Trip Reports

Ecuador Volcanoes - 4 to 23 July '07

Written by Leader Gasper Navarrete, July 2007

Between churches, narrow cobble stone streets, and museums, we acclimatise to the altitude of Quito. On the 3rd day after arriving, we are all ready for our first summit, Pasochoa (4,200m). We all reached the summit and we also did on our second climb, Rucu Pichincha (4,750m). The weather improved for our third climb and at 12:30pm we all reached the summit of Iliniza Norte (5,126m), our first 5,000m volcano in Ecuador. We then headed back to the comfortable Hacienda Guachala to recharge our batteries.

Sebastian Carrasco, our second guide, did a great job driving the car through some snow banks and because of soft snow, to just before the Hut on Cayambe. The weather changed on Cayambe and because of poor visibility, less than 10 meters, and snowing more than 2cm per hour, we only reached 5,600m. It was a great experience for the team and everyone still enjoyed to try the mountain in bad weather, but were very happy when I decided to turn back.

Monika, Christian, Conor, with Ecuadorian mountain guide, Sebastian Carrasco and myself reached the summit of Cotopaxi on one of the most beautiful days I have ever had on my 15 years of climbing. We saw part of the Amazon jungle, the two active Volcanoes, Sangay and Tungurahua, erupting on the distance, Cotopaxi’s neighbor, Quilindaña, which is covered in mist 85% of the year, and the 23 active and non-active Volcanoes that fill the horizon and amazing landscape around Cotopaxi.

The food was great, logistics by Javier were perfect, the weather was fine with the exception of summit day on Cayambe, conversation was intense, the group diverse and funny.

Gasper Navarrete, Expedition Leader« Previous report | Next report »

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