Climbing Pico de Orizaba is an exhilarating experience. Most climbers who've visited Orizaba make their first return trip to the mountain within a year. And there are some climbers who climb Orizaba as part of their yearly routine. Mountaineering is an addictive sport!

Mexico's highest peak is Pico de Orizaba. It reaches 18,500 feet above sea level, and is ranked 7th in the world for topographic prominence - that means its peak can be seen for hundreds of miles away by the naked eye. The Aztecs named this mountain Citlaltepetl, the translation of which means "Star Mountain".

The mountain is a renowned training location for expert climbers looking to sharpen their climbing skills before tackling much more difficult destinations such as K2 Mountain or the most famous mountain of all: Mt. Everest. Besides having your body in top physical form, you'll need to purchase specialized climbing gear that is specifically engineered and designed for glacial climbing. This article will talk about a few of those pieces of gear.

Alpine Style is a popular term that means to "carry one's own gear". It means there are no porters, and no 4x4 vehicles to cart your belongings up the hill. You must carry all your equipment as well as your creature comforts on your back - no exceptions. Every climber is 100% responsible for his own gear. Alpine Style climbing is the most respectable form of mountaineering.

Obviously, if you're toting your own gear up the mountain, you'll need to streamline your equipment to the bare minimum, or whatever you can physically handle. The more gear you carry, the sooner you'll experience fatigue. However, if you don't carry enough of the proper gear, you might not make it to the top of the mountain! It's a delicate balance - you'll need enough gear to get you to the top, but not too much that your body experiences fatigue too early.

Possibly the most essential tool in glacial climbing is a high quality pair of mountaineering boots. Don't even attempt to climb any mountain with a cheap pair of hiking boots! Your feet will hurt and fatigue much quicker in poorly designed boots. The higher the quality of mountaineering boot, the better your chances of successfully reaching Orizaba's summit.

While you're climbing Orizaba, you need to realize that you're on a dangerous adventure. One of the more dangerous aspects of the mountain is loose rock and soil. As you ascend the mountain, there will be a strong chance that loose rocks will tumble down the hill towards you and potentially hit you or one of the other climbers alongside you. In such a scenario, a helmet is your new best friend. Wearing a helmet safeguards against getting knocked unconscious by falling rocks. Being unconscious isn't the primary concern either: it's what may happen to you if you aren't thinking clearly every step of the way during your climb - one poorly placed step can send you and your gear plummeting down the mountainside to your death.

Two other essential pieces of gear are the headlamp and the climbing harness. You will need the lamp for your early morning start (called an "Alpine Start"). And the harness is used to tie you and the other climbers in your team together. By tying-off to each other, it adds an element of safety in case one climber should slip and fall.

The last three essential pieces of gear that you will need is an ice axe, trekking poles, and a couple of carabiners. The trekking poles are basically walking sticks - they help you maintain balance as you ascend. The ice axe is also used for balance, and for self arresting should you start sliding down the ice face. The carabiners are used in conjunction with your climbing harness and mountaineering rope.

The last essential tool for glacial mountaineering is a set of metal crampons. These handy devices will strap to your boots and bite into the ice and snow every time you take a step! For a more comprehensive list of glacial climbing equipment, speak directly with an experienced mountain climbing guide.