After three intense days in which Carlos Ruiz climbed three of the four highest mountains in Mexico (Nevado de Toluca 4680 m., Iztaccihuatl 5230 m., and Pico de Orizaba 5636 m.), the Chilean travel videographer calls it one of the most intense and challenging moments of his life, a feat he captured in his "Expedición México 3x3,” a 15-minute video available on YouTube that also reveals the breathtaking landscapes and beauty of these mountains.

 

Pico de Orizaba, also known as Citlaltépetl, an inactive stratovolcano, is the third highest mountain in North America, after Denali of Alaska in the United States and Mount Logan of Canada. 

 

The second highest peak in Mexico is the Popocatepetl volcano (5426 m.). However, it is currently forbidden to ascend this volcano due to its continuous eruptions, with the most recent eruption on September 17, 2021. So, the three mountains that Ruiz has just scaled are the three-highest “climable” summits in Mexico right now. 

 

Ruiz says he constantly seeks out of mountain adventures around the world, having climbed in the past the Misti volcano (5822 m) in Arequipa, Peru, among others. He says his mountaineering past has taught him that “a high mountain is something that must be greatly respected."

 

 

 

He told Patagon Journal that the locals have long told him about Pico de Orizaba, their highest mountain.  "I had the feeling that I had to do it at some point.”  So, this year, on his fourth trip to the country, from October 30 through November 1, when he says that all the conditions were ripe for going even further than that — doing a triple crown and summit all three of the country’s highest “climable" mountains in three consecutive days — he siezed the opportunity. 

 

Together with Dalia and Leo, the mountain guides that accompanied the Chilean throughout the preparation and production of this expedition, they devised a plan to conquer all three peaks in three days, a big achievement for any mountain enthusiast considering that each of these mountains are over 4,000 meters high (13,125 feet). 

 

Below are some of the photos from the expedition and you can watch the complete video on YouTube here.