Entries from Ecuador
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Hey, this is Seth checking in from our Ecuadorian Hacienda Chilcabamba near Cotopaxi. We had a lovely day on the Illinizas acclimatizing. Today we reached an elevation of just over 15,000 feet. The group is doing great and today after having lunch at the Refugio de New Horizons we descended back to our van and drove over here to the hacienda. We are about to have dinner and as I look out the window of the hacienda dining room I can just see Cotopaxi breaking out of the clouds. We were in mix of rain and hail for a little bit today with cloudy skies throughout the day. Then just as we pulled up to our hacienda we got our first glimpse of the mountain. We are all psyched to get rolling tomorrow and we are going to head up to the Cotopaxi Refugio and we'll be there for two nights.
We will check in again soon.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Happy 4th of July from Ecuador! We hope that everyone back home is having a fun and safe Independence Day.
Today we took our first acclimatization hike. We started the day with breakfast in the hotel and were then joined by our two local mountain guides Esteban and Robinson. After a short drive to the base of the Quito Teleferico we took the gondola to 13,100 feet. From there we embarked on our hike on the slopes of the Pichincha volcano. The weather was mostly cloudy today but that was actually very nice as it kept us nice and cool for our hike. We hiked up for about 2.5 hours and topped out at almost 15,000 feet! We enjoyed our lunch there along with a great view of Quito. After descending back to the top of Teleferico we had a nice cup of tea and then rode back down to the city.
Everyone is now having a little down time before we meet up for our last dinner in the city. Tomorrow we are going to head up towards the Illiniza peaks and overnight at the Hacienda Chilcabamba.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Good Luck, little bro. Stay safe.
Posted by: Pam on 7/6/2011 at 10:25 am
hey seth,
craig and i are looking at that climb, looks like a hoot! be careful up there.
Posted by: david wallace on 7/5/2011 at 2:19 pm
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Greetings from Ecuador. Today was the first official day of our trip and marked the first time that the entire team came together. We had breakfast and a team meeting a the hotel before heading out for a tour of Quito with a local for guide. We began the tour by taking a trip to the Equator where we were able to stand in both the northern and southern hemispheres simultaneously. After that we had an excellent lunch of Ecuadorian food cooked on a Paila or large metal fry pan. Our dessert was a kind of ice-cream that is also made in the Paila. In the afternoon we visited several sites in the colonial part of the city including the Basilica and the President's Palace. The weather today was very pleasant with clear skies in the morning and partly cloudy skies in the afternoon. All in all it was a great start to the trip. Tomorrow we plan to head up to the Pichincha volcano for our first acclimatization hike.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Hello from Quito! This is Seth. I arrived late last night along with several members of the team. The airport was packed full of summer travelers but we managed to get through with all of our bags. We were met by our driver Victor and he whisked us off to the Hotel Mercure in downtown Quito. Today I have been busy shopping for our dinner and breakfast food for the hut on Cotopaxi while the team members that are here are stretching their legs around town. Tonight I'll head back to the airport to pick up our remaining teammates.
I'll check in tomorrow after our tour of Colonial Quito.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Best of luck all. Be safe and have fun!
Posted by: Ed Manigault on 7/3/2011 at 8:59 pm
Hi, this is Mike Walter it’s 8 a.m. and we are standing on the top of Cotopaxi!
Beautiful day light breeze, great views of Antesana, Cayambe, Chimborazo, the Illinizas and all the mountains in Ecuador.
It's a beautiful day and I’ll give you a shout when we get back down.
See ya!
RMI Guide Mike Walter
RMI Guide Mike Walter checks in from the summit of Cotopaxi!
Way to go team ecuador! Shout out to Brian and Ian. Did Ian have to carry Brian’s pack again for him?
Posted by: dan on 6/30/2011 at 7:39 pm
Hello, this is Mike Walter calling from the Cotopaxi hut on Wednesday afternoon. Everything is awesome up here. We are enjoying some soup this afternoon up here in the hut. The weather looks good, some clouds have rolled in this afternoon but the past few days have been beautiful and we are enjoying beautiful views.
We are getting set for an early dinner and we’ll go to bed early in preparation for our alpine start. So, we will plan to touch base with you tomorrow and will hopefully be calling you from the summit of Cotopaxi if all goes well.
Everyone is doing well and we’ll talk to you soon.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Hi, this is Mike Walter calling from Chilcabamba.
