In December of 2006, I spent three weeks in Ecuador with Alpine Ascents. We attempted four mountain summits, but only made three out of four.
Click a picture to see a larger view
and explanation.
In December of 2006, I traveled to Ecuador with Alpine Ascents. My goal was to summit my first 20,000’ (6,000m) peak. The itinerary of this trip interested me because I could tackle four peaks; each subsequently higher. There were only two other people in my group: Olga from Moscow and Ron from Gainesville. We enjoyed a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio of guide to client. We named ourselves Team Insomnia because we never had a good night’s rest during the entire three weeks of the trip. We were kept awake by buses full of intoxicated musicians, car alarms, barking dogs, antique water pipes, vermin, people snoring and roosters-- to name a few annoyances.
I spent three extra days in Quito in addition to the scheduled trip itinerary. Quito is the Ecuadorian capital located at 9,000 ft. in the highlands of Ecuador. We visited the old town and admired its beautiful colonial architecture. Our visit was during the biggest Ecuadorian holiday: Viva La Quito. Residents celebrate Quito’s foundation day by the Spanish conquerors with various events like parades, bullfight festivals, expositions and street parties. The street parties kept us up until 2 AM each night in Quito; it was impossible to sleep with all the noise. We caught one of the parades in Old Town, and watched some of the typical dances of the different regions of Ecuador. Later that day we took the cable car on the edge of the city up to 13,400 ft. The views were spectacular from our vantage point.
In front of the Presidential Palace on Old Town
The next day we drove north to the town of Otavalo and took a four hour acclimatization hike around Cuicocha Crater Lake.
 Cuicocha Crater Lake |
 Team Insomnia's first hike |
The next day, we successfully climbed Imbabura (4,630m / 15,190’). This volcano stands above San Pablo Lake. During the ascent we could enjoy views of the impressive open caldera and the Ecuadorian countryside. The weather turned to rain during our ascent, but we were still able to rope up for the last hour of rock climbing & scrambling. However, the descent was a muddy, slippery mess. It was impossible not to slide and fall, even with trekking poles. At times, we had to dodge other team members as they slid down the trail – right toward the person below. We honored the adage “climb high; sleep low”; we acclimated steadily to the thin air of the Andes.
 Climbing Imbabura |
 Team Insomnia on top of Imbabura |
 Descending Imbabura |
We visited the famous Otavalo Indian market and I actually bought some souvenirs. It is rare that I buy any extra items on any of my journeys; but it was difficult to pass up the $2 scarves or $5 high quality weavings. Ecuador uses American dollars as the official currency, so buying crap is even easier without having to convert currency.
The drive
up to Cayambe hut (15,250’) was very scenic. I was pleasantly surprised how
well our driver navigated the 4x4 dirt road (with a 2 wheel drive bus). At one
point, we had an audience of about 20 local people as we backed up and made a
second run up a muddy hill. (Watch out for that ditch on the right!). Once at
the hut, we reviewed knot tying and self rescue. The refuge did not have any
heat; it was cold enough that everyone was wearing down jackets and gloves
indoors. The sleeping accommodations were bunk style, with no separation
between men and women. I was rudely awakened during the night by a rat running
down my arm. I could then tell by the noise who was getting visited by the
rat. In the morning, the rat jumped on a man’s back and held tight to the
fleece. The group felt it was necessary to rid ourselves of the vermin, so we
used ice axes and a broom to bring a gory end to the rat’s life. 
<--- Me practicing inside the Cayambe hut
We were able to practice glacier skills and further acclimatize on our second day at Cayambe hut. The weather was good so we spent a more than four hours practicing the different cramponing techniques, self arrest and self rescue on the Hermoso glacier.
 Team Insomnia Ready for Practice |
 Reviewing Cramponing Technique |
 Hermosa Glacier, Cayambe |
 Practicing Crevasse Self-Rescue |
The third
day in the hut turned out to be perfecting the “art of the hang” due to
weather. We didn’t want to soak our Gore-tex, and then attempt to summit later
that night in wet outer wear. We climbed into our sleeping bags early and set
our alarms for 11 PM, excited to begin our first alpine summit attempt. Cayambe
is the highest and coldest point on the equator and the only place on earth
where latitude and temperature reach zero.
