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Posts for Ecuador from 01/2011

Ecuador: Team Reflects on Climb and Starts to Plan Next Adventure

Posted by: | January 28, 2011
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador

Our climbing team is rested and well-fed, and we’re all back in Quito enjoying some free time as I right this last dispatch for our trip. We had a great trip, jam-packed with activities during the past week. In addition to summiting 3 high peaks in 4 days, we had time to enjoy a great hacienda on the flanks of Cotopaxi, some sightseeing in Quito, as well as enjoying each others’ company. We’re already starting to plan the next climbing trip! We’ll have a celebration dinner in Quito tonight, and then we’ll head our separate directions…most of us are heading home, but two of the climbers are headed to Mendoza, Argentina tomorrow to begin a RMI expedition on Aconcagua. Be sure to check their dispatches to follow how they are doing!

Hasta la próxima montaña… RMI Guide Mike Walter

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Ecuador: Resting after a Successful Summit Day

Posted by: | January 27, 2011
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador

We’re all down from Cotopaxi, healthy and happy after a successful summit climb! We woke up at midnight and left the climbers’ hut at ~1:30 am… headed for the summit. The weather was spectacular: no wind, moderate temperature, and a crystal clear, starry sky. Our team climbed strong, and 7 1/2 hours later we were all congratulating each other on top! The snow conditions were perfect for cramponing—a good thing because we had some exposed traverses and a steep ice chute to negotiate up near the summit. The route was very enjoyable, and challenged us not only with its altitude, but its variety.

This team of climbers attempted Cotopaxi last summer, but we were denied its summit by a violent storm. Persistent folks we climbers are; we scheduled this reunion trip and it paid dividends. We had great climbing weather and summitted 3 peaks in 4 days… all of which are higher than any peak in the Continental US!

Now we’re getting some much needed rest at the hacienda Chilcabamba. After a leisurely breakfast we’ll head back to Quito tomorrow morning. I’ll be in touch tomorrow.

RMI Guide Mike Walter

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Ecuador:  Cotopaxi Summit!

Posted by: | January 27, 2011
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador

Mike called at 6:10 a.m. PT from the summit of Cotopaxi.
The entire team reached the summit at 9 o’clock local time.  It was a beautiful day with not a breath of wind.
Everyone was doing great.  They were planning to descend shortly and will provide a written dispatch later today.

Congratulations to the RMI Cotopaxi Team!

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Ecuador: Readying for Cotopaxi Summit Attempt

Posted by: | January 26, 2011
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador
Elevation: 16,000'

Hello from the Cotopaxi climbers’ hut!

We awoke this morning to a crystal clear sky and a beatiful veiw of Cotopaxi from our haciena. After a relaxing breakfast we finalized our packing and drove into Cotopaxi National Park, and up a scenic road towards the climbers’ hut. A series of switchbacks and 45 minutes later we arrived at the hut. We spent the bulk of the day hydrating, eating, relaxing, chewing the fat, and getting used to the thin air at 16,000’.

We’re heading to bed early in preparation for an alpine start and our summit push. The weather looks good right now…keep your fingers crossed for us. Hopefully our next dispatch will be after we summit. We’ll try to send some good climbing photos tomorrow also.
Hasta entonces…
RMI Guide Mike Walter

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Ecuador: Team Checks In

Posted by: | January 25, 2011
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador

We had a great climb of Iliniza Norte today. Conditions were good, a mix of rock and snow, with a steep scramble to the summit at ~16,500’. The weather was good- at times we were climbing in the clouds, and at others we had good views of other high peaks in Ecuador, including Antisana, Cayambe, and our next objective, Cotopaxi.
On the drive down from the climb today we were treated to two condors soaring above us. It was majestic to see their 10-foot wingspan backdropped against a verdant patchwork of Andean farm country.
We’re now headed to the hacienda Chilcabamba, where we will get a chance to shower and rest before heading up to the climbers’ hut on Cotopaxi tomorrow.
Everyone is doing great, and we give a big “hola” to everyone back home.
We’ll be in touch soon.
RMI Guide Mike Walter

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Ecuador: Acclimating Hike with Great Views

Posted by: | January 24, 2011
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador

Saludos de Ecuador,

Our team hiked to the climbing hut on the Illiniza volcanoes today. The weather treated us well and afforded us great views of Cotopaxi and the Illinizas, north and south. The hike was enjoyable and everyone is feeling great. Right now we’re relaxing at the climbers’ hut, drinking tea and chewing the fat. Tomorrow morning we’ll get an early start and climb the ‘normal route’ on Illiniza Norte, which has some sections of 3rd class scrambling. Then we will descend the ‘scree route’ and continue on to our waiting vehicles. I’ll check in again tomorrow evening when we’re at the hacienda, Chilcabamba.

Hasta manana…
RMI Guide Mike Walter and crew

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Ecuador: First Acclimatization Hike

Posted by: | January 23, 2011
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador

We spent our team’s first full day in Ecuador climbing Rucu Pichincha, an extinct ~15,500 foot volcano just west of Quito. The approach to this climb is via a gondola that took us to ~13,500’, on the flanks of Rucu. Hiking for a couple hours put us up by the summit ridge. The weather was good—cloudy but dry and just cool enough to be comfortable for climbing. A few hundred feet of 3rd class scrambling got us to the summit. Any easy scramble back down and a relaxing hike back to the gondola wrapped up our first acclimatization climb.

After a nice dinner at the Magic Bean restaurant, we all retired to our rooms to rest and pack for the next leg of our trip: climbing Iliniza Norte. Everyone is doing well, and we’ll check back in tomorrow evening.

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