Today we continued our acclimatization with a hike of Rucu Pichincha (15,411'), a peak nearby in Quito. A teleferico (gondola) carried us to about 13,000', where we began ascending. Although a light rain greeted us on our arrival, the precip quickly gave way to a pleasant mixture of clouds and clear skies. The team made the summit in good style, but unfortunately the clouds obstructed our views. We made it back down to the gondola just in time to avoid a torrential downpour, and returned to the city to relax and prepare for our move to Otavalo. The team is in great spirits and everyone handled the altitude very well! RMI Guide Taylor Bickford

Day one of Expedition Skills Ecuador Today the team assembled here in Quito, Ecuador’s capital and gateway to the numerous volcanoes reaching 19,000 feet into the equatorial sky which we plan to climb in the coming weeks. With no lost bags, on time flights and darn right prompt people we all gathered for breakfast, ran through a fun team intro and prepared for the day’s events all without the slightest hiccup. I hope the mountains themselves go so smoothly. Once oriented to one another and the plan, all eleven of us loaded the tour bus, captained by a tour guide named Angel, yes we were in good hands, then headed 15 miles north to the Mitad Del Mundo, or translated to mean “The Middle of the World”. Here we learned much about the history of sun dials, the ancient indigenous knowledge of the equator, proving we don’t need GPS’s to know where things are and many cool physical effects that literally change ten feet on either side of the line. Of course the most important test was to show how an egg can balance on a nail much easier on the direct line as opposed to 15 feet to the north or south. Whomever managed to earn their master egg balancing certificate gets to climb on my rope because I now know their focus is superb! After we were all convinced the equator does exist and the world is not flat we headed into the old town of Quito to experience the sights and sounds of a truly bustling city. With clear vistas from the Panecillo hill, one gets a true sense how far stretched this city really is. From north to south, Quito extends for more than 90 kilometers making it seem vast and expansive. From the hill we moved into the old town where we saw the golden church, the presidential palace and the main square of the city. The weather was warm and pleasant and at one point we could see the snow capped summit of Cayambe, our first big objective coming in five days. But before we do that we must acclimate on lower mountains. Tomorrow we climb a 15,700 foot tall volcano 15 minutes out of the city. It’s a big jump but the team seems experienced and healthy so I am looking forward to a good day. Stay tuned for how that climbs goes. Hasta Luego or Until Later. RMI Guide Adam Knoff