Servimont Hotel which is century old soap factory that was converted into a classic alpine lodge in the 195s. The hotel included a collection of mountain photos and climbing gear from the 50´s and climbers´ log that goes back to the 1930´s capturing stories of climbing Orizaba. In the 1930’s, Gonzalo Reyes and a group of climbers from Tlachichuca organized a local expedition to Citlaltépetl or Pico de Orizaba which they traveled by horseback 
several days to get to the base of the mountain. This hotel is still owned today by the same family offers an experience a perfect service and quality of the visit. We arrived at the hotel around 10:30 pm but Dr Reyers still open the kitchen and prepared dinner for us anyhow.Woke up this morning at seven o'clock with breakfast to be served at 9am so we took a walk into the small village of Tlachichuca looking for coffee with no luck. Arrived back at the hotel and had a great breakfast that included fruit, eggs, Mexican burrito, fresh bread with homemade butter and sour cream. The cost to stay at the hotel was $170 that included two night’s accommodations, two dinners, two breakfasts, and a roundtrip up to the base camp of Orizaba in a 1950s
Dodge power wagon. After breakfast Maritiza whom is Dr Keyes assist was able to get a bottle of tequila for us which are an essential part of our climbing gear.After packing up the wagon, we set out from the hotel at noon for the two hour trip to the base camp at 14,000 feet by way of a very rough and winding road passing through even smaller villages tucked in the hills that surround Orizaba. Once we finally approached camp, we sorted our gear and made our way into the public shelter that would be our home for the coming days. The hut conditions were better than we were used
to being it was dry, clean, and not too cold even with the harsh wind coming from the north. After sorting out gear, we took about an hour break to settle in and decided to hike up 45 minutes up the route as climbers were still coming down for the previous night summit attempt. There was a team of eight climbers that were still not off the mountain with three failing to make the summit and one with altitude sickness and spitting blood. This is a big mountain and but to be taken lightly so I knew the right approached is to pace ourselves and take the edge off so we can make the summit the morning.Once back at the shelter, we prepared dinner including a coffee and tequila for dessert. I went outside the hut to write my journal via voice recorder and prepared mentally for the 1 am ascent under a brilliant sea of stars.
This ascent is a monumental climb which is the first of ProjectEarth360 that will set the tone for the rest of my life. As I sit here and think of the coming year being it is New Years Eve, I am reminded of an expression that I have learned to appreciate and trying to instill in my life which is “life in every breath” which is life in every cup of tea, life in every meal, life in every conversation. The coming year for me is to get deeper in my daily life including more discipline for my body and spirit with a very lean lifestyle. Tonight is beautiful and this is the first adventure of ProjectEarth360. 
Not sure how far I will get in this phenomenal project but it's a perfect goal for the rest of my life and nothing as far as I know can match it. Life is grand as I realize what my life is about with this new chapter starting off by sitting on a rock at 14,000 feet in another country preparing to climb a challenging peak. The wind is amazing and I look forward to getting deeper and deeper and deeper. What a way to come into 2009!I woke up at 11:55 a.m. Mexican time which is 9:55 p.m. in Seattle and watched the New Year come in from Mexico. A major goal of this trip was to be on the summit of Orizaba on January 1, 2009 which has slowly become a tradition over last year as we also spent the first day of the year in the mountains (not to this extreme). This is becoming a great habit that I enjoy and a much better way to celebrate the New Year over a hangover from a late-night party (even though we still had tequila).
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines acclimation as “physiological adjustment by an organism to environmental change” and “to adapt to a new temperature, altitude, climate, environment, or
situation”. Yesterday we ascended from Seattle to Mexico which went from 500 feet to 9000 feet, and then the next day quickly ascended to 14,000 feet with plans to ascend to the summit at 18,490 feet. Altitude sickness, also known as acute mountain sickness (AMS) is a condition that is caused by exposure to low air pressure usually above 8,000 feet and occurs in low atmospheric pressure conditions not necessarily due to low oxygen conditions but rather by the low CO2 levels causing a rise in blood pH, alkalosis. The percentage of oxygen in air remains constant with altitude but the air pressure and number of oxygen molecules drops as altitude increases.Headache is a primary symptom used to diagnose altitude sickness, although headache is also a symptom of dehydration. A headache occurring at an altitude above 2,400 meters combined with any of the following symptoms; lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue or weakness, dizzness, insomnia, pins and needles, shortness of breath upon exertion, persistent rapid pulse, drowsiness, general malaise, and swelling of hands, feet, and face. Symptoms that may indicate life-threatening altitude sickness include Pulmonary Edema (fluid in the lungs) with a persistent dry cough, fever, shortness of breath even when resting and Cerebral Edema (swelling of the brain) headache that does not respond to analgesics, unsteady gait, increased vomiting, and gradual loss of consciousness.
