Sierra Negra 2.83

Sierra Negra is an extinct volcano located in the Mexican state of Puebla, close to the border with Veracruz. At officially 4580m above sea level, it is the fifth-highest peak in Mexico. However, because it is overshadowed by nearby Pico de Orizaba, it is not too well known and often left out of lists of Mexico's mountains.OverviewSierra Negra is located within the Pico de Orizaba National Park. The summit is the site for one of the world's premier astronomical instruments, the Large Millimeter Telescope. Therefore, the access to the mountain is restricted and has to be applied for at least a week in advance. The service road for this facility is claimed to be the highest road in North America. A part of the telescope facility is visible as a white dot in the first picture below and more clearly in the second picture.The Spanish word sierra is usually applied to mountain ranges or ridges. However, a few mountains were given the name sierra after the Conquest, like Sierra de Tlaxcala or Sierra de Tolocan (now outdated names for Malinche and Nevado de Toluca, respectively). As listed by the Mexican geographical institute INEGI, the official name for the Sierra Negra ("Black Mountains") is Cerro La Negra ("Black Lady Hill"), although the latter is largely unused in common speech. The Nahuatl names Tliltépetl ("Black Mountain") or Atlitzin ("Our Lord (or Lady) of the Waters") are sometimes attached. Speakers of Orizaba Nahuatl called the mountain Iztactepetl Icni ("Sibling of the White Mountain"; the "White Mountain" being the Pico de Orizaba).