| Cotopaxi Wind Blasts, Ecuador. Trip Report |
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| Cotopaxi Wind Blasts, Ecuador.   | 
| Page Type: Trip Report Location: Cotopaxi, Ecuador, South America Date Climbed/Hiked: Aug 23, 2008 Activities: Mountaineering Season: Summer | Page By: HIGH EXPEDITIONS Created/Edited: Sep 3, 2008 / Nov 3, 2008 Object ID: 438626 Hits: 622 Loading... Page Score: 86.95% - 5 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
Acclimatization.Trevor (ENG) and I got to José Ribas refuge (4,800 m) at 2.00 pm, along with two Spaniards and a french.
We left our climbing stuff in the refuge's lockers, chose a bunk bed and headed up to the glacier for ice practices.
Trevor's plan was to spend an extra night at the refuge as an acclimatization process prior to push for the summit. So we both stayed in the refuge while everybody headed up by the midnight hours, trying to reach the summit.Japhy  Here with Japhy (NEPAL) at the refuge.
I met Japhy, a very friendly Summit Post member from Nepal. He climbed the volcano solo, leaving the refuge at 2:00 am. He made it in only 3 and a half hours. It was great to have a long conversation with him at the refuge, while he was waiting for a ride back to Quito.
We talked about mountains, Ed Viesturs and mostly about his adventures through Latin America... His almost 15,000 km riden on his bike solo from CA to Argentina. He hopes to arrive to Patagonia sometime in 2009. Good luck on your California to Patagonia Cycling Expedition Japhy!! Germans - TrevorMeanwhile, Trevor spent most of the day inside his sleeping bag; that's life!.. I thought he was invernating!. Anyway, we both had a nice relaxing second day in the refuge.
Dinner time, and Diego (another mountain guide) invited Trevor and me to join his german clients at the table. We all had a delicious menu for dinner and a nice talk with the germans. It was a big german family formed by mom and dad, three sons, one daughter and a friend of them.
They shew us their brand new climbing gear bought only with the purpose of climbing Cotopaxi... what a sofisticated gear... so light and shiny!.The ClimbBy midnight, Trevor and I woke up while other team members were doing the same. After having a light breakfast with the germans and an hour later (1:20 am) we left the refuge.
 Trevor (ENG) wind blasted on Cotopaxi.
It started snowing as soon as we get out of the refuge. We kept hiking up at slow pace towards the glacier, put crampons on and roped together. We passed the other teams while climbed on very soft snow.  Fernando (Pele) on the summit.
I wondered how hard his job could be... breaking trail for his clients and the other teams comming up after him. But my thoughts lasted a few seconds, 'cause as soon as we got to the steep wall besides Yanasacha, his tracks were erased by the strenght of the wind. So we climbed on knee deep powder snow, traversed above Yanasacha's steep face and met with the germans who gave up climbing.
Trevor gave his best to reach the top. My heart slowdown its beats and my cheeks felt the coldness of the wind against my face (I felt so lucky of being working here). The steep slope wasn't steep anymore... we were just a few meters of reaching Ecuador's second highest elevation.Summit  Trevor and I on Cotopaxi summit (5,897 m/19,347 ft)
Finally, we made it. Hugs and congratulation words to each other. Fernando's hug is always a joy, it comes with our usual fake crying... almost like a scream of joy, it's almost like our ritual, the happiness of being once again up there together, doing our job.
We couldn't see the crater, but the endless Andean mountain range partially clouded.
Despite the hardness of my job as a mountain guide: midnight climbs, chilly temperatures, tireness and my body soared... I still enjoy those great moments while climbing, getting to a summit and sharing with my clients. I feel so lucky of being up here, with my buddies, my co-workers and my client who is a good friend now. Images
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Cordillera Oriental (Ecuador) > Cotopaxi > Cotopaxi Wind Blasts, Ecuador.
