FKT: David Hedges - Pico de Orizaba (Mexico) - 2023-12-20

In a perfect volcanic shape, El Pico de Orizaba juts 10k’ out of Mexico’s Alti Plano, ascending to 18,491’ in altitude. The third highest on the continent, tallest outside of Alaska, id been aware of the mtn for some time. But it wasn’t until I discovered Santiago Carsolio’s FKT from the pueblo de Miguel Hidalgo (11.3k’) that I decided I’d make the trip. It looked like a great climb and he’d set the bar high. I showed up at the Hostal La Montañita nearly 3 weeks ago, not knowing what to expect. I had found the establishment on google maps and whatsapped the proprietor Anna, reserving my spot for all that time. The Pueblo is a small town on the slopes of Orizaba, right where the gradient begins to get steep. Besides a little iglesia and escuela, there are just a few blocks of humble houses interspersed and surrounded by fields. Not having a car, there wasn’t a whole lot to do besides run. But Anna was incredibly kind and friendly and there was hot water, comida rica, and wifi. I was out with la gripa for 3 days, but managed to get up on the route 16 times in training. It took a couple days to determine the exact approach I would take, and from there it was all about refining, practicing, and getting used to the altitude. The last few days before the attempt were a little rough and I had my doubts that I could pull off the record. But, after a good dose of encouragement from Alex Nichols (my coach), I decided I’d give it a go, why the hell not. After a little warmup, I got started at 8:23am, just as the sun was cresting over the mountain, warming me awake. I was breathing harder than I’d have liked on the approach, but felt good enough. The climb was snowy and a bit slick from the massive storm we got over the weekend, but conditions there and on the glacier were overall good. I was 5min behind Santiago at the cumbre, but made up 15min on the glorious descent to lower the fkt by just over 10mins. It was a fantastic experience and I’m so glad I made the trip.