Entries from Ecuador

May 28 5:15pm PT

Checking in from Nuevos Hortizantes Refugio!

The entire team, 20 of us plus 5 local guides, are in place for a summit attempt on Iliniza Norte. This is an important part of our preparation for Cotopaxi. Today we climbed three hours and 2700 ft under cloudy skies to reach the hut. We'll set out at 6 AM to go toward the 16,818' summit. Hoping for clear skies and grand views. Perhaps we'll get some good exercise.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn and Team

Our team made it down to Ecuador yesterday and this morning.  By midday we were together in Quito and ready to stretch out after travel.  We need exercise and altitude to get prepared for our climb of Cotopaxi in a few days.  We took a bus ride through the bustling and vibrant city to the tram onto the slopes of Rucu Pichincha.  The teleferico got us way up to 13,500 ft in a hurry.  It was cloudy, so we only had glimpses of the bases of the great volcanoes, but conditions were just fine for strolling along the trails.  We enjoyed seeing Caracaras (colorful hawks) and went close to 14,000 ft in altitude.  By then the hour was getting late and we decided to call it good for a big first day in Ecuador.  We had an easy walk down, a few coffees and donuts for the tram ride, and then a trip back to the hotel.  We finished with a fine dinner and a plan for setting out for further altitude training in the morning. 

Best Regards,

RMI Guide Dave Hahn and Team

It was another breathless, warm morning on the Ecuadorian countryside. Our beautiful hacienda was situated perfectly in a giant valley which runs directly from our dining room window unabated for 7000’ vertical feet straight to the summit.   

Chimborazo, the farthest point from the center of the earth and closest to the sun, was mostly displaying her majesty as we sipped coffee and ate our eggs. As the morning wore on, she hid herself from view and we loaded the magic bus ready to take us to the Chimborazo trailhead.  By 1:30 all our packs were packed, and it was off to high camp at 17,500 feet.

At this altitude nothing feels perfect, unzipping your trousers just to take a pee can leave you winded. But our seemingly invincible team has again handled things with grace under pressure and is doing well up here.   Once again, the Ecuadorians have done it right, providing a giant dome tent for our lounging pleasure.

But don’t get too comfy bloglandia, the alarm is set for a mere four hour from not.  It is then we will have our final test?  

The is rest well with a positive psych ! Wish us well!  

RMI Guides Adam Knoff, Hannah Smith and Team

After another long deep sleep, its coffee that gets most of the team out of bed. One by one, we all wandered to the breakfast table. We are greeted with espresso, fruit, and toast. There is a mystery fruit on the table. Inside is a snot like texture with a sweet taste. The morning entertainment is watching everyone figure out how to eat it. Consesus is the texture might be a bit much. After breakfast its another round of duffle shuffle into the van. The driver has a real skill for stacking our jenga tower of bags.  After a quick lesson on pickets and anchors, we load the van to head to the base of Chimborazo. Chimborazo is our final mountain. Fingers crossed we bat 3 for 3.  A half way stop for burgers and fries fills our stomachs for the rest of the drive. As we get closer and closer to our destination we are graced with a tiny view of the bottom of Chimborazo and many vicunas. We are again in an adorable place for the night. We all rest up for the final climb. Tomorrow will bring us to High Camp and then hopfully the summit. For now we enjoy dinner and bid you goodnight.

RMI Guide Hannah Smith

Hannah and I are thrilled to announce to bloglandia that every RMI team member, all 13 of us, summited Cotopaxi this morning around 6:15 am.   I gotta say, this team is batting the perfect game.   Every climber has successfully reached the top of all four mountains without as much as a few blisters.   Granted I taped those blisters up this morning at 12:03 am and I was happy they weren’t mine, but it goes to show that stamina and toughness go a long way up here.   

Potentially assisting in the team’s great success is the unbelievable weather.   I was awe struck at how beautiful Cayambe was but surprised even more at the perfection of today’s weather and route conditions.   Whoever cashed in their karma chips certainly deserves a Pilsner Grande for their investment.   We simply could not be blessed with better luck.  Adding to the beauty this evening was a near full moon which lit up the glacier so brightly we were able to climb without headlamps.    Usually one element, wind, rain, snow, fog or cold is waiting for you at the top.  Today all we had was an intense rotten egg smell from the still active lava tube belching sulfurous gas but other than that nada mucho.   

