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MOUNTAINEERING 'AMBASSADORS' IN MEXICO CULINARY EXCHANGE
One of the great moments of any climbing expedition is to be able to impress on your host country something that is quintessentially Singaporean.
Being the first Singaporean expedition to Mexico, it's been interesting to share with them things Singaporean. Our excellent hotel owner and host in Tlachichuca, Senor Gerardo Claudio and his wife, Lourdes, treated us to a meal of broiled beef and seasoned 'nopales', a succulent cactus plant.It's eaten minus the spines, of course and that explains the many fields of cacti we've seen.Nopales tastes like artichoke hearts. In return our Mexican friends tried beef 'bak kwa' and Chinese sesame seed dessert. The latter looks a bit like used motor oil but thankfully tastes better and Gerardo and us had a good laugh when other family members approached the dark mess with more caution.
On the summit of Las Rodillas on Izta, Luiz, Arturo and Beton shared a drop of tequila and an orange with me.
For a while, you aren't mountaineers or disabled folks or tourists but friends.This is what it's all about. Thank you for the memories: recuerdos de los Izta y Orizaba
Dave and TS
Following Ting Sern's gallant attempt to reach highcamp at 5,100m (reaching 5,000m), David made an attempt on the summit today (Mar 8) with Luis, a Mexican climber. Starting at 3:30am, they climbed a direct route up the north face of Pico de Orizaba. They reached the summit crater rim at about 7am and then traversed, in very windy conditions, the rim until the true summit at 5,700m; catching the sunrise over Mexico from Mexico's highest summit. They spent 10 minutes on top before descending
Conditions were described as icy and slopes a minimum of 40 degrees with the upper sections around 45- 50 degrees.
They returned to the 4,400m refuge at 12:30pm and everyone is now in Tlachichuca.
David & Ting Sern
>> download big pic of David on the way down from the Summit of Orizaba
Woke up this morning with winds blasting at 50 to 60 knots here at 4,400m. David's summit attempt might be called off if the winds are also blasting away at the higher altitudes. In any case, David will be coming down after a day as we have carried enough food for only a day to the high camp. He will give us a detailed report when he returns.
Am doing OK. Stomach was a bit raw from the chilies in the food. Cactus was not the issue, the chilies in it was hot. ; )
Ting Sern
Returned from high camp. We carried supplies up. The route was a grunt. Just before the high camp at 4,900m, at the snout of the glacier on the mountain is a steep stretch that demands climbing over scree and loose rock. Ting Sern stopped here because it was demanding too much balancing and coordination from him. I pressed on with Luis, a Mexican climber we got to know.
We intend to return to the high camp tomorrow, rest there and make a summit push on Saturday (Mexico time) to Aguja de Hielo and if all goes well, a further push on to the true summit of Orizaba at 5,700m. Timg Sern will stay on in Pieda Grande, as we find that the stretch before high camp may be dangerous for him.
Right now we are exhausted, hungry and thirsty. Time for food and rest. We are healthy.
Dave & Ting Sern
Just reached the mountain hut. A bit of a grunt but we are doing great. Ting Sern had a bit of stomach ache earlier on... he must have swallowed a bit too much cactus salad last night!!! Fibre. Besides that, we are OK. Feel good up high and breathing fresh air!
We will do a carry up tomorrow, setting a camp higher up. Keeping gear and food there for a night. We will return to this hut tomorrow after the carry. Then the following day, we will climb up to this camp, rest for a few hours before setting off for a summit attempt.
Having dinner next.
Dave and Ting Sern
DISABLED CLIMBERS PREPARE FOR MAIN OBJECTIVE
It's hot here. But we're chilling out in Tlachichuca (2,600m). Today we did the tourist thing; taking a hike to some old corn silos, shaped like upside down ice-cream cones. They've been abandoned for 30 years. Above, on a hill slope is a shrine to the Guadalupe Virgin. Beside that, there's a small church... thats about it. Like I said, it's asmall town.
Today we tried some 'nopales' or cactus salad (crunchy) and let our new friends try some 'bak kwa' and Chinese sesame dessert from Singapore. So far the Mexicans have been awfully friendly and our trip here has been exceeding expectations.
Tomorrow, we're off to the Piedra Grande (Big Rock) alpine hut at 4,500m and make a go for the top of Orizaba on maybe Mar 7 or 8. Conditions look a bit icy up high but we will know only when we get closer. Feeling good and acclimatised after Iztaccihuatl.
Dave and Ting Sern
DISABLED CLIMBERS PREPARE FOR MAIN OBJECTIVE
It's hot here. But we're chilling out in Tlachichuca (2,600m). Today we did the tourist thing; taking a hike to some old corn silos, shaped like upside down ice-cream cones. They've been abandoned for 30 years. Above, on a hill slope is a shrine to the Guadalupe Virgin. Beside that, there's a small church... thats about it. Like I said, it's asmall town.
Today we tried some 'nopales' or cactus salad (crunchy) and let our new friends try some 'bak kwa' and Chinese sesame dessert from Singapore. So far the Mexicans have been awfully friendly and our trip here has been exceeding expectations.
Tomorrow, we're off to the Piedra Grande (Big Rock) alpine hut at 4,500m and make a go for the top of Orizaba on maybe Mar 7 or 8. Conditions look a bit icy up high but we will know only when we get closer. Feeling good and acclimatised after Iztaccihuatl.