We awoke last night at 11 pm to check the weather for our summit attempt on Cayambe. I took a quick check out side and was greeted with a strong wind, some snow and poor visibility. We kept checking the weather to see if it would improve but by 3 am it became apparent that the storm wasn’t going to let up. It wasn’t going to be our day on Cayambe.
Instead we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the warm and dry comforts of the Cayambe climber’s hut. After lots of coffee, hot chocolate, oatmeal and cinnamon rolls, we packed up, put on our Shell jackets and headed down to the trail head and our waiting vehicles.
We headed to south to Chilcabamba where we will rest and prepare for our next climbing objective: Cotopaxi. Chilcabamba is located just outside of Cotopaxi National Park, on the flanks of Cotopaxi and has great views of the mountain and our climbing route.
We are hoping for more cooperative weather down south and our climb of Cotopaxi. In the mean time We are all in good spirits and enjoying each other’s company and the wonderful culture of Ecuador. Right now I am standing outside of Chilcabamba on a cloudless morning looking at Cotopaxi.
So all is well and we’ll check in later from the Cotopaxi hut.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
Best of luck for good weather on Cotopaxi——kick in some steps for next week’s team.! Safe climbing.
Posted by: Darryl Schimeck on 6/28/2011 at 11:58 am
Hey it’s Mike Walter checking in on Sunday night from the RMI Ecuador's Volcanoes Climb. We are here at the Cayambe climbers hut. We arrived here last night. Today we did some training and review of climbing techniques: cramponing, ice axe arrest and roped travel.
It's been pretty windy and off and on snow and rain. We're hoping for better weather and good climbing conditions tomorrow. There's a lot of snow on the route so we will hopefully be able to climb tomorrow. Maybe some deep trail breaking but we'll give you a shout tomorrow hopefully from the summit and if not, then we’ll check in once we get back down.
RMI Guide Mike Walter checks in from the climbers hut on Cayambe.
Good luck, guys! We’re proud of you and look forward to the pictures. Have a safe climb!
Posted by: Susan Felke on 6/27/2011 at 2:58 pm
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
The team enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Hacienda San Luis. We're a colorful bunch of climbers, and the evening was filled with belly laughter.
After a good night's rest, we packed up our bags and headed north to visit the world famous Otavalo indigenous market. We are currently enjoying the market as I write this. Here you can buy all sorts of hand-made items, ranging from alpaca and sheep wool woven goods to wood carvings to jewelry to artwork. The whole experience is nearly overwhelming to the senses; vivid colors, a unique shopping experience, locals dressed in their traditional clothing, and a beautiful setting surrounded by the Andes all come together to make this an unforgettable experience.
After a few hours of enjoying the market, we will regroup for lunch and then make our way up to the climber's hut on Cayambe for the night. Tomorrow we will rest, acclimate to the altitude, and review climbing techniques like cramponing and ice axe arrest, in preparation for our summit bid.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
This morning we packed up our bags, checked out of our hotel, and headed north. The first stop was at La Laguna Mojanda, a high alpine where the trailhead for our second acclimatization hike is located. We drove through clouds and rain to get there, but when we arrived we where above the clouds and could see the day's hiking objective, Fuya Fuya. Fuya Fuya is a peak that is situated on an ecological reserve, north of the town of Otovalo. The clouds moved in and out throughout the day, and we climbed up through the high-altitude grassland with periods of rain, hail, and wind. The most challenging part of the climb was staying on your feet, as the volcanic soil became quite slippery in the rain. The final 200' of the climb included a fun rock scramble to the summit. Everyone did great, and rose to the challenges that the weather presented.
Now we're warm, dry, and comfortable at the beautiful hacienda San Luis. A big dinner and a good night's rest is on tap for tonight. Tomorrow morning, we'll head to the Indigenous town of Otovalo, and spend a large part of the day enjoying the world famous Otovalo Market. After a leisurely day at the market, we'll head to the climbers' hut on Cayambe for the night. We'll spend two nights there during our summit attempt.
Ciao for now,
RMI Guide Mike Walter
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Good job guys you are doing great I would never be able to climb this moutain like you guys are and you are really brave to sleep out there in the camp with noises and animals! I hope so far you had a good time climbing the moutain I miss you daddy. Keep up the good work and be brave not scard. P.S i read the blog everyday. Enjoy your climbing. I will let you go.
Love, Alexa
Posted by: Alexa McClane on 7/7/2011 at 7:03 am
Looking forward to the details of the adventure. Be safe and enjoy every minute.
The Adair Avenue Hiking Club
Posted by: Keith Ellenberg on 7/6/2011 at 4:14 pm
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