After a spectacular climb and full blown photo shoot extravaganza, we descended quickly to the hut for homemade pancakes.  Again, this is how mountain climbing should be?   (When do we get cooks again at camp Muir?)

A brief packing session and 600 vertical foot hike down to the bus landed our exhausted carcasses into our assigned seats and off to the Hacienda for a needed shower and big dinner.   I think the average calorie burn on peoples watches indicated between 7 and 9 thousand calories for the day so some papas fritas and lots of meat shouldn’t tighten the belt too much.  

We hope this trend continues tomorrow as we head further south to attempt the grand finale of Chimborazo.   This mountain is notorious for its difficulty so stay tuned.

RMI Guide Adam Knoff

Today was a day we have all been hoping for.  No alarm clocks, no rush to load the small mountain of duffles in the bus and internet all morning.  

By the whipping crack of 1pm we had pacticed cravasse rescue, drank a gallon of coffee and packed our mountain bags.

A short bus ride up a road bumpy enough to make our seats feel like vibrating massage chairs, landed us at 15,200 feet.  A 40 minute cruise took us to the Jose Ribas refugio on the flanks of Cotopaxi.  We can definitely feel the 16,000 foot altitude. But after Cayambe we are all well prepared.   We even have the privilege of waking up "tomorrow" because our alarm clocks won't ring until one minute past midnight.   Wish us well as we are once again a full team with Maria's knee feeling much better. 

Climb on!!

RMI Guide Hannah Smith

Greetings all,

With a body exhausted from little sleep and climbing a volcano the team enjoyed a great nights sleep. Sleep apps showed we all slept so well we were basically comatose. As we all rose from our slumber we casually allowed our bodies to wake while sipping coffee and basking in a beautiful morning. 

Today is a rest day as we transfer to Tambopoxi and run through some skills. A three hour drive through more beautiful scenery brought us to the park entrance. Once again you can feel the excitement as we get ready for Cotopaxi. The mountain is being shy tonight, so no views of this beauty yet. Maybe in the morning she will reveal herself. 

Before dinner the team gathered around a playground set where we pretended the monkey bars were the edge of a crevasse. In this scenario the team learned how to self rescue if they had fallen into a crevasse. Using the previous skills of learning about friction hitches, we all ascended the rope pretending we were climbing out of crevasse. Cookies and a glass of wine/beer wrapped up our skill session. 

Many times on climbing trips you lose some weight, but on this trip we are all eating so well that who knows maybe we gain a pound. Dinner once again was delcious followed by a beautiful looking dessert. We are not sure exactly what it was but we can all agree it was delightful.

With heavy eyes, we all leave the table for bed. Showers and phone calls to loved ones wrappwd up our rest day. Tomorrow we go through some more skills before heading up to the hut on Cotopaxi. Round two here we come!

RMI Guides Adam, Hannah, and team

I am thrilled to announce to the blogosphere and those actually following that our intrepid group of mountaineers all reached the summit of 18,996’ Volcan Cayambe this morning at 6 am.  Having been on this mountain close to a dozen times, I can honestly say this was likely the nicest route conditions and weather combination I have ever experienced.  Excellent snow texture, light wind and perfect temps made for a day that will be hard to follow on our next two objectives.   

Our day began slightly less than perfect with an 11pm alarm jolt which politely ripped me from my sleep which I had finally achieved a mere 30 minutes before.  Oh the joys of an honest alpine start.  

After flipping a coin to decide if I should put my harness on before doing something usually done before the harness goes on, the quarter landed tails so I harnessed up and hoped for the best.  While continuing to ready ourselves, one of our team members opted not to join the climb because of a strained knee which was heartbreaking news, so upon departure, we were six instead of seven.  Maria, you were with us in spirit the entire way! 

As the climb progressed, even the local guides couldn’t stop commenting on how beautiful the night was.  This is also Hannah’s first big mountain in Ecuador so she better not get too used to this.  Especially on Cayambe.  We all need to crack a cervesa and toast the weather gods.

With incredible summit photos and hugs proof of our ascent, the descent went as smooth as the climb.  Three hours after leaving the top everyone was safe and sound back at the hut drinking coffee and eating freshly prepared scrambled eggs.  Shortly after breakfast we loaded the trucks and headed back to town.