Altitude acclimatisation is the process of adjusting to decreasing oxygen levels at higher elevations in order to avoid altitude sickness. Orizaba’s base camp is slightly below the height of Mount Rainier which requires rigorous training to summit and we are going to 18,490 feet tonight so it is an extreme test on the body to move quickly to the summit. We had the goal to climb Orizaba on January 1, 2009 and all of the climbers in the hut had been then there a few days or more or climbed another mountain locally just to get prepared to climb Orizaba we arrived on the 31st. We understood it's not the best way to climb because of the difficulty and effect on our bodies and most challenging, but that was the plan. We had an extra day if needed but the goal is to climb on January 1.
We made oatmeal and including fresh coffee for breakfast and prepared our packs with a simple rope, harness, and rescue gear. I drank a full liter of water and with a total of three litters the water for the climb,
couple of Cliff bars, and some sweet candy. We set off at 1:05 am and started making to our way op the trail. The trail from the hut started on a water aqueduct a few hundred feet that in many places is broken no longer provided water to the lower mountains. From there, it becomes a fairly steep dusty path for 500 feet that leads toward high camps if one wishes to have a “solitude” experience on Orizaba. Not being able to see them in the dark, there were dozens of great spots to pitch camp but we only saw a handful of tents, I provide if I can to stay in the public shelters if for the reason only of whom you meet from other cultures and countries. One we leave the hut early, we saw what appeared to be a group of climbers whom we thought were leaving at the same time we were but only from there higher base camps but as we continued in the night we realized we were wrong and they were just moved around with headlamps with the exception of one lone climber.We continued on and we came to the point called the labyrinth. The labyrinth is a very complex, jumbled maze of rock and ice that is extremely difficult making route finding a challenge. It included only a few markers from previous climbers that have found their own only to confuse the situation. We continued up as best we could by scramble through a series of clues that at first we failed to follow. In America a sign with a circle bypassed by a line means “don’t go” so that’s what we did but as we climbed further, it will apparent this marking in Mexico holds the keys to the route. We came to a point near the top of the labyrinth that climbing the rocks was impossible and we needed to use the ice to continue up. We stopped and put on our crampons in the night and grabbed a quick drink of water. The crampons barely purchased the hard ice which a slip and quick fall would be hard to self arrest causing a hard fall into the rocks below. We finally made it to the top of this labyrinth and from there followed a rocky traverse that leads its way to the glacier itself.
We reach the glacier at 16,500 feet not sure what time it was but it was extremely dark. This millions of stars were brilliant and bright as we were in the Pueblo state of Mexico with no light pollution.
In addition elevation we were makes one feel even closer to the stars themselves. It's fitting that this night is one I have never seen because we are a territory that I've never been. My previously altitude record was Mount Rainier at 14,441 feet and I pass that point when I past the camps far below. At that moment I saw of shooting star and wished that we would be successful in this climb.As we climbed the glacier directly toward the summit from the North Side, the glacier is a 35 to 40° degree of and steep slope that gains 2000 from the base of the glacier. Standing at this point and throughout the remaining climb proves a very formidable an image of the mountain with the silhouette of Orizaba blacking out the stars behind it. The impression
truly defines how big the upper region of the mountain is with one lone headlight a few hundred few above us. This was one of the headlamps we saw earlier would turned out to be a climber whose partner did not even make it out of the tent. We continued to follow the direct path up the glacier following both the silhouette and lone light.As we steadily gained altitude, we climbed with a constant rest step technique with acclimatisation starting to show its effects with slight headaches and dry mouths. I started taking longer breaths as I continued on the glacier and I got to a point that it required maintaining my same pace, it took for four breaths before every step I took. The other thing I noticed as we continued to climb was the cold. Usually I climb with only three layers that included my lightweight outer shell but I could feel and see how cold it was. The jacket was brittle and ice accumulated on my gloves like being on Rainer in winter conditions. The difference was there was no wind and everything was calm. I quickly put on my down jacket under my shell and continued on. We got to a point where the slope most likely increased from 35° as my ankles prevented me from duck walking up a stepper angle. I started a traverse back and forth up the mountain in this one step four breath fashion and we were in such a zone climbing in the night, we did not stopped for any water and food, and
before we knew it, the horizon gave hints that morning was coming and the sun was about to make its only first appear of the day. Sunrise was at 7 am clueing us that we had been climbing for about six hours or so and I welcomed the support of the sun with its beautiful light and warmth. We still hadn't seen that lone climber that was in front of us as he disappeared and we continued up. There came a point when we were less than 500 feet from the summit that I could feel my heart, my lungs, and my body screaming in a survival mode due to the elevation and lack acclimation, lack of water, the lack of sleep which we got only an hour the night before.The body was on red alert and I could feel it, feel my heart coming through my chest. It was an amazing experience because this is the only body you have and you must take care of it. Many people make new years resolutions and I am no different. My resolution in 2009 is to get deeper in life with every
breath and to get deeper into my daily life. This includes what I eat, how well I sleep, my retention of what I read, and clarity in everything I do. This was a defining moment for me on the first day of the year as my body was showing what it takes to truly live and the preparation behind it. I know we should have waiting a few days before we climbed but at any point we could have simply turned around and call the night “acclimization”. But there is also another point which I believe and that is pushing the envelope of life of little farther than you think you can go. T.S. Elliot said it best “Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go”. At this point my body is not happy with Mr. Elliot.Being in an environment with features to distinguish distance, it is hard to tell how far anything is. The proven bet is to assume it is four times farther
than you think it is and I must confess that that I had a small inkling of doubt that we would be able to make it to the top on this day but at that moment. We met that lone climber coming down from the summit and he told us that we were only about five minutes away from the crater rim and obviously nothing was going to stop us from there. The other test of this climb was seeing if my body could handle higher elevations as we continue to climb around the world. Is my body designed to handle these elevations above and beyond the act of acclimization? Some people just can't and get sick at altitudes less than 10,000 feet. Orizaba considered a stepping stone for high elevation climbs worldwide and was attempting to pass the test.
