Day two in Ecuador. Not many places in the world offer such easy access to high altitude.  Down in the lower 48, to reach 14,410 feet, the summit of Mt. Rainier, an average climber needs multiple days, a closet full of equipment and a certain set of skills not learned through a YouTube video.  Down here is a bit different.  For example, this morning we were drinking coffee in the hotel lobby, eating pastries and admiring our ten-pound day packs.  At 8 am we loaded into a van, took a 15-minute drive to the base of a still active volcano, got a lift on a cable car to 13,000 feet and began walking. The name of the volcano we stretched our legs on is Pichincha Rucu.  It's summit stands at 15,700 feet and can be reached in mere hours from the city.  Pouring rain greeted us at the top of the gondola but this is what that closet full of gear is good for.  Putting on our rain jackets and pants we braved the storm like any fearless climber would and headed up the trail.  It wasn't long before we crested that 14,410 foot ceiling giving every member, guides aside, a new altitude high point. An hour into the hike, the rain ceased and we broke 15,000 feet by eleven am.  Unfortunately the final 300 feet to the summit is more of a rock scramble than trail hike and true to the days weather, a hail storm ensued so we made the decision to turn around and skip the slippery rock.  The team reached a final altitude of 15,300 feet and to everyone's credit did exceptionally well. After the stroll, we came back to the hotel for some rest then headed out to a fantastic dinner.  All of us gringos are feeling strong and psyched to be getting closer to our first "big" mountain.  This is Adam Knoff and team saying adios.

On The Map