The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1893-12-26
CLIMBING POPO.
The Experiences of Sedalians
On the Summit-A Famous
Volcano.
Vivid Descriptionsof the Thrill
ing Ascent and the Pictur-
esque Scenery.
CLIMBING "POPO."

in Mexico is to climb "Old Popo," or
Mt. PoPocatepetl, the Smoking
Mountain" whose snow-capped crest
can easily be seen ON clear day from
the towers of the cathedral, the Cas-
tie of Chapultepec, or any other
elevated point, guarding,
so TRADITION RUNS.
Ixtaccihuatl "The Woman in White"
November l and 2 being two Of
many "feast days" or holidays of
Mexico, a party of eight, two of them
former Sedalians, d X. Williams and
the writer, decided to take this Op-
portunity for gratifying a long
cherished desire. and commenced
making preparations for the ascent of
this volcanic pile.
WHAT Is NEEDED.
The articles needed for such a trip
are Il couple of suits of underwear,
two suits of clothes, blankets, an over
coat, ear muffs, a muller, blue COG
giles to prevent the glare produced by
the sun on the snow from hurting the
eyes. a veil for protection against the
hard. icy particles that are driven
down the slopes of the mountain by
the wind, and a straw hat or ''som-
brero de paja," to be worn from
Amecameca to the cabin whc:c the
night is spent previous to the final
climb, and return, which may after
wards be given to the guides or kept
as a mementO.
WHITE HEAD,
As Mt. Popocatepetl is sometimes
called, is distant from Mexico City
about 80 miles, and three days are
generally necessary to make the trip,
one going from Mexico to the cabin,
another climbing the mountain and
returned to the cabin or to Ameca-
MEGA, as the case NAV be. and the
third returning to Mexico. We caught
the $50 train on the morning of the
LIST, arriving at Amecameca, 4 beauti-
ful little villa at the foot of the IA
nous "Sacre Monte" or Sacred Noun
tain" at 1880. After drawing lots
for horses, taking dinner, drinking ''pu!-
que and making other preparations,
which among Others included the pur-
chasing of some stockings to he Used
as mittens for some of the party who
enormously supposed they coud OBJ
tain the latter article in the village.
We set out on horseback for the
mountains, a distance of fifteen miles.
WILD AND PICTURESQUE.
The entire distance from .ime-
cameca to the mountain is a gradual
ascent, and at times it was necessary
to dismOunt and walk owing to the
steepness of some of the activities.
Our serpentine path led us through
ever varying scenery, wild and rictur-
esque at all times and often quite
startling. At each turn some new
panorama OF wild gorges, deep canons,
rushing mountain torrent, huge piles
of volcanic rock and lava, or an @c,-
siOnal glimpse of the valleys far below,
would burst upon the vision, impress
ing all with the idea of its awful gran.
deur and magnificence.
Our progress, ever upward, through
an atmosphere constantly increasing
in rarity and at times through vast
beds of ashes. grim reminders of the
force of earlier erupiions. was neces-
sarily slow and the cabin wa- not
reached until late i'm the evening.
On leaving the village WE had
thrown our coats aside on account OF
the warmth of the midday sun. but
long before reaching our destination,
we put them on again. for. on arriv-
ing at an elevation of II 900 or II, 900
feet, the cold could be keenly felt, and
one or two of the party declared that
they found overcoats quite a comfort
able addition.
FREEZING TEMPERATURE.
The wonderful transition in less
than twenty. -four hours from the warm
halmy air. filed with fragrance by
the many gardens of the valley Of
Mexico, to the cold, freezing tempera-
ture encountered at an elevation of
1900 feet above sea level is de-
cidedly noticeable. but was hailed with
delight by those of the crowd who had
been in Mexico year or more and
who had become tired of its mOnoton-
Gus climate and perpetual sameness.
After eating supper by the light OF
our Pickering camp fire, reviewing
impressions received during the
day. surmising as to what was in
store for us on the morrow.
and carving our names, school-boy
fashion on the coarse, pine boards Of
vhich the cabin was constructed We