Pico de Orizaba: Cara Sur (South Route)

Pico de Orizaba (Citlaltépetl) rises to 18,491 ft (5,636 m) on the Puebla–Veracruz border and is Mexico's highest peak. The south route (Cara Sur) starts at the end of the 4x4 road on the southern saddle (about 13,300 ft), reached from Ciudad Serdán or Atzitzintla. It passes the Fausto González Gomar hut (about 15,500 ft) and climbs volcanic sand, scree and rock to the crater rim, covering about 8.6 miles round trip with about 5,300 ft of climbing. From the hut it is shorter than the north route but steeper. The route is not glaciated, but crampons can be needed high up when there is snow or ice. In August 2023 four climbers died in a roped fall on the south side. The usual climbing season is October to March.