, but to be honest that final bit has the toughest climbing of all.

It's a good feeling to get to the top, which was just a very small piece of rock, and for me it has increased my enthusiasm to climb Izta! I couldn't see anything by fog from the summit, except at the edges, where rocks dropped down steeply....that gave the feeling of being at the peak more feeling though! Hopefully we will be luckier with the weather at Izta.

What have I learned from this trip? Plenty, but that's for another post! I will say that it was a valuable exercise though. I'm uploading photos as I speak so I shall be blogging those as well tonight or tomorrow! But here is just one that I've quickly uploaded...

At the summit.

Another Summit Post

2008-10-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

I've come across another excellent, and very helpful report on climbing Izta. Actually I didn't just stumble across it - a link to it was emailed to me. There's no better way of preparing for such a huge adventure than learning from other peoples efforts at doing the same thing, so these sort of reports are both helpful and encouraging!

After passing the high point just short of the glacier we put on our crampons. They remained on until we got back to this same place. There was a bit of a crevasse close to the near side of the glacier. We could see where others had crossed it at a bit of a packed down place. After that we headed straight across staying to the high line. There were several narrow cracks in the glacier, but nothing that was gaping. Do not stray too far to the west side. It drops off dramatically. You will see this when you look back further on.

The glacier drops down some in the middle before rising back up again. After arriving at the other side it is a left turn to go to the summit. Before making this turn we had to negotiate a small snow cliff. Again we saw where other tracks had found the easiest way up.

There is a narrow stretch of ridge with some up and down before the final push to the first summit. This is a place where some might want an axe. We chose to stay with our ski poles because it felt more secure. It is definitely a place to watch your step!

At the 5100m contour we started the final ridge to the summit. The ridge was mostly bare of snow. Sometimes we got to choose between some loose stuff or rock scrambling. There were a few places where there was little choice and some exposure. We topped out on the first of three summits at 537816 2120155. From here the other two summits can be seen. The three summits were bare of snow and rose above the summit glacier.

The full report can be found here.

Mexico's Big 7 - No3

2008-10-13T10:20:00.000-07:00

I've covered places 4,5,6 and 7 in my list of Mexico's seven biggest mountains. And now it's time for third place and the object of my blog - Iztaccihuatl! And it's with Izta that a barrier is broken. The 5,000 metre barrier to be precise. Izta stands a whopping 5,230 metres tall, at the summit of which there is only 50% of the oxygen you'd get by being at sea level. It's going to be a hard slog up it! For more infor, here is the Wiki page.

Mexico's Big 7 - No 4

2008-10-09T18:38:00.000-07:00

I've been listing the seven biggest mountains in Mexico over the last few months. The Magnificent Mexican 7 if you like. At number 4 in the list? The Nevado de Toluca, which I'll be climbing in about 10 days from now.

It's a big mountain at 4,680 m (15,354 ft) tall, and has two very picturesque lakes in the crater. I say it's a mountain but it is in fact a volcano. It hasn't erupted for a long time, which is just as well, because the last time it did erupt it left Mexico City 2 ft deep in fine sand. It would cause severe disruption to about 30 million people in fact.

HG Mexico

2008-10-08T19:23:00.000-07:00

I've also found a site with mountain guides, HG Mexico, which is worth blogging about - they could come in handy. I'm going to write to them to see if they'd do a much cheaper deal than the one they advertise for a 2 day climb up Ixta. We don't need transfers and stuff like that. Although to be honest I'm not sure we really need a guide, but if one was available cheaply enough, we'd consider it.

More to the point though, is whether we can rent some gear from them. Head lamps and crampons in particular. I shall just have to find out! Their website really sucks as well, design wise. Their use of English isn't perfect either. Maybe I could do a deal with them....a shiny new website with correct spelling, in exchange for a guided trip with all equipment.

Pico de Orizaba

2008-10-08T19:21:00.000-07:00

I was sent the link to this video on YouTube showing a team climbing up and then down Mexico's tallest mountain, Orizaba. It looks cold. It looks tiring. It looks fantastic! I have neither the gear nor the experience at the moment, but one day...

Iztaccihuatl Video

2008-10-08T19:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a video of a group of climbers going all the way to the top of Izta! I found it on YouTube having been sent a link to a video of a climb of Pico de Orizaba, which I'll post soon too. The thing I'm looking at is their clothing and equipment....I'm still working out what we'll be taking!

