RMI Expeditions BlogRSS

Posts for Ecuador from 01/2013

Ecuador Seminar: Illiniza Sur Summit and Seminar Winds Down

Posted by: Adam Knoff, Casey Grom | January 22, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador

Ecuador Skills Seminar 2013 is coming to a close.  Although we did not attempt to climb the tallest of our three chosen mountains which should have taken place today, we settled for a 17,500 foot consolation prize, Illiniza Sur.  We left our hostel this morning at 1 am and began the two hour approach to the hut at 1:45.  Forty five minutes into the hike we had to stop and don rain gear to ward off the cold mist that was beginning to soak us.  By the time we reached the hut the mist had turned to snow.  Sadly the weather was not the only thing going south.  By the time we were ready to depart, Jaime our local guide was too ill to continue, Suzanne was too knackered from her battle with a loose gut and Jan began to have stomach cramps.  By the time we filed out, only Gary and Clark were able to ascend with both Casey and myself.  With a one to one ratio the steep, technical terrain we encountered was greatly entertaining.  Not to mention the weather broke just as we were approaching the glacier.  From bottom to top and back again, this climb was a fantastic way to end our time together as a climbing team.  I am really bummed we could not all stand on top together but tonight we become a party team.  It is always important to remember the summit isn’t everything.  Tonight we are all ready for a grand fiesta of both food and spirits.  Our time in Ecuador has been packed with good laughs, good climbing and great people.  We will miss it.  But now we are all deeply anticipating the reunion with family friends and ice climbing.  Thanks to everyone who followed along and gave support.  Hasta mañana. 

RMI Guide Adam Knoff

Sign Up For Ecuador 2013 Email Alerts

---

Ecuador Volcanoes: Team Summits Cotopaxi!

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Katie Bono | January 17, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador
Elevation: 19,348'

We enjoyed great weather on Cotopaxi this morning which enabled the team to go 2 for 2! To help describe the beauty of our surroundings today, I hope you enjoy the photos in our blog post… Our ascent took just under seven hours in nearly calm but frigid conditions. As the dawn began to break we were unfortunately climbing on the shaded side of the mountain and felt no relief from the cold until we were kissed by the sun on the summit. Despite the cold morning 6 of our 8 climbers persevered to enjoy the glorious sunrise from the top. A strong team on the way up doesn’t always mean a strong team on the way down. Lucky for us, everyone descended exceptionally well and we found ourselves back at the Refugio drinking coffee by 10 am after a 2:30 descent! Anyway, the gang is back in Quito safe and sound, resting up for a celebratory dinner this evening before we all hustle back to our real lives. It’s been tons of fun, thanks for following along!

Godspeed.

RMI Guide Billy Nugent

On The Map

Sign Up For Ecuador 2013 Email Alerts

4

---

Ecuador Volcanoes: Nugent & Team Prepare for Cotopaxi Summit

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Katie Bono | January 16, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador
Elevation: 16,000'

The time spent relaxing at Chilcabamba was wonderful but like all good things came to an end. Fortunately for us, there will be more excitement to come as our adventure continues. We are about to make our move up to the Jose Ribas Refugio on Cotopaxi (over 16,000’) where we hope to get a little nap in before launching for the summit very early tomorrow morning. The weather pattern has been promising and with a little luck we will all be taking hero pics and exchanging high fives on the summit! But we’re not counting our chickens before the eggs hatch, Cotopaxi is a big mountain and deserves respect. Wish us luck!

More on the alpine escapades of this intrepid group as our program continues… Stay with us!

RMI Guide Billy Nugent

On The Map

Sign Up For Ecuador 2013 Email Alerts

3

---

Ecuador’s Volcanoes: Nugent & Team Rest at Chilcabama

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Katie Bono | January 15, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador

Whew! After several strenuous days, the team has been relaxing at Chilcabama, a traditional Ecuadorian farmhouse.  The surrounding countryside is beautiful, with a knockout view of Cotopaxi.  Our day has been spent on exploratory walks, extensive eating, pestering the resident llama, and gazing at Cotopaxi through the hotel’s spyglass. Tomorrow we head up to the Cotopaxi hut for our next summit bid.  Wish us luck!

