peakrat76 - Aug 14, 2006 10:28 pm Date Climbed: Nov 20, 1991
Thielmann Glacier Direct
Stayed in the comfortable Whymper Refugio following climbs of Cayambe and Cotopaxi. Midnight start. Encountered some fun ice on the glacier. Pointe Veintemilla reached in fog. A great climb. (Cold beer at hut on return.) Perfect end to a great expedition.
n8jojohnson - Jul 30, 2006 3:49 pm Date Climbed: Jun 19, 2006
Normal Route
First climb where I hit 'the wall' (I was a walking zombie, taking 10 breaths per step) Luckily, though, we were only 10 minutes from the summit.
In 1989 with some of my climbing buddies we went to Ecuador. At the time I was 18. I remember that we were racing toward the summit just for the fun of it.
summiter - Mar 30, 2006 12:16 am Date Climbed: Oct 16, 2005
Route: Normal route from above Whymper Hut
Camped on the glacier at 19,200 ft. Awesome experience. First day to camp gave us blue skies and great views. We had a good strong start. I hated the Ventimilla dome. Had a little clear skies on the summit (Whymper) but it clouded in fast. There was an increadible white-out traversing back to Ventimilla, very depressing as I could not see my progress until I got there. Had a quick descent. Very enjoyable.
Our American guide brought his 10 yr old son along. He made it as well. Youngest I've ever heard of making it up Chimbo!
Liga - Feb 27, 2006 3:22 pm Date Climbed: Jan 25, 2006
Route Climbed: El Castillo
Chimborazo is a real challenge when the weather does not cooperate. I was not lucky, so the climb was really tough because of extremely cold and windy weather. Anyway, impressive mountain and rewarding summit!
Route Climbed: normal via el castillo Date Climbed: january 22 2006
After terrible weather on Cotopaxi, the absolutely perfect starry windless night on Chimborazo was a relief. At the Whymper summit for sunrise and nearly every volcano in Ecuador could be seen. My partner got AMS early on and the guide took her down. He then reascended and caught up with me and another rope team a few hundred meters higher. I would definitely recommend Freddy with Moggely climbing as a guide. We summitted in 6 hours. Remember- Veintimilla is not the summit.
Route Climbed: El Castillo Date Climbed: June 16th, 2005
Alpine grade PD (40 degrees, + 1500m from Refugio Carrel), with a guide of the native community of Guargalla, windy during the night and good weather in the morning. If you climb with a guide, make sure he takes you to the true summit (Cumbre Whymper). Many of them prefer turning back at Cumbre Veintemilla avoiding the long traverse to Whymper, pretending the summit is reached !
Route Climbed: Original route Date Climbed: 21st June 205
I enjoyed this climb much more than Cotopaxi. Maybe I was more acclimitised but i think also because the terrain is more varied. Just the guide and I left at midnight and at Ventimillia at 7am. I must admit looked over at the whmper summit and didnt think any thing further could be gained by walking across to that mound. I was just wearing marmot spring gloves and hands got a bit chilly towards the top. Both my and my guides feet were very cold even in plastics. Wonderfully clear conditions, a bit of mist on the top slighly impeding 360 deg views. We used a screw going up on one section but just leaned right back on our crampons going down.
Route Climbed: normal route Date Climbed: Feb 1, 2005
We left at 11am and reached the false summit a bit after 6am, in time to watch the sunrise. We made the traverse over to the Whymper summit and hurried down as fast as our four person party could go. A few rocks were already coming off the lower glacier and icy cliffs, but none hit our party.
Excellent weather day, great views of the other peaks and got to watch the southern cross during much of the climb.
Route Climbed: normal route Date Climbed: dec 2004
left the hut around 1am reached the summit at
7am.. climbing conditions were perfecto .. made
great time. beautiful sunrise!
big_g - Feb 8, 2005 6:19 pm Date Climbed: Feb 3, 2005
Route Climbed: Castillo
Made it to Veintemilla in a tad over 6h 30m. Pretty beat but would have dragged myself over to Whymper if I hadn't been overruled. There's always next time.
