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Team Reaches Hacienda, Chilcabamba

Posted by: | June 08, 2009
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador
Elevation: 11,500 ft.

Saludos from the beautiful hacienda, Chilcabamba, at 11,500’ on the flanks of Cotopaxi. The weather is great, and we have amazing views of our climbing destination, Cotopaxi from our bedroom windows.

We left the city behind today, and ventured south down the ‘Avenue of Volcanos’. After an hour and a half of driving, we began our 2nd acclimitization hike. This time we climbed to around 15,400’, to the climbers’ hut at the saddle between the Ilinizas. This hike travels above treeline, through the rolling hill grassland known as the paramo. Good weather afforded us views of the expansive valleys below, but clouds kept the Ilinizas obscured from view. Everybody did great on this foray into thinner air. It looks like we’ve got a very strong team for our summit attempt, and the weather looks promising. But, you take it day by day in the mountains…

Tomorrow we’ll head to the cliimbers’ hut on Cotopaxi, at 16,000’. But right now, our minds are on dinner, the beautiful setting of our hacienda, and comfort and warmth of the woodburning stoves in our bedrooms. Life is good.

Thanks for following our trip, I’ll keep you posted with updates.

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