Pico de Orizaba - by Lisa Ballard

The purpose of my trip to Mexico, November 1 to 7, 2017, was not to climb mountains, but the chance to hike to the Piedra Grande huts on Pico de Orizaba... undeniably a big draw.

Pico de Orizaba (18,490 feet) is the tallest peak in Mexico and the third highest in North America. Located in the volcanic interior in the state of Puebla, I wanted to stand on its summit as soon as I saw its snow-capped pate. Funny how some mountains just get into one’s soul.

But summiting, a 2-day climb requiring mountaineering gear, was not on the menu for this trip. I was in Mexico to record the humanitarian efforts of three firefighters, an emergency department (ED) tech and an electrical engineer from New Hampshire and Vermont. The ED tech, John Markowitz, put the trip together. John had ascended Orizaba three times, as well as other volcanos in the area. It was his first climb, in 1998, that inspired him to return to the region on several other occasions, both to stand atop volcanoes and to help those in need.

Each year, 100,000 migrants try to enter the United States by jumping onto cargo trains. Many get seriously injured. I spent most of my week in Mexico in underequipped Red Cross ambulances, chasing trains and looking for migrants. Our group also built bunk beds in a Red Cross shelter in a deserted train depot and taught local Red Cross staff and volunteers how to use the medical supplies and solar ovens we brought. On our day off, we trekked to Piedra Grande at 14,000 feet, the highpoint, literally and figuratively, of my Mexican adventure.

There are two huts at Piedra Grande base camp, a small quonset hut with sleeping “shelves” for about eight people, and a large stone building with sleeping platforms for a couple dozen and a plywood counter to cook on. (Most climbers sleep in their tents around the huts.) A group from Alaska were just packing up after successfully summiting and then skiing off the top that morning.

“How was it?” I asked.

“Icy,” replied one of the skiers, “The worst snow I’ve ever skied.”

Though people climb Orizaba year-round, prime time is November to June. Apparently, the snow is much better in March. Guess when I’ll be back.