 Climbing Pico de Orizaba (North America's third hightest summit) in Mexico, is an excellent and inexpensive way to take your high altitude trekking beyond the 14er's of the "lower 48" in the U.S. For those mountaineers who'd like to begin exploring altitudes above 17,000 feet, Orizaba is the obvious first choice. It's a great trip in that it can be done inexpensively and in a week or less. You can make it a non-technical hump (Jamapa Glacier) or a technical climb (East Glacier). With minimum climbing experience (ice ax, crampons, self-arrest, rest-step) the normal route can be climbed without a guide. Read on for some ideas on how to make this trip enjoyable and successful. Past Mexican Volcano Companions  Jim Madsen (seen in foreground on Skywalker Colouir) , hails from the climbing mecca of Souix City, IO. and works for Gateway. In the evenings and on weekends, Jim bangs out Buffett tunes and other great music in a solo act in and around the Souix City area to support his habit for adventure travel. In 1998 Jim flew to India to partake in some high altitude trekking in the Karakoram. That year the trekking/climbing bug bit and Jim began setting his sites on other opportunities to waste a week of vacation eating bad food, enduring long days with heavy packs, sleeping on the ground in ridiculuous places and enjoying some of the best scenery and challenges imagineable.  Bill Taylor seen left on Illiniza Norte in Ecuador, is from Austin, TX. and much to the chagrin of most Coloradans spends as much time as he can in Crested Butte where his family has a place. Bill cut his climbing and skiing wings while growing up in Alaska and Montana as an Air Force brat. Bill has summitted 16 of Colorado's 14ers and been to Aconcagua (normal route) in Argentina, Cotopaxi and Illiniza Norte in Ecuador, The Grand Teton in Wyoming and Mount Raineer in Washington. Due to the lack of mountains in Texas, Bill spends most of his spare time at Enchanted Rock near Fredericksburg, TX. sportclimbing and bouldering on the over 100 routes available there, or mountain biking in the Hill Country near his home in Lakeway.  Todd Jewell seen left near the summit of Cotopaxi in Ecuador on a pretty nasty day, is an ex-Air Force fighter jet jockey turned airline pilot and trainer. Todd has the luxury of living in Boulder, CO. with his wife Tomoko, and takes full advantage. He and Tomoko have summited many, many Colorado 14er's, Todd's climbed Reineer, Illiniza Norte and Cotopaxi in Ecuador. He's a 5.10 , 5.11 rock climber and a ski mountaineer of note. Todd's the most knowledgable and SAFE climber I have had the luxury of roping up with. Todd is one of those guys that will push you AND make you feel very safe at the same time. 
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