Life and Crimes in Mexico City

2008-10-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

Mexico City has long held an unfortunate reputation for high levels of crime. Murder, kidnaps, armed robbery - they have it all here. But are you seriously at risk? Probably not. But first a disclaimer. My rough guide below is from both my experience and the shared experiences of others I converse with in the city. It is just a guide. Of course it's possible to fall victim to crime, no matter what city you visit. It's simply about assessing the dangers and reducing the risks, like any other place you might visit.

At the moment Mexico is in the news around the world, with beheadings and other grisly murders taking place on a daily basis. But these crimes are all part of the narco wars, and generally in specific areas. The perpetrators really don't give a monkeys for the odd tourist walking past. Tourists just aren't on the radar, hitlist, whatever you want to call it.

Kidnappings are up again this year too. But again, tourists (and resident gringo TEFL teachers for that matter, fortunately!) are not on the radar. These kidnappings are being done by very organised gangs who are picking their (always very wealthy) targets very carefully.

If you remove all these crimes, what do the statistics look like? Well, any stat with anything other than a '0' in the murder column can be improved upon! But they look a lot less scary. The reality is that even with all these narco murders, there are still quite a few cities in the US with higher murder rates.

What about robbery, pickpocketing and the such? Well, again, they do happen. I got robbed at gun point earlier this year. But I am the only TEFL teacher here who has been so unlucky, and I was walking around a dodgy area at 5.45am, in an unlit street, going past a load of dark alleys....I could have avoided it! Should have, even.

Another visitor recently got her wallet pickpocketed on the Metrobus too. But that too should have been avoided. There are simple precautions you can take! I've given a couple of examples of the negatives. I could write thousands of words about all the people here, and visitors we've had, who left Mexico City without ever seeing or hearing of a crime. There is a chance of something going awry, of course. But if you just take the same basic precautions you would elsewhere, the chance of something going awry with you is pretty slim. As for casual violent crime, I feel a whole load safer here than I ever did in the UK! The people here are really very friendly and non confrontational.

Another thing to bear in mind is that if someone does decide to rob you, they are probably just desperate, and really just want a little cash, not to actually hurt you. Hand over a little cash, and they'll be gone. And you'll have a story to tell when you get home! But it's unlikely. There's really no need to be unduly alarmed. There are thousands of tourists here right now having a fine, crime free, time.

Any questions?! :)

Iztaccihuatl 1974

2008-10-04T19:02:00.000-07:00

I came across a fantastic set of photos on Flickr today, taken by a chap going by the Flickr username of Prinzipal, back in 1974, and more recently digitised and added to Flickr. It's great to see how it looked...will there be as much snow when I get to the top? I'm suspecting not!

Click here to see the full set of photos.

Another Redesign!

2008-10-04T18:58:00.000-07:00

The last template didn't last long, so I have another new look to the site! I wanted to install Disqus, a third party comments system, to the blog, but the previous template made that difficult. I prefer the new look anyway!

By the way, if you have a blog, especially if it's with Blogger, it's well worth installing Disqus. It's a million times better than standard comments systems.

A New Look

2008-10-03T20:04:00.000-07:00

I've given the blog a new look today. Nothing very flash - just a standard Blogger theme and a header I whacked up in Photoshop. The only reason I've done this is that the old template I had was screwing around with the formatting of the posts a bit.

More importantly, the blog has now got a Google Pagerank of 2, which isn't bad for a newish site with limited posts. This is helpful, because one of the purposes of this blog was to be able to monetize it and raise some money for WildCoast, my charity of choice.

The other reasons were of course to help in planning, get some feedback from more experienced climbers than myself, and also as a record of the trip.

Safety and Surfing

2008-09-30T11:19:00.000-07:00

The whole climb isn't just about getting to the top off Izta. I'm raising money too, for WildCoast, a charity that works to protect the Pacific coast. Including, of course, turtles.

So I've been posting bits and pieces from WildCoast's website to give you an idea of what they do, and there is a recent video that makes for very interesting reading.

Iztaccihuatl

2008-09-30T11:11:00.001-07:00

Iztaccihuatl
Originally uploaded by Luis Manuel Guaida

Another photo of Izta, this one a stunning shot from an angle. This photo shows the sheer size of Izta, and how much hard work is going to be involved in climbing her!

Crampons

2008-09-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

My new mission....where can I rent crampons from in Mexico City?! I've come to the conclusion that we could do without them if need be, although it might limit how far we can go. But if they can be found for rental, then it seems silly not to take them. I say it's my new mission.....this will actually be a task for one of my students!

Climbing Guide

2008-09-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

I've been getting some excellent tips in the comments of my blog and the link to this book is one of the best. I've had a load of good reading from this book, Mexico's Volcanos - A Climbing Guide. A seriously big help. Wish I could buy it! But the online version will have to suffice.

