Entries from Ecuador
Hi everybody, it's Billy checking in with another dispatch from Quito, Ecuador. Today's events brought us some of the first exertion of the trip. After a pleasant breakfast the crew geared up and headed out in taxis to the teleferico where we rode a gondola up to 13,600'. From there we began our first acclimitzation hike up on the volcano, Rucu Pichincha. We hiked up through bright green hillsides and skirted some large volcanic cliffs, moving in and out of the clouds, all the while with the sprawl of Quito far below. It was a pretty cool place to get things started with some amazing views when the clouds parted. After stretching our legs and working our lungs a bit we headed back down to Quito in the late afternoon. The day finished with a thorough gear check for the mountaineering to come and a team dinner on our last night here in Quito.
Tomorrow, an early rise and escape from Babylon will take us out to Cerra Fuya Fuya (13,986') for our next training hike. We'll check back as soon as we can!
Thanks to Dawn Kim for the photos in this post!
The team arrived late last night and met formally for the first time over breakfast this morning. We enjoyed a great buffet for breakfast at our hotel and set out for an all day tour of Quito which included a visit to the physical equator. The team enjoyed visiting many old churches, government buildings, and private homes some of which dated back to the 1500's! The Spaniards founded the colonial city in 1538, so lots of the architecture is original and impressive. So much so that the entire old town neighborhood in Quito is a UNESCO world heritage site. We visited one church in particular with huge vaulted ceilings that were completely covered in baroque woodworking and gold leaf. Apparently over 52 kg of pure gold were used to decorate the church and show the power and glory of Rome. It's kind of crazy to think about how young many of the cities in the United States really are compared to other places in the world.
After the city tour we enjoyed a fritada lunch. It was a traditional Ecuadorian meal consisting of maize, fried pork, avocado, tomatoes, plantains, and potato soup. Delicious!
Later in the afternoon we took a trip to the physical equator where we enjoyed some fun experiments. There is no coriolis effect directly on the equator so water will drain from a basin straight down when on the equator, spin counter-clockwise four feet north, and clockwise four feet south! I didn't believe it until I saw it. It was also possible to balance fresh eggs vertically on a nail. Cool stuff. And all the while we were beginning our acclimitization because Quito sits at nearly 10,000 ft. Tomorrow we will head out to the teleferique and the volcano Pichincha for our first acclimatization hike, hopefully the weather cooperates!
Thanks to Dawn Kim for the photos in this post!
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Hello from Quito. We had a great day of climbing today, beginning with an alpine start at midnight. The weather was overcast, breezy, and very humid for the first hour or so of our climb. But, as luck would have it, the clouds dissipated, the wind ceased, and the temperature was perfect for climbing. We climbed swiftly up the glaciated slopes of Cayambe, and arrived at the large summit Bergschrund just before 7 a.m. Without an obvious ramp or snowbridge to cross, we decided that we had had a great climb on a beautiful morning, and that we had reached our summit at 18,700', just 200' shy of the top of Cayambe. We did enjoy a nice long break up top, with great views of the volcanoes and Quito to the south, Columbia to the north, and the rainforest to the east!
After descending, we quickly packed up and headed back to Quito for a shower and some good food.
We will be headed back to the states tomorrow. Thanks for checking in on our progress!
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
We are enjoying the beautiful and interesting indigenous market in Otovalo this morning. Our senses are overwhelmed here-- with all of the colors of the woven textiles, the smells of various types of local dishes, and the hustle and bustle of Saturday's market.
After lunch we will head up to the climbers' hut on Cayambe, and get in position for our summit attempt tomorrow morning. I will be in touch tomorrow.
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Buenas Tardes from Ecuador; Today is a rest day in between climbing Cotopaxi and Cayambe. We traveled north through the Avenue of Volacoes on the Panamerican Highway this morning, heading closer to our next climbing objective: Cayambe. We stopped in Quito for lunch and to say goodbye to our teammates Robin and Sean, who successfully climbed Cotopaxi with us as part of the Cotopaxi Express trip. We had a blast climbing with them, and are sad to see them leave.
