Entries from Ecuador
Hola Amigos!
Sleeping at 15,000' is not a normal thing, nor is sleeping with 6 other people, but thankfully everyone managed to get a few hours of shuteye last night.
Today the team woke around 7 am and headed downstairs for breakfast and washed it down with plenty of coffee. We then got packed up and went out for a little training on the glacier that's about an hour away. Cloudy skies and light snowfall keep things relatively brief as we didn't want to get too wet before tonight's climb of Cayambe. Once back at the climbers hut we relaxed with hot drinks and a little additional training, mixed in with a few bad jokes.
Everyone is in good spirits and seems to be ready for tomorrow's climb. Our plan is to get up at 11 pm and have a quick breakfast and hopefully hit the trail around midnight. If all goes well we should reach the summit around 7 am.
We had a trivia challenge tonight that will allow the winner a sat phone call from the summit. So keep your phones nearby to find out who the winner is.
Wish us luck!
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
On The Map
Hey everybody,
Today was a day of rest, tourism, and a car ride to our 15,000 foot hut on Cayambe. After a light breakfast we leisurely packed our bags and headed to the famed Otavalo market. Being a Saturday the place was packed with crafts, fresh fruits, and local people.
Shortly after lunch we loaded the bus and drove to the cute little town of Cayambe. At this point the clouds that had been floating around all day started to dump rain, so we changed out the bus for some 4x4 vehicles. We then drove up the bumpiest road known to man... The Cayambe hut road. After an hour of mud, rocks, and pot holes we made it to our home for the next few days.
Everyone is feeling great and ready for a day of glacier training tomorrow.
From the snowiest place on the equator, we'll talk to ya later!
RMI Guide Ben Liken and friends
On The Map
So glad you made it. The photo at the summit is great, although somewhat difficult to determine who is who. Congratulations!
Posted by: Mary Denefe on 2/12/2015 at 9:45 pm
I am betting that one of the women won the trivia contest. You go, girls!!
Posted by: Mary Beth Denefe on 2/9/2015 at 10:29 am
February, 6, 2015 - 6:46 pm PT
Hello again everyone!
Today the team left behind the hustle and bustle of Quito and moved just north of the Equator to the comfortable and quite rural countryside. Once outside the city limits the landscape quickly turned into rolling hills with farms pitched on steep slopes and dozens of small eucalyptus forest.
Our plan was to visit a smaller mountain called Fuya Fuya where we stretched our legs on a nice steep and short acclimatization hike. Thankfully the weather was nice which allowed us to see some amazing views of the beautiful surrounding landscape.
We are just on the outskirts of a town call Otavalo, which is known for its massive market and we are currently relaxing at a wonderful Hacienda called "La Casa Sol". The team is doing great and looking forward to a nice quiet night here.
RMI Guide Casey Grom
On The Map
Keep up the good work, Kalin and Emily…and all!
Posted by: Tom McKenna on 2/11/2015 at 10:23 pm
Emily, Trevor and Kalin:
I hope that your volcanoe mountain climbing is a lot of fun,
Love, Mark
Posted by: Mark Anderson on 2/7/2015 at 9:45 pm
Hey all,
Today was a beautiful day in Quito, with majestic views of Cayambe and Cotopaxi it couldn't have been better. We started off with some strong coffee and promptly piled into some taxis to head to the gondola that would take us to 13,000 feet. From here we hiked to the top of Rucu Pichincha at 15,696 ft, everyone did great managing new altitude and rugged terrain.
Upon our return to the city we did some final gear shopping, resting, and eating. This will be our last night in Quito before we venture out to the country side for some more adventure.
Stay tuned!
RMI Guide Ben Liken and the crew
On The Map
Hey Trev, Em , and the rest of the team, Have a fun and safe time. Take lots of pictures.
Posted by: Janie on 2/7/2015 at 7:04 am
Posted by: Casey Grom, Ben Liken
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Hola from Ecuador!
After some very long flights and a little bit of sleep the team is doing well. We started our day with a team meeting where we did our usual round of introductions and discussed the game plan for our upcoming adventure.
After the meeting we headed out on the town to explore this beautiful historical city with our tour guide Angel. He first took us to the older part of town where we visited several old cathedrals, then to the colonial town square where we met a kind older Canadian who seemed to have lost his group and decided to tag along with us. Next we headed up to a small hill called La Panacia that overlooks this beautiful city before heading north to visit the Equator from which Ecuador gets its name.
We finished the day with a small break and then a quick gear check to make sure everyone has all the gear needed for our climbs. Then it was off to dinner at a nice Ecuadorian restaurant where we enjoyed getting to know each other better.
