Entries from Ecuador
Hey, hey, hey RMI. This is Casey and crew on the summit of Cayambe!
Great day yesterday. Everyone slept well last night and we got up about midnight again. Took us about 6 1/2 hours to summit. Clear, windy and cold today. Both trips have been real tough. These guys are real troopers and did a great job. We'll check in again when we get back to Quito.
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
After our climb on Cotopaxi we descended down into the comforts of hot showers, soft beds and thick air. Our refuge for the night was the beautiful Hosteria La Cienega. We had a nice dinner and then it was off to bed after such a long day.
Today most of the team headed back to Quito for their long flights home, while a few of us continued north with hopes of climbing one more mountain. Several hours of driving delivered us to yet another beautiful plantation called Hacienda Guachala. Guachala lies just below our next climbing objective, Cayambe. Cayambe is the third highest mountain in Ecuador and rises to 18,993'.
One more night of rest and we will head to back into the mountains.
Hello, this is Casey Grom calling from the summit of Cotopaxi!
We are just now standing on top in perfect weather with no wind. It has been a great day but a pretty tough day with deep snow and steep ice climbing to get us to the top. Our summit attempt took almost 7 1/2 hours and we have five out of nine climbers standing on the summit with Billy and me. We will be heading down soon and will check in later today from our next hacienda.
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Hola from Ecuador,
All is well as we prepare for our summit attempt.
We spent the first half of the day reviewing some basic climbing techniques on the glacier. Then the team had a quick lunch and a siesta to make up for some of the sleep we didn't get last night. Apparently a few of the team members forgot to mention they snore.
We had a nice dinner and then finished packing up the last bit of gear needed for our climb. Everyone is feeling good and excited for tonight's climb. The weather has been good thus far, clear in the mornings and cloudy in the afternoons. Hopefully it will be the same for us tomorrow.
Wish us luck!
Today we awoke to mostly clear skies and got our first views of Cotopaxi (which means the neck of the moon). We had a leisurely start this morning with another fantastic breakfast. Next up was to get things in order and packed for our short (50min) hike to the hut on Cotopaxi.
The hut (Refugio in Spanish) on Cotopaxi is a far cry from anything that I have ever seen in the United States. It sits proudly on the flanks of the mountain at an astounding 15,700'. It's approximately 6000 sq. ft. and can accommodate around 70 people. There are two kitchens with propane stoves, two dinning rooms, and two fireplaces. Needless to say we are not really roughing it!
Our hike to the Refugio was a snowy one, and everyone did great. We had a huge spread for lunch with smoked salmon, cheese, crackers, olives and popcorn.
We are just getting ready for dinner and then it will be off to bed.
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
We had another great day here in Ecuador. Our day started early with a wonderful breakfast full of local fresh fruit, juices and breads. We left Quito and headed into the highlands of the Andes. First on our list was a hike on the Illinizas to further our acclimatization. We hiked for several hours to just over 15,000 (a new record for some). Though the weather did not allow for any amazing views it did provide us relief from the intense equatorial sun. After a quick lunch of soup and tea we headed back down to our van. An 1.5 hour drive through the beautiful rural countryside brought us to Chilcabamba. Chilcabamba is a beautiful hacienda located just outside of Cotopaxi, our first climbing objective. See Chilcabamba for yourself.
We had a wonderful dinner and good conversations to finish off the night. The entire team is doing great and we are anxious for tomorrow's adventure.
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
It's Casey and Billy checking in from down south! We've been hanging out in Quito for the last couple of days and the whole crew is already having a blast, and being situated at over 9,000 ft, we've already begun our acclimatization for our climbs. The first day around town was excellent. After a great breakfast at "Spicy" aka the hotel restaurant, we hit the town on a city tour to get a dose of history and colonial architecture. We had the chance to visit the Basilica, Presidential Palace, among other incredible buildings dating back from Spanish colonial times. This place is OLD, compared to American cities. Quito was founded in 1532! After the city tour, the group split. Half of the team headed to the Plaza de Toros and the other half went to a cool museum along the equator. The crew at the plaza had the fortune to witness a series of bullfights. Definitely barbaric but also a unique cultural experience unique to countries with Spanish influence. The other team enjoyed the interesting exhibits and experiments at the equatorial museum. The evening brought a lively night out for the team. After reuniting back at the hotel everyone went out for an amazing dinner. Local music and dancing was a great addition to the dining experience. Filet Mignon, Malbec? Who knew that you could acclimatize in such style!
Day 2 has thus far been a blast as well. The entire team headed up to the volcano Pichincha for a little exercise to help with the acclimation process. After a 40 minute gondola ride we were deposited high on the slopes of the volcano and were greeted by sweeping views of Cayambe and the city below. The high point for our hike brought us to approximately 14,300 ft.; nearly the summit of Mt. Rainier! The whole team is climbing and acclimating well thus far. Tonight, being Sunday, will hopefully turn out to be a bit quieter than the previous but we still plan to have another nice meal out on the town! Tomorrow we will to leave the city following an early wake-up and head out to the Illinizas for some more training.
We hope all is well back home and will check back in as the trip progresses.
Viva Quito!
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Hola from Ecuador. We're all safely back in Quito, on the last day of our climbing trip. We hoped to climb Cayambe this morning, but the weather took a turn for the worse. All night the wind howled; by the time I woke at 11:00 pm, a cloud had descended upon the climbers' hut, and everything was covered in ice. I monitored the weather all night and early morning, but it wasn't improving at all. It was so icy outside that we struggled to stay upright just walking outside to get into our jeeps for the drive back to Quito. We were all excited for the ascent of Cayambe, but such is life in the mountains. We had great weather for Cotopaxi, and we wouldn't have traded that for anything.
So now we're all resting and packing, enjoying Quito this afternoon. We'll be on our way back north to the states shortly. Tonight we'll have our final dinner together as a team, and celebrate our experiences on the trip.
Thanks for keeping track of our journey!
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Last night we stayed in Ecuador's oldest hacienda, Guachala. After a good night's sleep, we traveled north to Otavalo. Currently we're enjoying a few hours in the world famous market, shopping for souvenirs and experiencing the indigenous culture. After lunch we'll drive up to the climbers' hut on Cayambe. The weather is beautiful right now, with a light breeze keeping it cool.
With any luck, we'll awake around midnight and summit Cayambe a little after sunrise. Then we're back to Quito for a final celebration dinner together before everyone heads back to the states. I'll touch base tomorrow to let you know how our climb went.
Cotopaxi summit! 100% of our climbing team reached the top of the beautiful 19,600' active volcano. We awoke at midnight to a clear and starry night, and started climbing at 1:30. A light breeze turned into a strong, cold wind that stayed with us most of the climb, but the skies remained clear and the climbing conditions were excellent. The wind eased on the summit, and we were treated to a beautiful morning with views of the surrounding peaks: the Ilinizas, Chimborazo, Antisana, and Cayambe, our next climbing destination.
We're all safely off the mountain, and enjoying the ammeneties at the Hacienda La Cienega. I'll touch base tomorrow with more, and hopefully some pictures. But right now there's a shower with my name on it.
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