After another night of no sleep, Team Insomnia was climbing strong. We departed the hut at midnight for our summit attempt. The weather was great; we could see the lights of the town in the distance far below us as we began our ascent. After a bit of scrambling we strapped on our crampons and tied into the ropes. We stepped over a dozen crevasses before we reached the first technical section. With each step we sensed increasing danger due to the fresh snow. The guides wisely decided to use a snow shovel to dig a snow pit. The results were shocking and alarming. Three feet of fresh snow on top of the glacier ice! The avalanche danger was too great to ignore. We were forced to give up our summit attempt and return safely to the refuge. Our esteemed leader said “summiting is optional – coming down is mandatory”. It was very disappointing having to turn around. However, when it became daylight the next morning, we spotted the results of an avalanche. It was below where we had turned around. We had definitely made the right decision; we could have been descending that section when the snow decided to let go.
We descended to the oldest hacienda in Ecuador where we refreshed ourselves with a cold shower. The following day we were treated to a welcome dancing session performed by a group of local girls in exotic cowboy outfits. They were shooting some type of soft porn video on the hotel grounds. Then the craziest thing happened while we were eating lunch. A real tragedy! The hotel's signature architectural icon –the bell tower-- collapsed before our eyes. We heard a tremendous rumbling crash and could not believe what we saw. Four hundred years of history now a pile of rubble. Thankfully nobody was injured. It was a bright sunny day – no wind, rain or earth tremor. Why did the tower suddenly collapse at that moment? We will never know. Now I am freaked out by old buildings. After witnessing a complete spontaneous demolition without warning – I’m creeped out entering old structures anywhere.
The next day we had a private lecture from Cristobal at the new equator monument. He explained the monument is also a solar calendar and pointed out the ancient ruins on the nearby hill. The pre-Inca ruin is exactly on 0, 0 Latitude. How could these ancient people have known where the equator was? Ecuador is the most important country on the equator for research because of the highlands. In Africa and other equator countries, there are no visible high points (it’s all jungle or flat lands). Cristobal also explained why Chimborazo is the highest point if measured from the center of the earth. Mt Everest is the highest mountain as measured from sea level, but Chimborazo is closer to the sun (due to the earth’s bulge at the equator).
After eating lunch in a dairy barn, we started the drive to Cotopaxi National Park. As we went up in altitude towards the park, we left behind the signs of human habitation. Ecuador is the most densely populated country in Latin America, so we rarely had scenic views. Tidy homes are few and far between. I’ve never seen more trash strewn about in any country I’ve ever visited. The litter was so overwhelmingly disappointing throughout the country, that I have no desire to ever go back (except to the Galapagos). Ecuador needs to undertake a massive public education campaign if they want to attract tourists. Quit scattering your trash all over the place, and try and patch up those decaying buildings everywhere.
It was very refreshing to enter Cotopaxi National Park and the human-free (i.e. trash-free) beautiful scenic landscape. After dropping our belongings at the hostel we went out hiking without the guides. Olga and I discovered Inca ruins and a hidden spring. We actually hiked over the ruins, but did not notice them until we were about a mile away and we looked back where in the direction we had come from. The hostel was one step above the other mountain huts, and actually had running water and a hot shower on the main floor. Cotopaxi remained shrouded in clouds during the first day of our arrival, so we were gravely concerned about climbing conditions for the next day.
Surprisingly, we awoke the next morning to a clear view of Cotopaxi from our hostel window. We then loaded our climbing and overnight gear into backpacks, and began the scree slog to the Jose Ribas hut. The going was slow with our heavy packs. The main hut was crowded with other groups, but our guide managed to swindle a private bunk room just for our group. In true Team Insomnia tradition, we planned to awaken in the middle of the night (11 PM to be exact) for our summit bid for Cotopaxi (19,340 ft or 5897 meters).
Team Insomnia began the ascent of Cotopaxi before midnight. Our headlamps illuminated small circles before us, as our crampons crunched on the hardened snow (much better climbing conditions than Cayambe). Since we were climbing in a National Park, the stars seemed extra bright. There was also moonlight to help guide our way across the glacier. We ascended across snow bridges, steep headwalls, and beside block ice formations. Looking down in the direction we had crossed, we could see at least 20 headlamps twinkling in the quiet night behind us. These were other climbers on the trail (behind us) who had also been staying in the hut.