RMI Guide Casey Grom, crew, and our new friend Lee
Brad and Brian:
Hope you have fun. Be safe. Looks like fun so far!
Posted by: Bobbi on 2/6/2015 at 10:33 am
To my boys…Brian and Brad - have a great time! I’ll be lifting one up for y’all.
Posted by: Johnny on 2/5/2015 at 8:03 am
We made it today, despite the cold, wind, and snow!
RMI Guide Casey Grom & Team
Congrats, Yoder and all the team. Safe travels back to NY! :) Morse Family
Posted by: Jody on 1/30/2015 at 11:40 am
CONGRATULATIONS TO EACH OF YOU!!!! So very proud of you all.
We LOVE you, Paul!!!!
Xoxo, Beth, Mia & Zoe.
Posted by: Beth on 1/29/2015 at 7:01 pm
Posted by: Casey Grom, Nick Hunt
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Hola Amigos!
Things are good here in Ecuador and the team is well rested after two nights at the wonderful Chilcabamba Lodge. Everyone is excited for tonight's climb on Cotopaxi.
Today we bumped up to another Lodge that is nestled in right below Cotopaxi itself. Normally we stay at the Refugio on the mountain, but it is currently under renovation so we'll be climbing from here. We have done this on the last few climbs and it has worked out well for the past teams and I expect the same for us.
Tonight our plan is to have dinner around 4:30 then head right to bed. We'll wake at 10pm and have a sit down breakfast and then hit the road around 11pm. We'll drive our bus to the base of the mountain and start our climb close to midnight. Based on how well everyone did on Cayambe, I'm guessing it's going to take us somewhere around six to eight hours to reach the summit.
The weather has been improving each day and we have our fingers crossed it will continue for one more day. We'll check back in tomorrow hopefully with good news.
Wish us luck!
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
Posted by: Casey Grom, Nick Hunt
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Rest day at the beautiful Chilcabamba Eco Lodge! Our team enjoyed the opportunity to sleep in and relax, and prepare for Cotopaxi, our next objective for this trip.
After a delightful breakfast, we were able to catch a few glimpses of the mountain in the distance and talked about the route. Based on the team's performance on Cayambe, we'll have no problem with this next climb!
We spent the day reading books and sharing stories, and wrapped the evening up with a technical skills session. We learned a variety of knots, talked about climbing anchors, and finished with a full-blown crevasse rescue scenario in the lawn.
Spirits are high and we are ready to go! Tomorrow we move on to the Tambopaxi Lodge in preparation for our summit bid on Cotopaxi.
Until then,
RMI Guide Nick Hunt and the Ecuador team
Yoder, looks like you are having a great time! Hope you’re taking lots of photos! :)
Posted by: Jody on 1/28/2015 at 11:23 am
RMI Guide Casey Grom sent us some photos of their Cayambe summit. 100% of the team reached the top!!! The team is currently on their descent and will celebrate at the Chilcabamba Eco Lodge this evening. Stay tuned to hear from Casey as he recounts their summit day.
On The Map
Congratulations All!!! Great weather too. Good luck on the next climb.
Posted by: sesixth on 1/26/2015 at 9:35 pm
Congratulations on another one Baby! Wish I was there with you guys.
Posted by: Sydney on 1/26/2015 at 4:19 pm
Hola from Ecuador!
All is well here on the equator. Saturday we spent a few hour at the massive Otavalo outdoor market where the team practiced their bartering skills with the locals. Buy the number of bags people had in their arms, they must have done a good job.
We then headed up to the hut on Cayambe to drop off our gear and add a little to our acclimatization. Normally we like to spend the night at the hut, but due to a hut remodel and new park management, we opted on staying in the town of Cayambe at a wonderful Hacienda call San Luis. Everyone enjoyed the day and the warmth of the fires that were awaiting us in our rooms.
Today the team headed back up to the hut and went on a short hike, then returned to the hut for a little training. We have had our dinner and discussed the climb here on Cayambe and everything seems in order. Hopefully the weather will hold and we'll have a good climb tomorrow.
That's all for now. We'll check in tomorrow post-climb
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
Previous Page
Next Page
Glacier training, is that like Ricky Bobbie facing his fears with a cougar in the car? Know you’re having a great time Brian and Brad. Drinking a cup of coffee, thinking about that glacier, and sleeping at 15K feet…BRRRR
Posted by: Clinton and Sharon on 2/9/2015 at 7:37 am
Good luck tonight! Have fun and be safe!
All my love,
Syd
Posted by: Sydney on 2/8/2015 at 5:41 pm
View All Comments