Hiking Boot Bother

2008-09-28T10:28:00.000-07:00

Progress continues as far as planning for the climb goes, but I have hit one little snag. Finding a pair of decent walking boots that are my size in Mexico! It's not easy. I am a UK size 11, and it's very rare I find a shoe in Mexico bigger than a 9. Even then it's a 9 and a half, with a couple of tens, in a very limited range of styles. By limited I mean one or two! The search goes on. Failing that - how much of a bad idea is it to climb Izta in a pair of trainers?!

Training Day

2008-09-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

There are at least 6 of us who are going to climb Izta, and we've arranged a training day visit to the Nevado de Toluca. It's a pretty big mountain itself, being the fourth biggest in Mexico. So it's only one place behind Izta itself!

But it has an advantage. You can drive up to the crater where there are two lakes. Really, it's a get together, to experience altitude, wear in any new boots, and climb to the very summit.

We will be doing it on my birthday, 19th October which will be a nice change to the normal beer drinking parties! Although we will have a BBQ while we're there. You can see from the satellite photo below the lakes and the snow...it will be the first time I've seen snow in a few years!

Altitude Sickness

2008-09-07T10:26:00.000-07:00

I was aware of Altitude Sickness, or ACM (Acute Mountain Sickness) as it's sometimes called, but it doesn't hurt to go have another look at the details, as suggested by a response in my last post. The symptoms?

Headache is a primary symptom used to diagnose altitude sickness, although headache is also a symptom of dehydration. A headache occurring at an altitude above 2,400 meters (8000 feet = 76 kPa), combined with any one or more of the following symptoms, can indicate altitude sickness:

* Lack of appetite, nausea, or vomiting * Fatigue or weakness * Dizziness or light-headedness * Insomnia * Pins and needles * Shortness of breath upon exertion * Persistent rapid pulse * Drowsiness * General malaise * Peripheral edema (swelling of hands, feet, and face).

Symptoms that may indicate life-threatening altitude sickness include:

* pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs):- o persistent dry cough o fever o shortness of breath even when resting * cerebral edema (swelling of the brain):- o headache that does not respond to analgesics o unsteady gait o increased vomiting o gradual loss of consciousness.

Help Received!

2008-09-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

I have recieved a couple of very helpful bits of info on climbing Izta on the SummitPost forum. They are both below. It would appear my original idea of camping half way up the mountain wasn't such a good one!

Info on a few points:
I climbed to the summit in hiking boots and trekking poles in Jan 04 so it is possible to reach the summit. Warm hiking gear is all that is needed unless there is a lot of snow.
The route is very clear for most of it but if you aren't that experienced and have a bunch of students a guide might be wise. One of the best is local to you--Oso.
Roberto Flores Rodriguez aka Oso
oso_expediciones@hotmail.com
www.orizabamountainguides.com.mx

There are lots more than just two routes, but I think you mean you'll go up from La Joya. As I recall it, you don't need a permit to climb the mountain but you need a permit to enter the park. There is a ranger's station right there where you enter the park. I think it is still a few miles into La Joya. The cost of entering the park is almost nothing. It was a couple dollars. In principle you're supposed to send in some forms a head of time, but we didn't do that either of the two times I've been there.
The first time we used a guide because my buddy in Puebla insisted. I'm trying to remember his name. He was a linguistics professor in Puebla as I recall. He was pretty cheap.
We didn't cross the glacier and stand on her breasts (the true summit). THey said that would take about 4 more hours or something. As I recall, we left at 4AM, and reached our highpoint on her stomach at about noon and were back to La Joya at around 5PM. The stomach is very nearly the same elevation as the summit, maybe a few hundred feet lower.
You'll need to pay attention to altitude sickness if you're going to go up and camp somewhere high on the mountain. I think that, after La Joya, the first place you can camp is at about 14,000'. Coming from DF at 7,000' and then sleeping at 14,000' is a little risky. People do it, but someone might get AMS (acute mountain sickness) from that. You should read something about AMS and learn what the symptoms are and how to gauge their severity. You might be better off just camping at La Joya, and then breaking camp at say, 2AM and start walking at 3AM Sunday morning.

The Search For Information!

2008-09-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

Today I posted a message on the SummitPost forum looking for some extra info to help me plan with my trip. But I copied and pasted it below so if someone comes across this post first, they can give me a few details to help!

I'm looking for as much info as possible about climbing Izta. I live in Mexico City, teaching English, and am arranging a trip for me, a few of my students and a few other English teachers. None of us have ever climbed a mountain before!

