Iztaccihuatl or Izta is an active volcano in Mexico, standing at 5,230M tall. To hike Iztaccihuatl is a long day and an impressive feat for any mountaineer or avid hiker. Iztaccihuatl is known as the sleeping white woman, as the side profile covered in snow makes out all the key points of feet, knees, stomach, breast and head. If timed right Iztaccihuatl also shows off the most spectacular sunrise over the very active volcano Popo.
The Iztaccihuatl hike is not very technical, however still ticks the boxes for altitude, glacier crossings and insane views. it is a long day on your feet at high altitude and will need acclimatisation. It can also be broken into 3 days to make it more manageable. Iztaccihuatl is also very accessible for people wanting to try their hand at altitude in a short timeframe.
This post will cover everything you need to know to hike Iztaccihuatl; from getting there, guides, gear and even the trip back down which is also quite hard.
Key Details to Hike Iztaccihuatl
Distance – 13 KM round trip or 6.2 each way.
Days required – 2 days. Arrive day 1. Start summit attempt 1am day 2.
Total Incline – 1400M
Total Decline – 1400M
Highest Point – 5,230M
Difficulty – 8 out of 10
Permits – Popo National Park permit – $50MXN
Guide – I would recommend this for a one day push. 2 days is more casual and can be handled in the daylight. I used 3 summits guides to Hike Iztaccihuatl. They organised everything form food, transport, accomodation and equipment. A guide will cost around $400 USD.
Accomodation – There is a campground at Izta basecamp. Guiding companies will organise tents and food for you otherwise you’ll have to BYO.
Iztaccihuatl vs Orizaba
I’ve heard a few different views on whether Izta or Pico de Orizaba is harder. Personally I think it comes down to whichever you do first and what you’re acclimatised for.
My Iztaccihuatl climb was surely harder for me as it’s a longer day, the trip back is quite taxing and I was still acclimatising. However if I was to do Orizaba first, I think the acclimatisation factor would’ve made Orizaba much harder.
Gear Required to Hike Iztaccihuatl
Sturdy hiking Boots – Mountaineering boots were overkill as it was quite dry. In snowy conditions they would be necessary.
Thick socks – Wool or bambo.
Base layer bottom – Only ever use Merino Wool. They’re expensive but last and keep you warm without overheating.
Softshell / hiking pants – I used Arcteryx gamma’s
Hard-shell pants – Dependant on weather.
Base layer top – Again, Only use Merino wool.
Fleece / mid layer top – I used TNF Glacier Fleece
Light puffer jacket – I used Decathalon’s MT100 jacket
Hard-shell / windbreaker – I used Arcteryx Beta jacket
Head torch – With spare batteries
2 pairs of gloves – light and heavy/mittens
Crampons – C1’s are fine. I used Grivel g12’s in New Classic style.
Hiking poles
Backpack – 40L
Food / snacks
Itinerary to Hike Iztaccihuatl
Day 1
- Leave Puebla via car.
- Drive to Izta basecamp – approx 3 hours
- Acclimatisation hike and early bed
Day 2
- Wake up 12am
- Start summit push 1am
- At midway refuge hut 3am (4700m)
- At glacier 6am (5200M)
- Summit 7am (5230M)
- Return to basecamp by 12pm.
How to get to Iztaccihuatl
La Joya serves as the basecamp for Iztaccihuatl. It’s a 3 hour drive from Puebla.
Iztaccihuatl Elevation
Iztaccihuatl is one of the highest peaks in Mexico with an elevation of 5,320 metres or 14,137 feet. At this elevation at least 3-4 days acclimatisation is needed to successfully climb Hiking Iztaccihuatl.
Is it Dangerous to Hike Iztaccihuatl?
Yes and No. If one was to attempt to Hike Iztaccihuatl without acclimatisation or a guide, i can guarantee it won’t end well. However if attacked prepared, success is pretty high and the danger levels low. Accidents do happen, however, the glacier is quite stable and very well stepped in. Just make sure to stay aware of the weather. I still ensured I had my high altitude rescue policy in place.
Best Time to Hike Iztaccihuatl
You can climb Hike Iztaccihuatl all year, which is very unique for a high altitude mountain. However the best time to Hike Iztaccihuatl is generally the summer months of December to March, due to lower snow levels. I climbed in March and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
My experience to Hike Iztaccihuatl
I completed my climb of Iztaccihuatl as part of a guided tour of the Mexican trilogy (which you can read about HERE). The trilogy is 3 of Mexico’s highest volcano’s all within close proximity to Puebla, La Malinche, Izta and Pico de Orizaba. They range from 4,461 metres (La Malinche) to over 5,600 metres in height (Pico de Orizaba). Hiking Iztaccihuatl is generally considered the middle peak of the three and also an acclimatisation peak for Pico de Orizaba.
