Previously thought to be as tall as Pico de Orizaba, the cone was destroyed in an ancient debris avalanche.

Prior to a major cone collapse, Las Cumbres may have been approximately the same height as Pico de Orizaba (5,675 m (18,619 ft)).

[2] The catastrophic eruption has been dated to approximately 16,980 ± 870 years Before Present, beginning with phreatomagmatic explosions as magma interacted with the glaciers.

[3] The collapse was directed to the east, depositing an estimated 60–80 km3 (14–19 cu mi) of the cone towards the present-day Huitzilapan and Pescados rivers.

Close to the volcano, these deposits were up to 100 m (330 ft) thick and clastic rocks were the size of boulders.