Subject: 
            Pico de Orizaba question
 Date:
            11/18/1999
 Author:
            Vladimir Smirnov and Irina Libova <irka@thecia.net>


Hi y'all,
  
 We are planning to climb Mt.Orizaba via Chichimeco Ridge.
  
 We want to start from the town of Coscomatepec, take a taxi to
 the village of Potrero Nuevo and further until the road ends),
 then hike to North Glaciers via Chichimeco Ridge, climb Mt.Orizaba via the standard
 route and walk down to Piedra Grande hut and
 further to the town of Tlachichuca, from where we take the
 bus back to Mexico City. The itinerary and schedule is as follows: 
  
 Dec.24. Bus from Mexico City to Coscomatepec, 
         taxi to the end of the road;
         hike as far as we can
 Dec.25-27. Approach via Chichimeco Ridge to North Glaciers.
 Dec.28. Summit
 Dec.29. Down to Piedra Grande and further as close to Tlachichuca         as possible.
 Dec.30. Bus from Tlachichuca to Mexico City.
  
 Now come the questions:
  
 1. Is this a realistic plan? What is the least realistic part of it? Has anyone here
 tried the Chichimeco route? 
  
 2. We've read that one can get malaria from mosquitos in certain parts of Mexico. Is
 Mt.Orizaba region one of these?
  
 Please make Cc: irka@thecia.net when responding.
 Thanks.
  
 Vladimir Smirnov