Step, rest, breathe, repeat. Team Insomnia made our way up the mountain slow and steady. Another rope team asked to pass us on the route. Later, we saw a backpack hurdling down the glacier ice at tremendous speed. We were surprised that most of the headlamps disappeared as the night progressed. The other climbers had turned back.
The sky gradually became lighter and we switched off our headlamps. Step, rest, breathe, repeat. As we surmounted a steep section, we were treated to a tremendous view of Mt Tungurahua erupting. There were great plumes of smoke spewing from the volcano. Thank goodness it was not Cotopaxi that was erupting!
The final push – and Team Insomnia made the summit!!! We had great views of Cayambe due to the clear skies. Standing atop the edge of Cotopaxi’s crater rim is a once-in-a-lifetime view, and the Team gave High 5’s and hugs to celebrate our hard earned accomplishment.
We had an uneventful but strenuous descent. Now in the daylight, we could view the spectacular crevasse formations we had crossed. Some were lined with ice so delicate, it appeared as feathered crystals. That night we stayed at the most posh accommodations on the journey—the beautiful and historic Hosteria La Cienega. We actually had hot showers for once, in addition to very scenic hotel room views.
The next morning Team Insomnia took a break from mountaineering to visit one of Ecuador’s most famous haciendas: San Agustin de Callo. We were immediately surrounded by flowers as we walked toward the entrance. Strolling through the entrance corridor, we were amazed to see Inca stonework. The stones are placed together perfectly; you could not slide a card between them. Stonework this precise is nearly impossible with modern engineering! The hacienda has two complete/original Inca stonework rooms, a very eclectic Cathedral and a most original dining room. A surprise visit by a herd of llamas in the courtyard allowed us to experience these animals up close. Team Insomnia also made use of some decorative hats in the sitting room to shoot a team photo.
Although Ron was especially reluctant to leave the hacienda, Team Insomnia had to journey to the next destination: Mt Chimborazo (20,561’, 6267m). As we entered Chimborazo National Park, we saw herds of vicuña. These llama-type animals exist at high altitude where there is very little to eat. Olga and I took a day hike to the Whymper refuge (16,400 ft). Above the cloud line, the views were spectacular. We watched the sun move from above the clouds to below in a very short time – about two minutes. This occurred much faster than we anticipated. I had hiked up to the hut in my Tevas, and now I’d have to scramble back down over the rocks—in the dark—in my sandals. At one point we were thrilled to see silhouettes of a passing herd of vicuñas against the sunset. I cursed my miniature camera, and wished I would have had my better camera to take some award-winning photos. [my tiny pocket camera refused to stop using the flash].
True to form, Team Insomnia hit the route at 9 AM the next morning after another night of interrupted sleep. [Darn those bunk-style sleeping quarters]. We were in high spirits as we gazed up at Chimborazo (20,702 ft). With the addition of a third guide (Jose Garces) and our “Ecuadorian Sherpa” Marco – Team Insomnia now had 7 members. Our goal was to establish high camp at approximately 18,000 ft.
We began the ascent with our full packs in the brilliant sunshine. It was so warm, we had to stop and take off layers of clothing as we ascended.
Even though I train intensely, I’m very slow when ascending. I can go for long hours at a steady pace, but it is a slow pace. With the addition of my full (heavy) pack, I was falling further and further behind the rest of the group. Try as hard as I could; I could not keep up. This slowness is always extremely frustrating for me, since I devote so much more on-the-mountain (in Utah) training time than my team mates. When a 62 year old from Florida kicks your ass, it is demeaning. Alpine mountaineering is all about being “fast and light”. It was during this climb of Chimborazo that I finally came to the conclusion that I’m just not cut out for mountaineering. I will always be slowing down the group. I wanted to prove I could climb a 20,000’ peak. I know I can do it. I’m climbing strong without any difficulty; but I’m climbing slower than everyone else.
