Entries from Ecuador
Today we went for our first acclimatization hike to Rucu Pichincha, one of the volcanoes that frame in Quito. We took a Gondola from 10,000' to 13,000', and then hiked to around 15,200'. The weather was very nice for hiking: a bit breezy and cloudy in the morning, and then sunny and warm in the afternoon. We had views of the impressive glaciated volcanoes Cotopaxi, Cayambe, and Antisana on our descent. Everyone did very well with our first venture up into that type of altitude - and it was an altitude record for many on the trip- hopefully there will be a lot more of those to come!
Last night we dined at a very nice restaurant that served typical Ecuadorian cuisine. Everyone sampled different local dishes, including cuy (guinea pig)- an Ecuadorian delicacy.
Tomorrow we are off for another acclimatization hike to the climbing hut on the Ilinizas, and we'll spend the night at a hacienda before heading on towards Cotopaxi.
I will check in tomorrow.
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Our team has all safely arrived in Quito (the capital city), and is presently getting accustomed to the new environment and the high altitude here. Today we went on a city tour of the historical parts of Old Town Quito, where we saw much of the colonial center of town. We learned a good bit of interesting Ecuadorian history from our very knowledgeable and enthusiastic local guide, Jorge. After various stops at historic points of interest we traveled to the hill in the south of Quito known as El Panecillo, where beautiful weather afforded us expansive views down on the city of Quito, as well as views of the mountains we will attempt to climb: Cotopaxi to the south and Cayambe to the north. Next we headed south to the equator, where we were able to stand with one foot in the northern hemisphere and one in the southern hemisphere! We also visited a very interesting ethnographic museum at this site and we learned about the very diverse cultures of Ecuador. The day ended with a delicious dinner in the relaxing atmosphere of the popular Magic Bean restaurant.
Tomorrow we will take our first of two acclimatization hikes. We will take a gondola ride from Quito to 13,500' and begin a hike up the Volcano Rucu Pichincha. The hike will take us up over 15,000' and (weather permitting) will allow for views of the Avenue of Volcanoes. Everyone is doing well here in country, and we're looking forward to getting some exercise on our hike tomorrow. I will check in tomorrow to update you with the events of the day.
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Today the remaining climbers successfully reached the summit of Cayambe. It was a cold, tough, and windy day. To add to that, the glaciers here in Ecuador have receded a significant amount the last few years. Because of this, the route that we climbed today felt like we were attempting a "Triple Lindy" see here. Despite the conditions that we had the team did great and persevered.
Everyone has safely returned to Quito and are getting ready for one last dinner and our long flights home.
Thanks for following.
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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