Route Climbed: Normal Route Date Climbed: January 30, 2005
The last mountain to hit on my Ecuador Andes trip. Left the hut at 1230 and summited (Ventemilla) at 0830. The conditions were very icy. Placed screws on few occasions. No time or energy to continue onto Whymper. Still satisfying. The descent was interesting....from low visibility to icy slopes (a slip would have been lethal, if not fatal). Combination of rappin off and down climbing.
Route Climbed: Normal Route Date Climbed: January 2005
Due to bad weather, wind and some snow at the refugio, we did not ascent to the whymper-hut, when arriving. Therefore, we started at 11 p.m., when the sky had cleared. Only four of our team, including me and two Ecuadorian mountain guides, reached the summit (Veintimilla) at around 7 a.m. Great view! While descending, the weather turned into similar conditions, as the day before. Great and exhausting climb!
Route Climbed: Normal Route Date Climbed: November 18, 2003
A test on the bodies ability to go from Sea Level to 6300m within 5 days. Maybe it was the speed of the accent but luckily we sufferred little from the effects of altitude on this Volcano, its summit known to be the furtherest point from the centre of the Earth. A Sleepless few hours at 5000m in the refuge and a 12am start followed by a demanding and at times nerve racking climb through avalanche prone 60 degree slopes and waist deep snow due to the heavy snowfalls the night before. Nicole Miller and David Nanfra summited at about 7.30am, November 18 on a clear, beautiful morning where we could observe the valley of the volcanoes and their smoking chimneys. We had to beat a hasty retreat to avoid the melting ice avalanche danger as the sun hit the slopes below and we were forced to resort to 'running' down the mountain to get back. An amazing, courageous performance by Nicole, 1 woman amongst 5 men.
Route Climbed: Normal Date Climbed: January 10, 2004
Left the Whymper Hut with my daughter Hannah and our guide, Jorge, at midnight on Saturday after virtually no sleep. We maneuvered through the lower rocky area which had some difficult icy sections and got onto the glacier about 90 minutes after leaving the hut. The weather was great and we had a full moon, so we were able to turn off our headlamps in some sections. The ice was rather flaky and required some heavy duty crampon work. The ascent was steeper than expected and trying to obtain adequate oxygen was like sprinting while breathing through a thin, hollow swizzle stick. The mental part of the climb was as tough as the physical, as climbing in the dark precludes any sort of inspiration coming from beautiful vistas. The three of us reached the Ventimilla summit at 7:30 AM and had great views of the tallest peaks in Ecuador. As with our other experiences at higher altitude, we were severely anorexic and I reached the summit having consumed only 4-5 peanut M&Ms and 750 milliliters of Gatorade. We stayed at the summit for only about 5-10 minutes because it was cold and windy. Our decent was uneventful, but the rockfalls in the lower section were unsettling, as was the creaking and groaning of the glacier as it warmed on our decent. Overall, we had a great experience and are blessed to have had good health and great weather in getting to the top!
peakrat76 - Aug 14, 2006 10:28 pm Date Climbed: Nov 20, 1991
Thielmann Glacier DirectStayed in the comfortable Whymper Refugio following climbs of Cayambe and Cotopaxi. Midnight start. Encountered some fun ice on the glacier. Pointe Veintemilla reached in fog. A great climb. (Cold beer at hut on return.) Perfect end to a great expedition.
n8jojohnson - Jul 30, 2006 3:49 pm Date Climbed: Jun 19, 2006
Normal RouteFirst climb where I hit 'the wall' (I was a walking zombie, taking 10 breaths per step) Luckily, though, we were only 10 minutes from the summit.
ElCapitanKoolAid - Jun 18, 2006 3:44 pm
First 6000 mIn 1989 with some of my climbing buddies we went to Ecuador. At the time I was 18. I remember that we were racing toward the summit just for the fun of it.
summiter - Mar 30, 2006 12:16 am Date Climbed: Oct 16, 2005
Route: Normal route from above Whymper HutCamped on the glacier at 19,200 ft. Awesome experience. First day to camp gave us blue skies and great views. We had a good strong start. I hated the Ventimilla dome. Had a little clear skies on the summit (Whymper) but it clouded in fast. There was an increadible white-out traversing back to Ventimilla, very depressing as I could not see my progress until I got there. Had a quick descent. Very enjoyable.