Iztaccihuatl is also next to the very active Popocatépetl, constantly puffing smoke and makes for an amazing summit experience. In my view, Izta is more beautiful and rewarding than Orizaba.
However, Izta and Orizaba are also very different. A day to hike Iztaccihuatl is an endurance day, covering a long distance with a tough down climb. Orizaba is a sprint straight up over a very short distance.
Make sure you Acclimatise
I had previously climbed La Malinche 24 hour earlier so was very acclimatised. We did see groups with us who hadn’t and they had quite a lot of trouble, resulting in a 6 person team turning around before halfway.
I used 3 summits guides for my Iztaccihuatl hike. They organised everything and were extremely accomodating and helpful, picking me up around 10am from Puebla. We made the three hour journey to Izta basecamp stopping along the way for fajitas. The drive in is about an hour on a dirt sandy road, stopping at the Popo National park office for permits.
Arriving at Izta base camp has very impressive views of the Izta range however there’s not a lot there. A shed to use for basic sheltered cooking facilities and a dirt patch for tents is about all you’ll find. If you haven’t acclimatised this is an ideal time to go for a short hike upwards. If like me you have, use this time to rest. We arrived at 4pm ish, has some food, watched the sunset and were in our sleeping bags by 7pm.
Above is Izta Basecamp looking onto the main range. From here you start from the gap in the range on the right (between the knee’s and feet) and traverse along the ridge to the summit on the very far left.
Alpine Start
We awoke at midnight, stretched, ate, packed and left by 1am for what is known as an alpine start to hike Iztaccihuatl. What I found most interesting is 2 days prior I was struggling for every uphill step at 3400M. Now at 4000 metres I was fine and full of energy. We ascended in the darkness for a few hours.
There are 4 predominant saddles in the ridge to cross before the refuge hut. Every saddle offered up a moment of flatter respite and some extra views of the city lights of Mexico City. The going was mostly compacted dirt uphill with occasional boulders to navigate. It is quite easy.
The wind picked up around 4am as we arrived into the refuge hut at 4,800m. I was bitterly cold and we dived in to relayer and have a bit to eat. 2 stray dogs were also cuddled up shivering inside.
Scree City
We set off again into the hardest part of the climb. I was also anticipating this so was mentally ready. From the refuge hut for the next 2 kilometres is uphill through extremely soft scree and gravel. One step forward, half a step back. It is mentally very tough so prepare yourself. Once through the scree you are on the hips. Being a ridge line you drop down and come back up quite a lot so it’s not quite over yet.
At around 5:30am we reached the very windy glacier. The glacier is very quickly receding and is said will be extinct in 2 years time which I found quite sad. It’s only a very short 15 minute traverse, however I would still recommend crampons. Following the glacier is quite a sharp uphill final push through more loose sand to the summit.
Summit with a side of Eruption
We arrived at the summit at 6:30am to the most amazing sunrise I have ever seen. The sun was rising behind the very distant Orizaba, casting a heavenly orange glow over the world with with morning rays bouncing off the freshly puffed smoke from Popo. It is an incredible sight, making our climb of Iztaccihuatl extremely rewarding.
As we arrived there was another party leaving, giving us the summit to ourselves. Although quite cold and windy, I was mesmerised by the view. Even sitting down for a while to take it in.
Enjoying the summit for around an hour, taking photo’s and almost losing a drone, we started to head down.
Save some energy… You’ll need it
Now, a big shock to me. Going down was quite hard. All the downhill sections of the ridge line which I didn’t quite notice, we now had to go back up. The glacier which started with a sharp downhill on the way in, now presented us with a wall of ice to clamber out. Make sure you save some energy as getting home is tough.
Once through the glacier and ridge line we started to scramble down the scree which is also very taxing. The hop and ski routine works quite well until you hit a rock or slip off somehow. We rested in the refuge on the way back to rebuild energy.
Followig the refuge it’s a pretty manageable downhill hike back to basecamp. We arrive around 12 to make 5.5 hours up, hour at the top and 4.5 hours back down. Fro the bottom we hopped back in the car to head back to Puebla to prepare for Orizaba!
My adventure to hike Iztaccihuatl was the highest in altitude I had been so far in my life and a great challenge.
