Your safety and success are the top priorities, in that order.

A climbing company should invest heavily and plan extensively for your safety.

We have an unparalleled safety record, and our clientele’s well-being factors into every decision we make while on expeditions. Although we like to stand on the top of mountains more than anyone, we believe that climbing is a round-trip endeavor, and getting you back to your loved ones safely is paramount. We take many safety precautions, including bringing multiple communication devices, high-altitude safety equipment, medical kits, and the highest-quality gear to ensure a safe environment in which to climb.

At CTSS, we ensure the safety of our climbers by employing guides with years of experience on Pico de Orizaba and around the world. By using the Northern Route, we provide you with the highest chance of success and give you the best climbing experience available on the mountain. This is due to the more relaxed terrain and greater amount of time for acclimatization en route to the summit.

We are proud to have maintained a 100% client success rate for all our Orizaba expeditions. This is a testament to our quality of service and attention to detail. With our expertise, experience, and infrastructure, you can stack those odds in your favor. We offer a longer acclimatization progression for proper acclimatization to mitigate the risks of altitude sickness. Many guide services, especially local companies, race their clients up the mountain to cut corners on costs. We are highly invested in our reputation for safety and success and are always striving to improve our programs to maintain our hard-earned status.

Decision-making in the mountains is supremely important, and our guides are the best in the business. They have a hunger to summit whenever it’s safe to do so and have a proven track record. All of our programs acclimatize conservatively to mitigate the risk of having altitude issues and to give them the highest chance of success.

Look for guides who are seasoned experts with a strategy that is patient, conservative, and well-planned to give you the best opportunity for success. They should be adept at managing the team, able to lean on extensive experience, and “thread the needle” when it comes to picking the best summit window.

Our mountaineering guides and staff are second to none and will guide you through the many nuances of climbing Pico de Orizaba, which will allow you to be successful. From start to finish, we will work with you to make sure you’re as prepared as possible to reach your goal of standing on the tallest volcano in North America. Often, being able to troubleshoot problems before they occur can make the difference, and this is where CTSS’s vast experience becomes crucial.

We are proud to be a holistic mountaineering guiding service that is committed to retaining you as a happy climber. We work with mountaineers over a lifetime of climbing, and we get to know each individual throughout their progression. This means we are deeply invested not only in your safety and success but also in your goals, your learning, your journey, and your satisfaction. An Orizaba-only trek operator only needs your business once, whether you summit or not, get altitude sick or not. It’s our goal that, once you climb with us, you’ll stick with CTSS expedition after expedition.

Our team looks forward to helping you create a path that makes your climbing dreams come true. You won’t get a generalized plan for your mountaineering journey from our team. You get a custom-tailored plan designed for you, your budget, and your timeline, and we will always be ready to answer your questions and provide personalized support rather than become one of the countless faceless online booking platforms.

Does an operator have strong values?

This is sometimes a little harder to identify as it’s more of a feeling than a sales pitch, but you should get a feel for a company through their little interactions, their care factor, their attention to detail, their corporate social responsibility, and their responses to you.

Mountaineering can be high risk and stressful, so pick an operator who has strong core values and a team mentality that aligns with yours so that when things get challenging, you can rely on open lines of communication, knowing they will do what they can to support you.

It is this team cohesiveness that flows through to each individual climber and helps them stand on top.

Tourist Visas: Citizens of most countries, including the United States and Canada, can secure a visa on arrival in Mexico for stays lasting fewer than 180 days. It is your responsibility to research visa requirements for your passport’s issuing country.

Getting There: Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez (MEX) is the starting point for our adventure. Flying into Mexico City is relatively straightforward as it is served by many major airlines with flights from Asia, North and South America, and Europe daily. We ask that you keep us informed of your travel details by forwarding us a copy of your flight itineraries, both inbound and outbound. A CTSS representative will pick you up at the airport, so please advise us well in advance of any changes to your arrival time and flight number. If you experience a delay in traveling, let us know immediately.

Domestic Transportation: Your domestic transportation within Mexico is included in your expedition.

Money: It is better to have more money than you need than not enough. Most things are covered on the trip once you land in Mexico. Bring cash to cover expenses for a potential early departure (not frequent, but sometimes this occurs), miscellaneous expenses like extra hotel nights, meals in town, if arriving early or departing late, shopping, alcohol, specialty coffees, bottled water or snacks, staff tips (customary, but optional), etc. In-town meals during the climb are at your own expense.

Generally, we recommend bringing $1,000 – $1,500 USD plus a credit card to cover all potential expenses, though it is unlikely that you will need all of this. Large denominations (20s, 50s, and 100s) are better, and you can change money at change houses when you arrive. There are also quite a few ATMs around town where you can use your card to take out local cash at a good rate. Please let your credit card company know you will be traveling so you can use your card without triggering a fraud alert.

Tipping: Tips are customary in Mexico. Tip between 10-15% for meals, round up taxi fares, hotel bellhops receive $1-$2 USD per bag, and housekeepers customarily get about $1 USD per day.

We recommend tipping $400-$600 USD for the guide team.

Electrical: The Mexican electrical grid runs at 127V and 60Hz. Check your device specification (especially in the Hertz specifications) and plan on bringing an adapter to ensure compatibility. Mexico has adopted the same plug configurations as the United States Type A and Type B.

Tap Water & Sanitation: It is recommended to opt for bottled water or treat your own tap water while traveling in Mexico, especially in the more rural regions surrounding our climbing routes.

Do your best to stay healthy before the expedition even begins. Use good sanitation practices throughout the trip. This includes using hand sanitizer regularly before eating, after using the bathroom, shaking hands, etc.

Language: The majority of Mexicans only speak Spanish, with English being somewhat common in high tourist areas. It may be difficult to find an English speaker if you are traveling away from the group.

Vaccinations: We strongly encourage all travelers to be properly vaccinated for common diseases, including COVID-19. You may need your vaccination certificate on file.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains a list of recommended vaccines, which can be viewed on the CDC’s travel website.

Be careful around dogs in the city and on the trail, as they may carry rabies. The rabies vaccine is expensive, and most people don’t receive it as a standard vaccine. If you do a significant amount of adventure travel, you may want to look into receiving the rabies vaccine.

Accommodations: All hotels are double occupancy unless you have chosen the single rooming option and paid the add-on fee. If you want single rooming, please let us know, and we can add the fee to your balance to cover this added expense. Sometimes hotels are full during the climbing season and may not have enough space to accommodate single rooming, but we will do our best.

Gear Storage: You can store any items that you don’t need on the climb at the compound in Tlachichuca. It is best to lock this duffel to make sure people are not tempted to get into it, although we’ve never had issues with this.

Cell Phone Coverage: There is cell service during much of our trip in Mexico but roaming charges can be expensive, so please consult your carrier to determine data/calling rates prior to departure. Another option is to purchase a local SIM or rechargeable phone while in Mexico City. There may be a satellite phone with the team on the climb, but don’t expect to be able to use it on an unlimited basis as we typically reserve it for emergencies. We can make it available to the team at $3/minute.

There is WiFi in hotels before and after the climbs.