Our American guide brought his 10 yr old son along. He made it as well. Youngest I've ever heard of making it up Chimbo!
Liga - Feb 27, 2006 3:22 pm Date Climbed: Jan 25, 2006
Route Climbed: El CastilloChimborazo is a real challenge when the weather does not cooperate. I was not lucky, so the climb was really tough because of extremely cold and windy weather. Anyway, impressive mountain and rewarding summit!
colint - Jan 22, 2006 11:48 am
Route Climbed: normal via el castillo Date Climbed: january 22 2006After terrible weather on Cotopaxi, the absolutely perfect starry windless night on Chimborazo was a relief. At the Whymper summit for sunrise and nearly every volcano in Ecuador could be seen. My partner got AMS early on and the guide took her down. He then reascended and caught up with me and another rope team a few hundred meters higher. I would definitely recommend Freddy with Moggely climbing as a guide. We summitted in 6 hours. Remember- Veintimilla is not the summit.
Ario - Nov 9, 2005 12:20 am
Route Climbed: El Castillo Date Climbed: June 16th, 2005Alpine grade PD (40 degrees, + 1500m from Refugio Carrel), with a guide of the native community of Guargalla, windy during the night and good weather in the morning. If you climb with a guide, make sure he takes you to the true summit (Cumbre Whymper). Many of them prefer turning back at Cumbre Veintemilla avoiding the long traverse to Whymper, pretending the summit is reached !
edl - Sep 29, 2005 6:26 pm
Route Climbed: Normal Route Date Climbed: Nov. 1998Icy! We bailed before we got in over our heads. Nobody summited that day.
radson - Sep 18, 2005 5:29 am
Route Climbed: Original route Date Climbed: 21st June 205I enjoyed this climb much more than Cotopaxi. Maybe I was more acclimitised but i think also because the terrain is more varied. Just the guide and I left at midnight and at Ventimillia at 7am. I must admit looked over at the whmper summit and didnt think any thing further could be gained by walking across to that mound. I was just wearing marmot spring gloves and hands got a bit chilly towards the top. Both my and my guides feet were very cold even in plastics. Wonderfully clear conditions, a bit of mist on the top slighly impeding 360 deg views. We used a screw going up on one section but just leaned right back on our crampons going down.
C.Wagner - Aug 24, 2005 1:11 pm
Route Climbed: Normal route Date Climbed: July 20, 2005Start from whyper refuge at 0000
9 people + 5 guides
Steep trip, hard and dirty ice
Climb only 500 m (1600 ft) in 3 hr
Clearly unabble to reach the summit (maybe tired after more than 2 weeks climbing and trekking)
Turn back with 3 others at 5500 m
Bad weather coming, at lot of wind
Nobody could reach the summit this day due to fresh snow at 6100 m (19800 ft) just before pt Ventimilla
Climbing back in the night was quite dangerous
- difficult to find the way (even with an experienced guide)
- no moonlight
It is really more difficult than Cotopaxi
amcfarre - Feb 17, 2005 10:14 am
Route Climbed: normal route Date Climbed: Feb 1, 2005We left at 11am and reached the false summit a bit after 6am, in time to watch the sunrise. We made the traverse over to the Whymper summit and hurried down as fast as our four person party could go. A few rocks were already coming off the lower glacier and icy cliffs, but none hit our party.
Excellent weather day, great views of the other peaks and got to watch the southern cross during much of the climb.