At the point where we strapped on our crampons, we noticed clouds begin to block out the sun. We cramponed up and over a ridge, when suddenly thunder roared near us. We quickly moved off the ridgeline to a lower (safer) area. Crampons, ice axes and poles were stashed in a pile. A tent fly was removed from Marco’s pack and all 7 team members huddled together under it to wait until the lightning danger passed. This was a very intimate 1 ½ hours for all of us. During that time, snow was falling at a steady rate. When the threat of lightning appeared to pass, we were disappointed to find nearly 4 inches of new snow. Combined with the potentially hazardous conditions on the mountain reported to our Team that morning by other non-successful climbers, the mountain was now more snow-loaded for avalanche. Regretfully, the decision was made to forgo our summit attempt and return safely. If anyone doubted the decision, the mountain seemed to reassure by generating more sets of thunder when we were approximately 50% of the way to back to the hut. Team Insomnia did the best it could on Chimborazo.
All members of the group were in a glum mood on the 4 hour drive toward Quito – except our driver. The driver was very happy that he would not have to spend another night at the Chimborazo Hut. Staying in primitive conditions at high altitude is very unpleasant. Throughout the trip, I kept asking myself why I was paying money to be so uncomfortable!!! Mountaineering requires a short term memory for suffering.
Both my team members were sick the following day, so I traveled to the Cloud Forest and Hot Springs without them (accompanies by Jose Louis and his girlfriend). The cloud forest was thick and jungle-like; completely different than the highlands where we had spent the entire trip. As we hiked through the cloud forest, we had to duck under and around lots of vegetation. It was not hot; in fact we were wearing jackets. Orchids were blooming, and I had a very close encounter with a hummingbird. I though the bird was going to land on my nose! I just stood very still admiring it hovering right in front of my face.
Next up: thermal hot springs and a massage! The hot springs were the BEST I have visited in the entire universe. They had these continually-running hot water showers that emptied into the various hot springs. One pond had sculpted areas to lie on, while jets of water massaged your back. It felt wonderful—especially after freezing temperatures day and night for weeks.
I thought about my teammates, who were recovering in their hotel rooms in Quito. Was my slower climbing pace a factor? I felt great. Would I have been miserable (like them) and confined to my hotel room if my climbing pace had been quicker? I pondered this question while relaxing in the warm water. Ecuador’s third highest peak was visible in the distance, taunting me with dreams of climbing another mountain in the future.
I had three extra days in Quito (than my team mates). The additional days allowed me to explore the city in more depth, and practice my horrible Spanish. My favorite site was the Botanical Garden, which was within walking distance of the hotel. The botanical garden had an orchid greenhouse far superior to anything I’ve toured (including Longwood Gardens). The orchids were displayed in jungle settings complete with a big waterfall (recreating the Amazon jungle). The variety of orchids was astounding. I was so enthralled, I walked through the greenhouse twice.
Next door to the orchids was a butterfly greenhouse. Since Quito isn’t far from the Amazon rainforest, they apparently have no trouble obtaining butterfly specimens. I was the only visitor admiring the butterflies, when an attendant motioned me to come and look at something. A butterfly was emerging from its cocoon! We both watched the entire process as the butterfly broke out of the cocoon and unfolded its wings. The process took about 10 minutes. When the butterfly first emerged, its wings were wrinkled! They were rolled up & crinkled, and appeared to be damp. It was amazing to watch the transformation from ugly cocoon to beautiful Blue Morpho.
The Cultural Museum in Quito was also very interesting. I was surprised at the professionalism of the exhibits (after walking around Quito’s run-down streets, I wasn’t expecting much). There was quite a bit of pre-Inca displays and explanations (even in English!!) In addition, there was an entire section devoted to gold and silver jewelry and artifacts. Some of the intricate jewelry amazed me; how could they attach the pieces so expertly? The upper two floors of the museum display art work. I was the only person viewing the art during my visit!
The trip to Ecuador was a great experience and I feel confident that I would have summitted Chimborazo if the conditions had been favorable. However, this will probably be my last high altitude mountaineering trip. All the time spent acclimatizing is in the same high altitude areas; I’d rather spend future time exploring more of the countries I visit (rather than shivering in a tent or hut). I look forward to climbing smaller summits and more international trekking trips in the future.Note: A lot more photos were taken by my guide(s) and Olga (the Russian woman) -- but the photos were never sent as promised!!!