Two mummified mountaineers have been found on Pico de Orizaba, The highest mountain in Mexico. The remains were found at 14,100′.
Photo: El Universal
Hilario Aguilar, president of the Mexican Alpine Club in Chalchicomula de Sesma, said that the remains were accidentally found by a climber who saw a skull and a hand when he was trying to stop his fall. At the time, there was only one body reported.
When a team, lead by Aguilar, climbed to recover the body, they found a second body under the first. One of the two had a serious head injury and the second was hugging the first.
50 years ago there was an accident on Pico de Orizaba with an expedition of climbers from Mexico City. There is speculation that the bodies may have been part of this team.
The two bodies were not extracted due to their fragility. A second mission is planned to bring up proper equipment that will ensure the preservation of the remains.
Few think of Mexico as holding the third largest mountain in North America. In height rankings Pico de Orizaba (18,491 ft) sits after Mount Logan (19,551 ft), and Mount McKinley (20,322 ft). The stratovolcano is on the eastern end of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. The volcano is currently dormant. It’s last eruption took place in the 19th century. After Mount Kilimanjaro, Pico de Orizaba is the second most prominent volcanic peak in the world.
Sources: e-consulta, The Yucatan Times
Thumbnail image: cdine