As we crested the summit, I leaped and hugged the crater rim with repeated shots of a certain four letter word in pure raw adrenaline. At that moment in time, we had Orizaba to ourselves being the only climbers on top of the highest point in Mexico. The crater rim is a quarter-mile a cross by a fifth of a mile wide and extremely deep. The central plains seem so far away you could tell in feel that we were 18,490 feet up in the sky. A fallen historic cross that was brought up in the 1920s was on the summit included a smaller one pointing out high above the clouds. The sky was brilliant and beautiful and we were on the top. We spent 15 minutes on the summit knew we needed to get down with our bodies still in survival mode. Come to find out later, 
my partner took a quick picture me as I hugged the crater rim then started laughing which turned to crying because the moment was so unbelievably deep.We turned around and started to make our way down the step, icy slopes which required the body to exert a different type of force than going up. The body was still in survival
mode and my heart was racing at a constant pace. I felt dizzy and nauseated and needed short breaks after only 20 steps to prevent possibly fainting, falling, and flying all the way down the slopes to the rocks far, far below. About half way down the glacier, I desperately needed water and had to stop to get it out of my pack. I cut some steps with my ice axe a sat down for the first break of the day. My Cliff bar was frozen solid and I gnawed on half of it and put the rest back in the wrapper. I failed to mention that I did purchase an old vintage ice axe that I bought off eBay earlier in the year which I decided 
was going to support me during the first climb. I received some pretty good feedback from the veteran climbers at camp which I was proud to have. We continue down and came to the labyrinth and decided it would be safer to down climb the ice instead of the rocks. We continued on which took us a few hundred feet above the high camps. We stopped and took off our crampons in what felt like extreme heat, and made our way down the dusty, lose rocks. It seemed like it took awhile to get through it but we made it down to the hut at 12 o'clock.Our complete climb of Pico de Orizaba took us 11 hours (7 to the summit) on the first day of 2009. Even though we climbed slower than we usually do, we maintained a constant pace up the mountain that allowed us to be the first team back to camp with most groups arriving back between 3 an 5 pm. We did pay the price with head splitting headaches excruciating, however one
member of the team that road up with us yesterday was in the hut become a very good friend.Joseph, whom is from England that now lives in San Francisco, went up part way last night but returned to the hut (they had already climbed Itza a few days prior) had exactly two packs of Motrin. We traded a little tequila which he did not ask for but we wanted him to have. We got into our sleeping bags with our backs rested on the back wall and we were STOKED! Our bodies were not tired physically but our hearts continued at a higher pace as we sat in our warm bags at 14,000 feet with down fill booty’s on our feet on New Years Day 2009. Life is great!
We spent the rest of the day talking with climbers and capped the night, as most went to bed early in preparation of the coming days climb, in the dark hut with good conversation and tequila. The next morning, I woke up and enjoyed the sunrise as it slowly worked its way up the surrounding valley. I watched the climbers far above steadily move up the glacier to the summit which I know what beautiful views they are about to see.
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Wikipedia.org/Pico De Orizaba
Summitpost.org/Pico De Orizaba
Orizaba is the third tallest peak in North America. The mountain is considered a stepping stone for high elevation climbs worldwide and is popular to climb in the winter being Mexico's dry season.
Itinerary
Day 1: 12/30/08 Flew into to Mexico City and took the Autobuses via Pueblo to Tlachichuca "tlahn-chee-CHOO-kah" and stayed at the Servimont Hotel.
Day 2: 12/31/08 Travel to Piedra Grande Hut 4260m (13,976 ft) and set up camp
Day 3: 1/1/09 SUMMIT DAY via Jamapa Glacier route to 5636 m (18,490 ft)
Day 4: 1/2/09 Descend back to Servimont Hotel in Tlachichuca
Day 5: 1/3/09 Explored historic Puebla and stayed in Mexico City Airport.
Day 6: 1/4/09 Flew back to Seattle
