Latino Gods of fire: Mexican volcanoes ~ Learn Spanish language fast | free memory tricks | Spanish vocabulary lessons.
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Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Latino Gods of fire: Mexican volcanoes


The Aztecs saw only Godly ire in the fire and smoke spewing from the icy peaks around them, but the first climbers and scientists to visit Mexico's fire-breathing mountains recognized a unique string of 3,000 volcanoes piercing the landscape — of which fourteen are still considered active today. Even tourists who don't know a carabiner from a cabana will find that the heady cocktail of magma and margaritas makes Mexico's volcanoes worth a visit. Here are some of the most remarkable, best visited in the dry season between November and March.


Best-known: Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl

When not obscured by Mexico City's famous smog, the country's second- and third-highest mountains dominate the skyline south of the capital, with the classic, symmetrical cone of Popo rising above the four irregular peaks of craterless Izta. It's an iconic image that inspired the Aztec version of Romeo and Juliet, in which the warrior Popo stands inconsolably over the dead princess Izta for all time.

Popocatépatl (Smoking Mountain in the Náhuatl language), whose explosions were recorded in Aztec codices, has been closed to climbers since it roared back to life in 1994; although it has since simmered down, Popo still sends up the occasional ash plume. Hikers can still explore forested trails, including educational nature paths, at lower elevations. Climbers, who for decades have used Popo's icy slopes as a training ground for Himalayan peaks, can instead ascend long-dormant Iztaccíhuatl (White Lady).

Parque Nacional Iztaccíhuatl-Popocatéptl is 45 miles southeast of Mexico City. The base town of Amecameca, with its 16th century churches and lively market, is worth exploring. So is Puebla, a picturesque colonial city renowned for its cuisine and Talavera pottery, 27 miles east of the park. Literary-minded visitors might prefer to bunk south of the capital in Cuernavaca — fictionalized in Malcolm Lowry's Under the Volcano as the city of Quauhnahuac.

Most active: Volcán de Fuego and Volcán Nevado de Colima

Parque Nacional Volcán Nevado de Colima, is home to the snow-covered, sleeping Volcán Nevado de Colima, but it's the younger, tempestuous Volcán de Fuego that steals the show. The volcano of fire has lived up to its name with a vengeance, erupting more than 30 times since 1585 — and still fuming. The University of Colima Volcano Observatory has monitored its activity for 20 years, including a June 2005 explosion that shot ash 3 miles into the sky.

Travelers can book a tour or hire a guide in Colima to explore Fuego's lower reaches or hike to the top of Nevado de Colima. Campsites and a basic hut are also available at the park entrance, where trails lead into wildlife-rich pine forest on Nevado de Colima's slopes. Dry months are December through May, though December through February can bring freezing temperatures.
The national park extends into both Jalisco and Colima states, about 19 miles from Colima, the semitropical state capital. Ciudad Guzmán, home of muralist José Clemente Orozco, is closer but has less to offer tourists.

Highest: Pico de Orizaba

Novice climbers need not apply: This is North America's tallest volcano (alt. 18,700 feet), known as Citlaltépetl (Star) in Náhuatl. Its perfectly shaped cone encloses a 1,000-foot-deep crater, the product of repeated explosions in the 16th and 17th centuries. Luckily for alpinists, Pico de Orizaba has been quiet since 1687 and was made a national park in 1936.

Experienced ice-climbers flock to Pico's glaciated slopes in December and January, but even non-climbers can enjoy hiking or riding horses in the foothills; October to March is best. Fit — and altitude-acclimated — hikers can also get a taxi to the village of Villa Hidalgo and walk about 5 miles up to the mountain hut called Piedra Grande at about 14,000 feet, where climbers stage their summit assaults.

The volcano straddles the PueblaVeracruz state border about 15 miles northwest of Orizaba, a laid-back city that caters mostly to climbers but has some fine colonial architecture, including the Iron Palace, an Art Nouveau building by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel that covers a city block. The base town of Tlachichuca offers lodging, supplies and guides. The nearest major city is Veracruz.

