Monday, June 15, 2026 - 3:57 pm PT

Our climb of Cotopaxi was a resounding success. After making out way to the Jose Ribas Refugio at 15,950' on Saturday, we woke to high winds and blowing moisture. Not knowing exactly how things would progress, we donned our shell layers and headed out to attempt the peak. The weather remained the same throughout our climb and despite the fact that a thick layer of ice built up on every vertical surface, the team trudged on, reaching the summit at 6:30am on Sunday.  

Yesterday afternoon we returned to Quito for a celebratory dinner, some thicker air, and a collection of flights to our various corners of the country. 

On a personal note, I wanted to say thank you to this team for an amazing week of climbing. In many ways, this was a textbook trip: we had 100% success on each of the four peaks we climbed. That doesn't mean that the climbs were without challenge, but rather that each teammate showed up fit and ready to climb. Even when things were in doubt, they kept positive attitudes and were willing to make the best of every situation. I feel fortunate to have spent the week getting to show them around one of the best climbing areas in South America. Cheers!

RMI Guide Eric Frank