By 3:30 this afternoon we had put a serious dent in our hacienda's beer supply and couldn’t believe we were standing on the summit a mere eight hours previous.  Ah the beauty of not having to pack up camp and keep marching!  This is how mountain climbing should be (most of the time).

Now the team is continuing to celebrate and fight off the exhaustion that comes with ten hours on the move at altitude.  They are strong in more ways than one!

Congrats to a job well done.

RMI Guide Adam Knoff

Well, some snoring happened last night.  Not light cute, cuddly snoring but the real deal.  It was coming directly from the top bunk next to mine so I now have a nice visual of what a grown man looks like when running a chainsaw with his throat.   Add to that the fun fuzzy feelings of our first night at real altitude and I think it is safe to say most of the team did not experience their best night.   

By 6 am most of us were beginning to put motion to our already awake bodies which is never easy at this height.  With a few throbbing headaches everyone was in some way experiencing a mild hangover.   This is not out of the ordinary.   

After a beautiful hike around the hut which was blessed with clear and stunning views of our summit, Antisana and Cotopaxi, the aftermath of snoring and altitude began to fade.  It is common for this mountain to sock in and get rainy by 1 pm so we all motivated in good style preparing for training session on the glacier 1,200 feet above the hut.   By 8:15 we were on the move enjoying beautiful weather and vistas.  One hour later we were putting on harnesses, crampons and helmets at 16,000 feet.  

It is clear everyone on this team has climbed in the past because going through self arrest, rope travel and cramponing on steep ice was akin to getting back on the bike.  Hannah, Jaime and I just gave a little shove and off they went, making it all look easy.  

Like clockwork the rain came in at 12:30 and we descended back to the rough accommodations of soup, cheese and crackers and hot tea.  I can certainly think of worse places to be.   After snacks we rested for a couple hours and then had dinner at 5 pm.  

As I finish this entry, the moon has begun shining through our window, the team is tucked away in bed and the Super Bowl just kicked off.  Our alarms go off at 11 pm tonight giving us a midnight departure on our first big mountain summit attempt.  Cayambe is 5 feet short of 19,000 feet so we have a big day ahead of us.  

We will give the report tomorrow after the climb.  Enjoy super bowl Sunday! 

RMI Guide Adam Knoff

Saturday, February 12, 2022

As I write this from my top bunk in the third row of five from the hypoxic altitude of 15,100 feet, I have a strange nostalgia of a sixth grade slumber party.   With nine grownups stacked side by side, telling jokes and having laughs, I wonder if we aren’t actually at RMI’s Ecuadorian summer camp.   

Hannah was a camp counselor in her younger years but come tomorrow, our activities should resemble more of a mountaineer trip than that bad 80s flick. 

But, before we put the cart before the donkey, let’s hear about today.  

It started famously with chirping birds, hot coffee and a lovely breakfast.   This got everyone all fired up for our mega shopping extravaganza at Otavalo, Ecuador’s largest craft market.  After we crushed our huevos, we then needed to carry our big bags down the street a ways to load up because the day before, Hector our driver, accidentally ripped a chunk of the entrance gate off with the bike rack and was put in the penalty box 50 yards away.   Wait, I don’t think Ecuador has hockey.    

Once loaded we left our beautiful hacienda and our brave group of summer camp mountaineers dispersed into the stalls of color and crafts ready to finagle the deal of a lifetime.   I highly doubt this happened but with wobbly espanol I think we all managed something.  Don’t worry significant others, you’ll probably get a gift.  

After the market we had lunch at a sandwich shop shared with some “hot and rugged” older bikers, (that wasn’t my quote) and then proceeded  to the secret rendezvous point where we did a covert transfer from the bus to the 4x4s.  

It was here we finally found some real adventure!  Fifteen miles up the windy cobblestone road, we hit a mud bog likely to make any redneck proud! With our trucks tearing up the track, only to fail 30 feet from gripable salvation, we worried we might not make it to the hut.   I think we cheered, never fear Jaime is here! And he finally won the mud track battle.  With all the trucks passed the crux we had a relatively smooth go up to the refugio.   

A fine dinner of coke marinated chicken and water grass soup readied us for bed, so here we are.  Snuggled up just waiting for someone to start snoring!  

Find out tomorrow if that happened.   

RMI Guide Adam Knoff