RMI Guides Billy Nugent, Katie Bono & Team

Sign Up For Ecuador 2013 Email Alerts

4

---

Ecuador Seminar: Go With the Flow

Posted by: Adam Knoff, Casey Grom | January 15, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador

Yesterday we drove five hours south of Quito to Ecuador‘s highest mountain, Chimborazo.  News from other local guides provided mixed information.  We heard there was a bit of new snow on the route which contrary to popular belief actually makes the route safer.  What we found was nothing of the sort. For many years the north side of Chimborazo has been melting making rockfall an increasing concern.  Having a bad gut feeling I could not ignore, I spoke with the other guides and we decided climbing up with ten other climbers ahead of us was too risky on a route with substantial rock fall hazard.  During the night two team members began having diarrhea and a guide threw up. I took this as a sign and began to reevaluate the situation.  Over breakfast the guides laid out an alternative mountain that we felt would have a much better chance of success given the teams health and über challenging route on Chimborazo.  A discussion was held and a difficult but good decision was made to abandon Chimborazo and go to Illiniza Sur.  This will be a more technically challenging but safer and shorter climb.  We are all a bit bummed to not be giving our main objective a shot but also psyched we are all still together.  We leave the hostel tonight at eleven and will send word of the climb tomorrow.  Stay tuned.   

RMI Guide Adam Knoff

Sign Up For Ecuador 2013 Email Alerts

3

---

Ecuador Volcanoes: Nugent & Team Summit Cayambe!

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Katie Bono | January 14, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador
Elevation: 18,997'

Our preparations for high altitude complete, the team awoke a few minutes after midnight on Monday morning for our summit bid on Cayambe.  The sky was cloudy, but calm- a hopeful sign given the hail and rain the afternoon prior.  The first hour of climbing found us negotiating a long rocky stretch in big mountain boots. We transitioned to snowy slopes and the group moved steadily uphill in high spirits as the clouds gave way to a clear and starry night.  At a break at ~17k, we caught the sunrise, as well as a glimpse of three climbers high up on the mountain. Several of us were amazed at the steepness of the slope they were ascending, only to discover shortly thereafter that that would be our route, as well!  However, our group was more than up to the task, and everyone summitted after 7.5 hours en route. The weather on top was flawless(!), so we lounged around and took hero shots for an hour before heading down.  The steep section was just as exciting on the descent, but the remainder of the route was easily accomplished by our crew. 

After arriving at the refugio, we quickly packed up our gear and hightailed it down the mountain to get to some food! Unfortunately, hightailing it only works so well when you have 36k of rough road and 6000’ to descend!  After eating, everyone was looking forward to seeing our lodging at Chilcabama.  However, the travel gods felt differently, and the expected transit time stretched out longer and longer, as first rain (on our duffels on top of the van), then traffic, the construction, and finally dark, unmarked roads had their way with us.  Finally, we arrived to Chilcabama, where hot showers, freshly-made soup, and fires in our in-room fireplaces awaited us. It was the perfect end to a very long day.

Pictures to come pending wifi access!

RMI Guides Billy Nugent, Katie Bono and Team

On The Map

Sign Up For Ecuador 2013 Email Alerts

1

---

Ecuador Seminar: Team Readies for Chimborazo Summit Bid

Posted by: Casey Grom, Adam Knoff | January 14, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador
Elevation: 16,400'

Hello everyone.

The team has traveled south and we have arrived at our last climbing objective, Chimborazo. It took us about five hours to drive here from Quito. This is the biggest mountain here in Ecuador and it stands proud at 20,700’.

We have currently just downed our dinner and are getting ready for bed. Everyone is doing well and ready to climb so we can return home to our loved ones. I’m keeping it short as we will be getting up early for this one.

We’ll update tomorrow.