After lunch we continued north to the oldest hacienda in Ecuador, Guachala. We are settled-in for the evening in this relaxing atmosphere, and we will rest up for Cayambe. Tomorrow morning we will head to the world-famous Otovalo market in the morning, before driving up to the climbers' hut on Cayambe to stage for our summit attempt. I will give update again tomorrow.
This morning we left for our summit attempt on Cotopaxi at 1:15 am. A starry night and a light breeze greeted us as we ascended the slopes above the climbers' hut. The weather stayed beautiful, and our team climbed strong. At 7:30 all of us stood on the 19,347 foot summit of Cotopaxi-six hours and fifteen minutes after starting. Climbing conditions were great, and summit views were vast; from southeast to northeast we could see all ten of the 5000+ meter volcanoes of Ecuador: Sangay, El Altar, Tungurahua, Chimborazo, Carihuairazu, Iliniza north and south, Cayambe, and Antisana-and Cotopaxi was under our feet!
After a half hour of rest and photos on the summit, we began our descent. The climbing conditions remained excellent and we arrived back at the climbers' hut by 10:00. We spent an hour or so at the hut, resting and rehydrating, before hiking 15 minutes down to our waiting vehicle.
We are now at the Hacienda La Cienega, enjoying hot showers and delicious food.
Congratulations to Robin, Sean, and Sherman on their successful ascent of Cotopaxi!
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
After starting the morning with breakfast burritos, coffee, and tea, we hiked out to the glacier to review climbing skills--such as cramponing and ice axe arrest. The rest of the day is spent resting, eating and drinking, and preparing for our summit attempt tonight/tomorrow morning.
The weather is looking good right now: partly cloudy skies and light wind. Cross your fingers for us that it stays that way! Everyone is feeling strong and climbing well. I will be in touch tomorrow.
The clouds cleared last night, and we had a beautiful view of a moonlit Cotopaxi and a starry sky (with views of both the North Star and the Southern Cross) as we went to bed. After a restful night and a great breakfast at the hacienda Chilcabamba, we headed off into Cotopaxi National Park. An hour hike from the end off the road led us to the Cotopaxi climbers' hut--a spacious, clean, and comfortable hut at 16,000'.
This afternoon we are resting, drinking hot tea, and getting used to the thin air at this altitude.
Tomorrow we will hike to the glacier to review essential climbing skills before our summit attempt, which will begin with an alpine start tomorrow night.
We left Quito this morning and traveled south on the Panamerican highway, headed for the Iliniza volcanoes for another training hike. We hiked to an altitude of 15,700', where we took a break in the Iliniza climbing hut. After descending, we drove to the beautiful and rustic Chilcabamba Hacienda, nestled on the flanks of Cotopaxi. Tomorrow we'll head up to the climbers' hut on Cotopaxi and get in position for our summit attempt. Everyone is doing well. Saludos from Robin, Sherman, Sean, & Mike!
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Everyone has arrived and our trip officially began this morning. We met for breakfast and enjoyed beautiful spread of native fruits and juices, Ecuadorian breakfast dishes, breads, and of course coffee. We started our trio this morning with a tour of the 'old town' Quito - visiting the Basilica and the Presidential Palace, seeing different styles of colonial Ecuadorian architecture, and learning much of the history of Ecuador - from the pre-Incan culture of the Quitu Caras all the way through to the present-day Ecuador.
Next we headed slightly north of Quito to visit La Mitad del Mundo, or the middle of the world. This is the term used to signify the site of the Equator, Ecuador's namesake. At the Equator, we toured an ethnographic museum and experienced some physical phenomena associated with being exactly on the Equator.
We'll have a relaxing dinner at The Magic Bean, a popular restaurant/cafe in the Mariscal district of Quito. I will check in tomorrow after the team's first training hike up Rucu Pichincha.
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