There will be 6+ of us, and we intend to do the trip over two days - set off from Mexico City early Sat morning and return Sun evening/night. We intend to camp overnight on the mountain. We're looking to do it as cheaply as possible, and would be happy to reach the knees and stop there. It would be great to cross the ice field and reach the true summit, but if this would mean a lot more expense for extra equipment, then we'd possibly forego that. It's not that we're broke, but this is probably a one off so it seems a shame to spend a lot of money on equipment we'll likely never use again.

We'd have plenty of warm clothing, hiking boots, tents and sleeping bags etc, but what other equipment would be essential?

Is the route up Izta (we'd be taking the easy route of the two) obviously marked and easy to follow, is there a map, or would hiring a guide be better? How much would a guide cost?

If we need extra equipment, where can we rent it, and what sort of cost are we looking at?

If anyone wants to join us, you're welcome to do so! There's a mix of English and Spanish speakers amongst us, so there is the opportunity to practice speaking one or the other! (Whilst we squeeze mountaineering info from you!)

Really appreciate any help anyone can offer!

Derby Cathedral Peregrine Project

2008-09-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

It might seem a weird subject for me to be writing about, I know. But I've received the first contribution to my Climbing Izta - Wildcoast event, from a chap who works at the Peregrine Project....so it seems only fair to say thanks and give them a mention!

Don't Need No Eggs!

2008-08-21T09:35:00.000-07:00

Here's a short video by Wildcoast, featuring a star studded cast of baby sea turtles. There may be an attractive woman in a bikini too. To fully get this story you'd perhaps need to know how the word eggs is used in innuendo! But I'm sure you'll get the basic message!

The Blog List

2008-08-12T07:35:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted an awful lot to this site lately, but as time ticks on I'll be adding more and more! Today I've added a Blog List, courtesy of Blogger's new Draft features. First two names on, as a thanks for linking to my site, are Canuck in Cancun and Mexico Bob

I've also found at least one more person who wants to come along, and he may have several friends who may want to join us. Which is good news!

Mexico's Big 7 - No 5

2008-06-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

Sierra Negra (also, and perhaps more properly, called Cerro La Negra) is a companion peak of Mexico's highest mountain, the Pico de Orizaba. At 4,640 m (15,220 ft) above sea level (depending on which source one consults) it is one of Mexico's highest peaks, perhaps even the fourth highest. However, because it is overshadowed by its much higher companion it is not as well known as, for instance, the slightly lower Matlalcueitl, and is often not included in lists of Mexico's mountains.
The summit of Sierra Negra is the site for one of the world's premier astronomical instruments, the Large Millimeter Telescope. The service road for this project is claimed to be the highest road in North America. A part of the telescope facility is visible as a white dot in the first picture below and more clearly in the second picture.

SierraNegra.jpg

Mexico's Big 7 - No 6

2008-05-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

Matlalcueitl is a dormant volcano in Puebla State, standing at a height of 14,639 feet. In English the name means "Lady of the Blue Skirts," a goddess of rain and song. For more information check out Wikipedia.

Popocatépetl e Iztaccíhuatl

2008-05-19T10:00:00.001-07:00

Popocatépetl e Iztaccíhuatl
Originally uploaded by Aleksu

A fabulous aerial photo of Ixta and Popo behind her.

Mexico's Big 7 - No.7

2008-02-14T09:14:00.001-08:00

Colima

I'm compiling a list of the seven biggest mountains, the ones all over 14,000 ft, to go with my countdown to the big climb in November. At number 7 is Colima, the most active volcano in Mexico having erupted more than 40 times in the last 500 odd years. It is 14,206 feet high.

The Big Date

2008-02-10T15:32:00.000-08:00

I've set a provisional date for my climb. I'll set off on Friday evening or Saturday morning to start the climb on Saturday 1st November. I'll camp overnight before having a go on Sunday morning to see just how high I can get.

My New Hobby

2008-01-26T08:41:00.001-08:00

Technically, it might be a bit early to call this a new hobby. I haven't done it once yet. But my brilliant idea to climb Iztaccihuatl has really got me thinking - I was born to climb mountains! As I mentioned in a recent post, Izta is a monster, the third highest peak in Mexico and has a glacier on it. So I'm going to need to practise a bit. Next month I'm off to Tepoztlan where there is a small mountain with a pyramid on top that I can climb. But that's childs play, so to speak. An hour to the top.

