If you’re ever in Costa Rica, around the Jacó area, I would highly recommend this short walk to El Miro. The views are beautiful! Whether this was intended to be a luxury hotel or someone’s private mansion, the location of this abandoned structure can be found at the south end of Jacó. I know very…
To Be, Or Not To Be… Guided, That Is
To be, or not to be …guided, of course… that is the question. I have very mixed feelings about using a guide, or not, especially after my first guided experience in Mexico. Let’s unpack my reasons. Why Go Guided Going guided is certainly the easier choice — and a far more convenient one — for…
Traversing Mexico’s Sleeping Beauty
DAY 8 – Izta Summit Day Midnight came quickly as it always does. Not sure why we had to start that early again and our guides really didn’t have a good answer. We only had 4,000′ of elevation in 4 miles, very much like a typical day in Utah. Granted, we were starting from 13,000′…
From Citlaltépetl to Iztaccíhuatl
DAY 7 – Getting Ready for Izta After a successful summit of Orizaba followed by a day of rest and relaxation, our shuttle driver transported us from Servimont to La Joya in the Parque Nacional Iztaccíhuatl-Popocatépetl. This was a 4.5 hour drive as we looped around from the north and then down through Amecameca. I…
FELIZ NUEVO AÑO from El Pico de Orizaba
FELIZ NUEVO AÑO from El Pico de Orizaba, the tallest peak in Mexico and the third tallest peak in North America at 18,491 ft (5,636 m). What a way to start out the New Year! DAY 5 – Summit Day Our summit start began much earlier than necessary. Our guide insisted we start at 1…
Acclimating for 18,000 Feet
DAY 3 – Acclimating at 14K After another fine breakfast from Servimont, we loaded up our gear and got ready for the drive up to Piedra Grande Hut. The road to this basecamp is about 16 miles up from Tlachichuca and took over 2 hours. It’s a rough and rutted route… a typical 4WD road…
Staying at Servimont, Tlachichuca, Mexico
One of my strategies in preparing for Denali is to test myself at higher elevations. The tallest peak I’ve reached so far is Mt. Whitney at 14,505′. Two times on that summit and a bunch of other 14ers in Colorado isn’t enough. I wanted to know how I’d do at altitudes greater than 14,000 ft. …
2023 Year In Review
My focus for 2023 was clear! I just declined an invite for Denali at the beginning of the year and knew I had to fill a large gap between where I was (beginner level) and where I want to be (advanced level). That meant a lot more intermediate level experience was needed. So I immediately…
I Won’t Hike Without Injinji Toe Socks
I first heard about Injinji socks on my third rim-to-rim hike across the Grand Canyon. While cooling off my hot, sweaty feet at Ribbon Falls, another hiker noticed a few toes wrapped in KT tape—my usual strategy to keep sweat-induced blisters at bay. That hiker must have recognized the struggle, because she asked if I…
Follow the Order of Things
My wife and I just finished binge-watching a documentary on Amazon called Everest: Beyond The Limit. We enjoy watching intense adventure shows like this for very different reasons. She wants to see what happens to those involved in something she with never do. I like to watch and think about what it would take to…