Mexico's Volcanoes [Paperback]

R.J. Secor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2001

-- Updates changing climbing conditions due to volcanic activity

Now in its third edition, Mexico's Volcanoes covers the third, fifth, and seventh highest mountains in North America -- El Pico de Orizaba, Popocatepetl, and Iztaccihuatl -- and two lesser-known peaks, La Malinche and Nevado de Toluca. This updated guide provides directions to all of the newly constructed roads to approaches and climbing routes, and information on routes that have been closed because of volcanic activity.

Product Details

• Paperback: 162 pages
• Publisher: The Mountaineers Books; 3 edition (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898867983
• ISBN-13: 978-0898867985
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #334,880 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Mountaineering > Excursion Guides

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good, June 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Mexico's Volcanoes: A Climbing Guide (Paperback)

The book has a comprehensive list of routes for each mountain, it also provides good advice for begineers. However, there are two things I don't like form this book: 1) Need an update to reflect latest changes (Popo for example) 2) The book looks too simplistic, the format is ver bad for the type of information. The book has very few quality photos and the routes are difficult to follow.

I wish I could find a more up-to-date book about these beatiful mountains

12 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Delivers You to the Wolves, August 6, 2004

By 

ixta_coyotl (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mexico's Volcanoes (Paperback)

I am an experienced world traveler and mountain climber who used this book in 1999. I must say, I have never been so disappointed with a travel book in all my life. A few points: in the little town of Tlachichuca, Secor leads you to ONE person for climbing assistance. Knowing that, they take FULL advantage of climbers, grossly overcharging for services. Two: Secor's route descriptions are seemingly detailed but upon use are revealed as painfully inadequate. For instance, at Citlaltépetl, Secor makes not one word of mention regarding "la lengua", the tongue of the glacier, which turns out to be the most difficult part of the whole ascent. Finally, and this is the most personal and non-important point to a casual reader, I don't like Secor's decision to follow the poor precedent set by the Mountaineers of favoring non-indigenous peak names. Thus as Tahoma and Koma Kulshan became Rainier and Baker, the majestic Citlaltépetl is reduced to Pico de Orizaba. All in all, this is a good start (given the lack of anything better) but definitely make sure that every piece of information used from this book is followed up by a second source to avoid certain rip off and/or disappointment.

3.0 out of 5 stars More detail please..., December 5, 2011

By 

David I. Howells "outlawcatcher" (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mexico's Volcanoes (Paperback)

I spent last winter in Mexico and used Secor's book to climb the volcanoes in the country. It has been a helpful guide and in the main is full of accurate detail as far as in country information is concerned but it does need updating in certain areas. The details for climbing La Malinche and Nevado Toluca for example are quite poor and have hardly no descriptive value at all. Both volcanoes are actually very beautiful hikes and both contain a number of routes that are not mentioned in the book. The route details in the book therefore do not do justice to these volcanoes. Scrambling over Nevado Toluca for example is a joy and the 'Complete rim traverse' (not mentioned in the book) rivals any horseshoe scramble South of Scotland in the UK. Overall however it is a good guide book and the route details for the other peaks in Mexico are good. I hope this book does get updated however as there is a need for such a guide as Mexico's volcanoes are superb to climb and are a great introduction to those who want to progress to the higher peaks of the Andes.