Photos and Journals
ripper333 - Feb 15, 2005 6:13 pm
Route Climbed: normal route Date Climbed: dec 2004left the hut around 1am reached the summit at
7am.. climbing conditions were perfecto .. made
great time. beautiful sunrise!
big_g - Feb 8, 2005 6:19 pm Date Climbed: Feb 3, 2005
Route Climbed: CastilloMade it to Veintemilla in a tad over 6h 30m. Pretty beat but would have dragged myself over to Whymper if I hadn't been overruled. There's always next time.
esugi - Jan 31, 2005 7:45 pm
Route Climbed: Normal Route Date Climbed: January 30, 2005The last mountain to hit on my Ecuador Andes trip. Left the hut at 1230 and summited (Ventemilla) at 0830. The conditions were very icy. Placed screws on few occasions. No time or energy to continue onto Whymper. Still satisfying. The descent was interesting....from low visibility to icy slopes (a slip would have been lethal, if not fatal). Combination of rappin off and down climbing.
Full trip report of my Ecuador trip to come soon.
Vangse - Jan 20, 2005 1:58 am
Route Climbed: Normal route Date Climbed: November 2003Summited via normal route about 06.15 in the morning. After having failed on Cotopaxi this was a nice "revenge".
bluescrummachine - Jan 13, 2005 6:39 am
Route Climbed: Normal Route Date Climbed: January 2005Due to bad weather, wind and some snow at the refugio, we did not ascent to the whymper-hut, when arriving. Therefore, we started at 11 p.m., when the sky had cleared. Only four of our team, including me and two Ecuadorian mountain guides, reached the summit (Veintimilla) at around 7 a.m. Great view! While descending, the weather turned into similar conditions, as the day before. Great and exhausting climb!
davidnanfra - Dec 21, 2004 8:15 am
Route Climbed: Normal Route Date Climbed: November 18, 2003A test on the bodies ability to go from Sea Level to 6300m within 5 days. Maybe it was the speed of the accent but luckily we sufferred little from the effects of altitude on this Volcano, its summit known to be the furtherest point from the centre of the Earth. A Sleepless few hours at 5000m in the refuge and a 12am start followed by a demanding and at times nerve racking climb through avalanche prone 60 degree slopes and waist deep snow due to the heavy snowfalls the night before. Nicole Miller and David Nanfra summited at about 7.30am, November 18 on a clear, beautiful morning where we could observe the valley of the volcanoes and their smoking chimneys. We had to beat a hasty retreat to avoid the melting ice avalanche danger as the sun hit the slopes below and we were forced to resort to 'running' down the mountain to get back. An amazing, courageous performance by Nicole, 1 woman amongst 5 men.
Chris Melby - Sep 14, 2004 10:48 am
Route Climbed: Normal Date Climbed: January 10, 2004Left the Whymper Hut with my daughter Hannah and our guide, Jorge, at midnight on Saturday after virtually no sleep. We maneuvered through the lower rocky area which had some difficult icy sections and got onto the glacier about 90 minutes after leaving the hut. The weather was great and we had a full moon, so we were able to turn off our headlamps in some sections. The ice was rather flaky and required some heavy duty crampon work. The ascent was steeper than expected and trying to obtain adequate oxygen was like sprinting while breathing through a thin, hollow swizzle stick. The mental part of the climb was as tough as the physical, as climbing in the dark precludes any sort of inspiration coming from beautiful vistas. The three of us reached the Ventimilla summit at 7:30 AM and had great views of the tallest peaks in Ecuador. As with our other experiences at higher altitude, we were severely anorexic and I reached the summit having consumed only 4-5 peanut M&Ms and 750 milliliters of Gatorade. We stayed at the summit for only about 5-10 minutes because it was cold and windy. Our decent was uneventful, but the rockfalls in the lower section were unsettling, as was the creaking and groaning of the glacier as it warmed on our decent. Overall, we had a great experience and are blessed to have had good health and great weather in getting to the top!
Miguel Angel Perez - Jan 24, 2004 4:39 pm
Route Climbed: Normal Date Climbed: Dec. 28, 2003Excellent conditions, cleared sky, no wind, wonderful view!!!
Climbed up to Veintimilla summit in 8 hours. Stayed there with my rope partners while other friends went for the Whymper summit.
My first 6,000 meter mountain: felt great!!!
mtnfoto - Jan 20, 2004 6:03 pm
Route Climbed: Normal Route Date Climbed: February 1993Long day from hut.