Dave and Ting Sern
Hiya,
Ting Sern and I are in Tlachichucanow. It's a real QUIET TOWN AT 2,600m. We just had dinner (cost about S$5 for 3 courses plus a beer) and the streets deathly quiet. Mexican food is country fare ' robust and simple with tortillas as the base (rice is like a sidedish compared to what we are used to) But the salsas are spicy and yummy. TS.... brrrup....
Orizaba dominates the whole town and we'll be resting up here tomorrow while sizing up options.
Dave
March 2
I set off at 5am from camp at 4,200m to push for the top of Izta (5,220m). Ting Sern stayed at the camp, keeping the fort safe! I reached the subsidiary summit of Las Rodillas (The Knees), 5,000m in 4.5 hours, before turning back; 2 hours from Izta's highest point, El Pecho (The Breasts), I had to turn back because we have to get off the mountain in time to meet our transport. The Knees include sustained sections of 3rd class scambling and the hardest technical part of the summit climb. It was a good climb.
The transport, confirmed days before was arriving at the base of Izta, was waiting at 3pm to bring us back to Puebla. Had we reached the mountain hut at 4,500m yesterday, summitting Izta would have been assured. We are now off to Tlachichuca for Orizaba, the expedition's main goal.
Dave
dave descending to La Hoya after climbing to the top of Las Rodillas
An eventful day which started at 7am when we hauled our stuff with a view to get to the 4,500m mountain hut. I packed a tent, rope, the satcom kit with my own stuff and shuffled off.
The route traverses scree slopes and Ting Sern dropped farther behind. There are long sustained bits of loose stuff - energy sapping.
At 4,250m, I had news from other climbers coming up that Ting Sern had turned back. There is litle snow and climbing at the high altitude is the only issue we face on Izta. I dropped to 4,150m and began helping Ting Sern ditch gear. But Ting Sern's pack was still not light enough for him, so I took on an extra 4 kg of water off him. We climbed up agaiin but at 4,300m he signalled that he was turning back. The rough terrain and his stability issues had exhausted him. I am no sherpa, and already carrying the bulk of the common gear, we pitched tent on a small saddle at 4,150. Ting Sern had tried his best but the challenges of the terrain was eventually too much for him, especially with the large pack he carried. Our friendship is more important than a rocky summit, so we descended together. Ting Sern thinks his limits were reached today....
It was a frustrating and tiring day. The end of it did not put us in position for a summit push tomorrow nor allowed for enhanced acclimatisation . Worse, the issue of Ting Sern's capability in carrying gear and coping with the terrain is subject to discussion. Options include getting a guide for Ting Sern on Orizaba or finding ways he can climb without such loads. And I don't have enough strength for both of us... hence the irony of 'lightweight' trips, it's hard work, hauling all the gear on our own...
As for tomorrow, TS will continue acclimatising (drinking tea next to the tent) while i might go light and upwards and see how it goes - maybe gettiing to 5000m on Izta before a sprint down to the campsite. But right now we need to eat, drink and discuss our plans.
Dave
Went to Amecameca by bus, and then "pirate" taxi. The weekend market was on. We found permit for Ixta in a short time. Hired another pirate taxi to La Hoya - the trailhead for Ixta.
Camping one night in open space on the mountain. Tomorrow will be hard day - have to carry tent and heavy stuff up the mountain.... groan. We will be climbing up about 600m (vertical distance) to the mountain hut part way up the mountain tomorrow with full packs and water. There is no water, ice or snow up on this mountain, so the locals tell us. And everything looks dry and hot up there... Carrying water up a mountain is tough. This will mean a few more kilos on our backs... more groans... sniff...
Ting Sern (It's about 9pm local time... now. Good nite! zzzz...)
Camping out in La Hoya, before plodding up the mountain.
What do you get when you put 2 jet-lagged, post-flu guys on a stiff hike of 3,000 vertical feet?
A : 2 sleepy and tired hombres...
We've just finished some acclimatisation in the La Malinche area; climbing at a rate of about 200-250 vertical metres per hour. No summit since that would have been a bit much considering we had touched down in Mexico barely 24 hours before. But we got up to around 4,200m which puts us in good stead for the big climbs ahead. We've made a few new friends and will be heading to Iztaccihuatl next. So far, so good.
Mexico is lively and the 'mole poblano' (a traditional Puebla dish) excellent.
Dave
Writing from an internet cafe in Puebla (pop. 2million). Aching from the long flight... and lack of movement.
We touched down early this morning and caught a bus to Puebla, our jumping-off point for La Malinche, saw Popo (the volcano is smoking quite a bit) and Izataccihuatl en route.
We'll be acclimatising in La Malinche tonight and going for the 4460m summit tomorrow as part of our build-up
Cheerio,
Dave and TS
Feb 18th 2003: David and Ting Sern hold a media conference on the Mountain of the Star Expedition 2003. Over the past 2 weeks, David has been speaking to and encouraging thousands of students in their goal to raise S$60,000 for the Society for the Physically Disabled. All funds raised go to the SPD.
Watch this space for pictures and dispatches from Feb 25th when the team departs for Mexico.
Picture below: Dave ( L ) and Ting Sern ( R) hold the SPD flag which will go up with them to the mountains
Watch this space for pictures and dispatches from Feb 25th when the team departs for Mexico.
Picture below: Dave ( L ) and Ting Sern ( R) hold the SPD flag which will go up with them to the mountains
