Starting in the dark in a dense forest, climbing to a startling height of 4,461 metres above the world, overlooking Mexico’s cities and highest mountains. La Malinche, only an hour and a half from Mexico City, is a very accessible and incredibly rewarding climb. This post will cover everything you need to hike La Malinche Volcano in Mexico, as part of the Mexican volcano trilogy.
Details to Hike La Malinche Volcano
Distance – 13 kilometres return
Time – 6-8 Hours Return.
Days required – 1 day, however another day to acclimatisation is recommended.
Total Incline – 1,400 Metres to reach a height of 4,461 metres.
Total Decline – 1,400 Metres
Highest Point – 4,461 Metres
Difficulty – Acclimatised 5 out of 10, not acclimatised 7.
Permits – N/A
Guide – Not necessary however I used one as part of the volcano trilogy.
Accommodation – La Malinche national park has around 40 cabins that can be hired.
Gear Required to Hike La Malinche Volcano
Hiking Shoes – Most will do fine. I use Merrell’s.
Softshell pants – I use Arcteryx
Base layers – Top and bottom. Only ever use Merino wool. It keeps you warm without overheating.
Sweat wicking top or fleece – It’s quite cold at the start and the top.
Puffer jacket – Lightweight with a stuff sack. Most will be fine. No need to spend loads.
Hard Shell Jacket – I use Arcteryx Beta.
Gloves – Lightweight and heavyweight
Hiking Poles
Head Torch
Itinerary to Hike La Malinche Volcano
Day 1 – Arrive to Malinche cabins at 3,000M. Acclimatisation walk to 3,400M (approx. 5 kilometres return).
Day 2 – Wake up 3am, Summit La Malinche around 7am.
Is it Dangerous to Hike La Malinche Volcano
La Malinche can be dangerous for those that go unprepared. However, arm yourself with knowledge of conditions and it is very managable. As it is part of a national park, many people will go for a drive, park the car and just start walking without knowing what’s ahead. Without the right clothes to combat the temperature drop and the scramble at the summit people have been known to need rescuing. Go prepared and it’s a normal hike.
My Experience Hiking La Malinche
I climbed La Malinche as part of a guided tour of the Mexican trilogy. The trilogy is 3 of Mexico’s highest volcanos all within close proximity to Puebla. They range from 4,461 (Izta) metres to over 5,600 metres in height. La Malinche is generally used as an acclimatisation climb for other mountains however this is also very accessible, a great day out and a massive achievement for all.
I arrived into Mexico very late on a Saturday, stayed in accommodation near the airport and was picked up by a driver organised by the tour group 3 summits early on the Sunday morning.
The driver took me to La Malinche cabin via the Teotihuacan pyramids for some sightseeing. Arriving at La Malinche I met my guide for the climb, Alejandro. La Malinche has around 60 cabins, all with 6-8 beds in them, kitchen facilities and a bathroom. The complex is very quiet and relaxing considering the hustle and bustle of Mexico City on 2 hours away. Outside the complex is a shop, restaurant and depending on what day it is, a few street vendors.
We found our cabin and got ready for an acclimatisation hike.
Acclimatising to Hike La Malinche Volcano
We set off on brisk pace uphill, which had me out of breath within 200 metres. I was determined to keep up with Alejandro however at about 1 kilometre asked to slowdown the pace. I could instantly feel the lack of oxygen in the thin air and was cautious to control my breathing with slower longer breaths. We hiked through tall pine forests, surrounded by stray dogs, at a moderate 20 ish degrees for half an hour before getting to our turn around point about 2.5 kilometres in.
After turning around the way down was a lot easier, I felt aur returning to me, my sweat evaporated and I found the temperature quite cool. We stopped in the small restaurant, dining on tacos and fajitas for an early dinner before putting ourselves to bed as the sunset around 7pm.
The Climb
Kicking off with an Alpine start at 3am, I was very surprised by the temperature. The previous days warm 20 degrees Celsius was now a very brisk 4ish. We snacked a quick breakfast, I did some stretching and we hit the trail. We set off on the same track we were on yesterday with head torches lighting our path.
Yesterday’s 1-2 following stray dogs had amassed to 7. I was fascinated but a little concerned at first as it is very rare to see stray dogs at home in London however Alejandro assured me it’s very normal and they are friendly.
It turns out the dogs over time find their own way there however then get fed by the restaurant and looked after by the locals. I was told that one of the skinnier dogs who had only recently arrived will be fattened up within the month.
At the 2.5-kilometre mark where we turned around yesterday the terrain turned significantly steeper. I definitely felt the altitude and was concerned for the rest of the climb. This was the hardest section of the whole climb but luckily it only went for about 1 kilometre.
After 4 kilometres and roughly 2 hours, we came to the end of the tree line. The terrain opened up to sandy gravel and tussocky grass while the temperature dropped. We were now around 3,800 metres. The incline was reasonably steep but very manageable. The dogs were steadily in two and I wondered how high they would actually go.
An Icy Summit Ridge
The main summit ridgeline started around the 5-kilometre mark. We approached as the sun was starting to rise from behind Mexico’s highest mountain and the goal of my trip, Pico De Orizaba. Pico looked extremely large and daunting from our perch on the side of La Malinche.
Climbing up through the early morning light, across frozen ground with a trail of dogs still at our heels, we met the final summit outcrop. This included some slight scrambling however it is very manageable and quite short.
Summit at Sunrise after Climbing La Malinche
We topped out on the summit after 3 and a half hours of climbing. The temperature had warmed up significantly and the view was fascinating.
La Malinche almost sits in a line between Orizaba and Mexico’s 2nd and 3rd highest mountains, my next goal Izta and the very active volcano Popo. We spent around 2 hours on the summit taking in the views and using the time to acclimatise for the weeks climbing to come. 7 dogs had also bagged the summit as our climbing buddy’s.
The way down was very fast. The track looked completely different in the daylight and our return journey totalled just under 2 hours. We returned to our cabin right on 12 o’clock for checkout and packed our gear before the journey into Puebla for a night before attacking Izta the following day.
A successful climb, the highest elevation I had been yet and an awesome start to the trip.
Check out the rest of the trilogy climbs HERE!!
