Pico de Orizaba, a.k.a. Citlaltépetl, is the highest volcano in North America, and one of the continental Volcanic Seven Summits (fourth highest). This makes it the highest mountain in Mexico, and the third highest mountain in all of North America.

On February 16, 2024 we successfully climbed Pico de Orizaba (5,636 m) after climbing Iztaccíhuatl (5,220m) and Volcan La Malinche (4,430m) for acclimatization. We took the normal route, which climbs the Jamapa Glacier on the north side, starting at Refugio Piedra Grande.

A storm threatened the planned summit day that aligned with our acclimatization plan, so we kept a close eye on the forecast. Fortunately, the storm was delayed by 24 hours. We only had to deal with extreme wind and the resulting rockfall from the summit ridge. Tragically, 24 hours after we summited, a group of twelve were caught in the storm and three Mexican climbers died.

Team: Mike Gonzc, Cam Crosby, Ken Dalton, Chelsea Stedford, Ivo Stedford