RMI Guides Casey Grom, Adam Knoff and crew  

Sign Up For Ecuador 2013 Email Alerts

6

---

Ecuador Seminar: Team Celebrates in Quito

Posted by: Adam Knoff, Casey Grom | January 14, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador

Domingo.  This is the Spanish equivalent to Sunday.  And as we all know, on the seventh day of God’s exhausting work week he rested.  Granted he did create all living things, the land and sea as well as the heavens so deservingly so he earned the right to sit on the couch and mourn a Green Bay packers loss.  Our team simply climbed a 19,000 foot mountain which God would dismiss as child’s play but we are mere mortals.  Regardless, Sunday greeted our freshly washed group at La Cienega with beautiful sunshine and happy humming birds.  After breakfast we loaded the van and rolled back to Quito to celebrate Ginger and Albert’s time with us.  By mid afternoon the team had sniffed out the most American sports bar this side of the amazon and watched what us gringos consider “real” football.  Jaime keeps calling it hand ball and for some reason I can’t find a witty comeback.  All I can say is God is a Green Bay packer fan.  After football we rested some more and then headed out for our fair well dinner.  We have all passed this one Mexican restaurant with a short mariachi man standing on the corner blowing a toy trumpet trying to persuade any hungry looking gringo into his place.  Because I seem to promise this funny little guy we will come in next time, I figured it would be bad karma to pass him up again.  So Mexican it was.  Sadly they can’t serve beer after 4pm on Sundays because too many people were getting sloshed after church and crashing their cars, so I had to sooth my jalapeño burns with red wine.  The food turned out to be great so the team went back to the hotel content.  We now head south to Chimborazo.  Albert and Ginger, we will miss you.  Wish us luck. 

RMI Guides Adam Knoff & Casey Grom

On The Map

Sign Up For Ecuador 2013 Email Alerts

---

Ecuador’s Volcanoes: Nugent & Team Ready to Climb Cayambe

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Katie Bono | January 13, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador
Elevation: 15,300'

After a difficult night of sleep, we woke to mostly clear skies and enjoyed our first views of Cayambe up close and most of the other major volcanoes poking out of the clouds in the distance. It was the perfect mood elevator after a rough first night at altitude and very loud bunkmates in the refugio who treated us to a nice and prolonged wake up in the middle of the night. Well, tonight it will be our turn because after today’s training on the glacier we are prepared to take a crack at summiting Cayambe VERY early tomorrow morning. The team is anxious but ready!  Wish us luck!

RMI Guide Billy Nugent

On The Map

Sign Up For Ecuador 2013 Email Alerts

5

---

Ecuador Seminar: Team Summits Cotopaxi

Posted by: Adam Knoff, Casey Grom | January 12, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador
Elevation: 19,348'

As the phone call from earlier today said, we had an absolutely phenomenal day climbing Cotopaxi. The team as a whole was saddened by the withdrawal of Ginger from the climb itself but but we were all so impressed by her selfless decision to remain at the hut and not attempt the climb do to a nagging chest infection.  When climbers put their team first over their ego and personal ambitions, it reveals much about their true character.  Ginger we missed you today. After descending from our surreal summit, we quickly packed up at the hut and marched the 15 minutes downhill to the waiting van.  Our amazing local guide, Jaime Avila went home to Quito to prepare for his return to Chimborazo and the rest of us are now resting peacefully at a 400 year old hacienda south of Quito.  I simply can’t remember a nicer day in Ecuador. 

Voicemail Message:  Hello! This is Adam with Casey, Jaime and the crew on top of Cotopaxi!  Ginger stayed behind at the hut this morning as she was not feeling well.  Everyone else is on top on the most beautiful day we could have asked for.  It is almost a fair trade - I would give a day like we had on Cayambe to have a day like this on Cotopaxi.  It is a beautiful, beautiful place to be.  Everyone is feeling great and all is well.  We will check in later from La Cienega.

RMI Guides Adam Knoff & Casey Grom

On The Map

Sign Up For Ecuador 2013 Email Alerts

2

---

More Entries