Ecuador Volcanoes: Team Arrives and Climbs Rucu Pichincha
Posted by: Dustin Wittmier, Felipe Guarderas
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
We just got as wet as I can imagine a person can possibly be. It may be dryer standing in the shower.
Skeptical of the day's forecast (as always in Ecuador), but also based on the pattern that was observed prior to our arrival, we headed into the cloud and rain on Rucu Pichincha. It was one of those hard shells all day kind of days. Actually, the rain let up for one moment, we took the hard shells off and it immediately began raining profusely and never let up. The weather was in fact so wet that the gondola never reopened for our ride down and we took a steep, slippery trail down an extra 2700'. That was honestly pretty neat with water cascading down the trail and by that point, we couldn't possibly have gotten any wetter, so it was nicer to be warm and wet than cold and wet (waiting for the gondola to reopen).
The team was patient, flexible and overall got a decently nice hike in. In a region that doesn't have centralized heating in buildings due to the stable, comfortable weather, our hanging backpacks, jackets and hiking clothes will surely still be somewhat wet in the morning when we depart the hotel and head for our next acclimatization hike. Oh well, everyone is taking it in stride and at a minimum, today was memorable.
RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier & Team
