wickedgood wrote:For the Ecuador experience my friends and I are signed up with "High Summits Mountaineering" has anyone heard of this company?
Also, as a package they have us doing a 13,000ft climb, a 15,000ft mountain, a 17,000ft mountain, a 19,000ft mountain (cotopaxi), and then finish with chimborazo. we will do this in 9 days as an acclimatization tour. The company's thought was doing the other one's first prepares us for the last two big climbs. The first few are only 3.5 hour hikes up, not a huge deal. what do you all think of this plan? Is it too much or a good way to acclimatize for the large peaks?
In my opinion, that's an aggressive and highly optimistic plan.
Rucu is the only one on your list that's 3.5 hours (roughly). Illiniza Norte is the next shortest, and that still has like 4,500 feet (or so) of gain, as I recall.
Envisioning possible intineraries (based on the mountains they said they're taking you up), I came up with the following plan. It requires 10 days, as well as perfect weather and strong, motivated and healthy participants.
-day 0: arrive in Quito;
-day 1: acclimate around Quito;
-day 2: climb Rucu (3-5 hours);
-day 3: transfer to Illiniza Norte, hike up to refugio;
-day 4: summit Norte and return to Quito;
-day 5: rest, then transfer to Cayambe;
-day 6: climb Cayambe, then return to Quito;
-day 7: rest and transfer to Cotopaxi;
-day 8: climb Cotopaxi and head toward Banos;
-day 9: rest and transfer to Chimborazo;
-day 10: climb Chimborazo, return to Quito.
Is this your company's first time in Ecuador?