Newest: Paricutín

What little Paricutín lacks in stature, it makes up for in drama: In 1943, an unsuspecting corn farmer's fields ripped open and red-hot boulders rained on the surrounding landscape, burying two whole villages in Michoacán state. When the volcano fizzled nine years later, lava rock covered 10 square miles around a mountain rising 1,100 feet.

To explore one of the few volcanoes witnessed from birth to death, head for the gateway town of Angahuan, where guides on horseback line up at the highway intersection year-round to offer their services. The 8.5-mile round trip through pine forests to Paricutín's slopes is about a six-hour ride; hale hikers can handle the route on foot and continue to the summit. A shorter trip, about an hour each way on horseback, goes to the edge of the lava field, where a church spire piercing the black rock is all that remains of the village of San Juan Parangaricutiro.

Simple cabins are available in Angahuan, but day-trippers can also stay 22 miles east of Paricutín in Uruapan, known as the avocado capital of the world and home to a lovely, tropical national park.

Cited from sfgate.com

TRCoach said...

Great pictures, great site - lots of content - not just learning Spanish - I love the miscellaneous articles about Mexico and current events.
Thanks, Tom

forex said...

Mexican volcanoes are really horrible.Many famous Mexican volcanoes are on the volcanic axis.I have never seen the pictures that you have shared of the volcanoes..

long island seo said...

Sometimes these all looks really nice and people like to take images of this but all these gets disastrous when eruption takes place.

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Aztecs saw only Godly Fire in the fire and smoke spewing from the icy peaks around them, but the first climbers and scientists to visit Mexico's fire-breathing mountains recognized a unique string of 3,000 volcanoes piercing the landscape.

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When not obscured by Mexico City's famous smog, the country's second- and third-highest mountains dominate the skyline south of the capital, with the classic, symmetrical cone of Popo rising above the four irregular peaks of craterless

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October to March is best. Fit — and altitude-acclimated — hikers can also get a taxi to the village of Villa Hidalgo and walk about 5 miles up to the mountain hut called Piedra Grande at about 14,000 feet, where climbers stage their summit assaults.

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The volcano is a volcano in Mexico is a large fire. These pictures are beautiful

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The term “volcano” is from the Latin Volcanus or Vulcan, the Roman god of fire. ... The Titan god Prometheus is said to have stolen fire from .... of a volcano in his cornfield about 329 kilometers west of Mexico City.

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What little Paricutín lacks in stature, it makes up for in drama: In 1943, an unsuspecting corn farmer's fields ripped open and red-hot boulders rained on the surrounding landscape, burying two whole villages in Michoacán state. When the volcano fizzled nine years later, lava rock covered 10 square miles around a mountain rising 1,100 feet.

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The Pico overlooks the valley and city of Orizaba, from which it gets its name.
Popocatepetl - Popocatepetl (commonly referred to as Popo, El Popo or Don Goyo) is an active volcano and, at (5,426 m), the second highest peak in Mexico after the Pico de Orizaba.

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Most fertile agricultural land in the world on some of the intense volcanic areas. Volcanic eruptions and soil phosphorus in the soil, bring nutrients like potassium.

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Pacific Ring of Fire, slowly sub ducting plate boundary that is under great Pacific or other plates grinding. Most of the world's largest volcanoes concentrated here.

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Over here i have seen this pictures and read that all notes about the Mexican volcanoes. It is really a great that you have posted this information over here.

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Mexico is such a beautiful country. I got the pleaseure of being able to go in 1998. Which was a very long time ago but very memorable.

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They look so harmless but leave such devestation.....what a shame.

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I never realized there were so many active volcanoes in Mexico. thanks for a very informative article.

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Fantastic pictures and beautiful scenery.............can't imagine something so pretty causing such havoc.

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Such a shame that something this wonderous can be so devestating.

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