So after that, sometime in May I reckon, I shall grab a tent and sleeping bag and anyone who wants to come along and head off to the Nevado de Toluca. This is Mexico's 4th highest peak, but is much, much more accessible and the summit is reachable without any special gear. It's still pretty high up though - 15,354 feet. Not quite Ixta's 17,126 feet, but getting there. It's a dormant volcano with two very photographable lakes in the crater. I can see myself getting into this mountain climbing business!

The Climb

2008-01-12T17:59:00.001-08:00

The challenge is simple. Simple, because the exact details of my adventure are as yet undetermined! Ixta is a big mountain. Real big. For me, success will be measured by having a go, rather than getting to the summit.

The more I read about climbing the mountain, the more I appreciate it will be a real challenge. Not that I am put off! More research will give me more of an idea as to what is achievable. I do hope to get to the top, and there is plenty of time to get myself into shape, get a little practice in and gain some experience. I will report back!

Site Sponsorship

2008-01-12T17:58:00.000-08:00

Site

Climb With Me

2008-01-12T17:57:00.001-08:00

Fancy an adventure? Feeling fit, healthy and full of energy? Come climb Ixta! I intend to climg the mountain in October of November of 2008, so there's plenty of time to think about it.

I have found a great resource for mountain climbing - hopefully I can find someone there to make the ascent with me. Hopefully someone with some experience!

SummitPost - Climbing, Hiking, Mountaineering

Photos

2008-01-12T17:56:00.000-08:00

Popocatépetl e Iztaccíhuatl
Originally uploaded by Aleksu

Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl 2
Originally uploaded by Gusl42

About Wildcoast

2008-01-11T23:56:00.001-08:00

Wildcoast is a US based charity that helps to protect and revitalise coastal areas of the US and Latin America, and the wildlife found there. They have a particularly strong campaign to help sea turtles, which attracted me to them in the first place.

They have been awarded a Four Star rating by Charity Navigator.

Mission Statement

Wildcoast protects and preserves coastal ecosystems and wildlife in the Californias and Latin America by building grassroots support, conducting media campaigns and establishing protected areas.

Fund Raising

2008-01-11T21:16:00.000-08:00

My last challenge raised a paltry $140. Well, that's not totally bad, but I can do better. This time I am getting things sorted well in advance and I have a new and improved fund raising strategy. I have a four pronged plan...

Donations

Probably the weakest part of my plan - who donates cash to someone they've never met? Well, I did get one online amigo donate $25 last time, so it's worth the effort. A ChipIn widget is available in the sidebar, so go and click on it and send in some money! Even a single, solitary dollar will do. Go for it! I have set a target of just $100 for donations. Help me out, and help the turtles too!

Site Advertising

This is where you, unknown person, can help me by doing nothing more than linking to this site from your blog! How will this help? It will boost my Google PageRank, which will enable me to sell Paid Posts. I have earned $1,700 myself in two months though paid posts on my personal blog. The higher the rank for this site the more lucrative the ads I can take will be. I hope to raise at least $500 through site advertising - all money I earn through ads I do on this site will be donated to WildCoast. So choose a piece of code below and add it to your blog, forum signature or anywhere else you can on the web - please!

Site Sponsorship

This is an entirely new tactic for me - can I find a few sponsors for the site? There's got to be a few companies out there who will give a few dollars to have their name and logo under the header, on the sidebar and on blog posts. We'll see. I'll give it a try. How does a target of $200 sound? I'm sure I can beat that! We'll see...

A new year, a new challenge...

2007-11-11T21:05:00.000-08:00

Last year - that'll be 2007 now - I set a new and utterly unofficial world record for travelling the entire Mexico City Metro system in the shortest time ever. Ok, so no one else had done it before so time was going to top the list, of one, for absolute certain. My 10 hour 11 minute time did at least raise US$140 for Wildcoast, a charity whose work includes sea turtle conservation. Turtles are, needless to say, my favourite little critters.

This year I'm going to try and do another slightly crazy thing, and climb a mountain. Because it's a bit more interesting than sitting on a metro for half a day, I'm hoping to get a few people to join me this time. If you fancy a challenge in October of this year, feel free to volunteer! Click here for more information.

I will also try and raise some more money to save a few more turtles. I am going to be far more ambitious this time, and set a target of US$1,000. You can help! And you don't even need to donate money. Just linking to this website will help contribute, albeit indirectly. Click here for more information.

On the sidebar to your right will be a menu linking to all the relevant pages as I build this blog in the run up to my climb. Over the next 9 months I will blog about the mountain, other people's attempts to climb and anything else that pops up. Obviously there will be more to say the nearer the as yet unspecified day comes!