Well, we decided to try for Orizaba the day I flew out. Rented gear from a local company called Servimont -( I highly recommend them btw)(climbing gear and sleeping bag and mat) and ended up sleeping at the mountain hut Piedra Grande for 3 nights at (4200m) to acclimate and waited for a better climbing window. The last night everyone showed up to climb. The hut was so packed that people were sleeping under the table. I caught 10 mins of sleep the night of the climb. We got up at 12:00am for 12:30am start.

The day of the climb 12/28 was beautiful, snow on the ground beginning from the hut. Easy to follow foot tracks and I didn't even use a gps at all including the labyrinth. Started at 12:30am and reached the bottom of the glacier at 5:30am, should have taken a break there but the wind was relentless and too cold to stop. The glacier slope wasn't bad and conditions were great for footing besides the wind chill at minus 19 Celsius . The sun finally started to show at 7am but it wasn't hitting on us. I turned around 250m from the summit suffering from the cold and my vision was getting blurry which concerned me (now I learned I have a frozen eye). I descended down and my two friends continued and made it to the top. I waited for them after I came down at different places and we returned to the hut together.

Louis is suffering from frost nib fingers. I have frost nib toes and a frozen eye which hurt so bad 🥲 Chris who wore crampons for the first time and rented all his clothes was fine, said it was his hardest hike but might not mountaineer ever again.

All in all a good few days and a good climb on Orizaba minus the cold.