Climbed with Haliku and Axe. The weather was beautiful as we left at midnight, but worsened as we climbed, deteriorating to a whiteout by daylight. We pushed on though and summitted at around 7 am. I don´t remember when the snow started coming down, but it was with us all the way back to the hut. Glad to have done this one.
Jessica L - Apr 15, 2007 1:01 am Date Climbed: Dec 1, 2006
Cotopaxi
Great snow conditions, but bitterly cold and windy. My partner and I maintained a good pace to the summit, mostly because it was too cold to stop.
bennovak - Feb 24, 2007 8:32 pm Date Climbed: Feb 14, 2007
Normal Route
Made it to ~18000 ft. Snow, and poor acclimitazation led to my demise. You need more then 2 days in Ecuador to get ready for this one. I will be ready next time.
Daniel Klassen - Feb 9, 2007 8:16 pm Date Climbed: May 7, 2006
Summit 3
Guided a group of students up. Snow was deep and borderline avalanche conditions.
Daniel Klassen - Feb 9, 2007 8:01 pm Date Climbed: Jan 8, 2006
Summit 2
Best weather I have had on the mountain. Was up by 7:10 am
marauders - Jan 23, 2007 6:22 pm Date Climbed: Jan 15, 2007
Climbed Normal Route: Jan. 15, 2007
My favorite mountain in Ecuador. By far the most beautiful and interesting terrain. It was also the fastest to climb. Summited a little under 5 hours. Perfect weather, almost no wind, with a perfect boot track. If it hasn't snowed in a while, I don't think you need a guide here. There are so many people climbing the mountain. On our summit day we summited with 3 other groups of 5 each. No one had a guide.
The initial slopes have steep switchbacks which opens into crevasse fields, seracs and 50 degree slopes. Without the boot track this would be a much harder mountain to navigate and climb, but with the boot track it's pretty easy with climbing experience.
Scott - Jan 22, 2007 4:36 am Date Climbed: Jan 10, 2007
Perfect weather
Climbed Cotopaxi with perfect weather. It was our easiest of the big peaks we climbed in Ecuador, but I thought it was the most beautiful as well. It took me five hours to the top, a pretty average time.
moneal - Jan 21, 2007 3:06 pm Date Climbed: Jan 9, 2007
Normal route
Caught some damn Ecuadorian virus the day of the climb. Couldn't even make a serious attempt. Two folks in my group summitted at sunrise in absolutely perfect conditions.
LC - Jan 11, 2007 5:16 am Date Climbed: Dec 24, 2006
Normal Route
Beautiful conditions all around. Started climbing at 1am and reached the summit at about 7am. Skies were clear and could see all the major cones in the avenue of the volcanoes.
tjbst47 - Dec 31, 2006 7:33 pm Date Climbed: Dec 31, 2006
normal route
Great weather and snow conditions. Trail in the snow very well defined. Technically easy in terms of crevasse hazards. We walked down from the summit without the rope. Guides would not be useful if you have a couple years climbing experience.
thenewpassion - Dec 10, 2006 6:55 am Date Climbed: Dec 3, 2004
Normal Route in Wonderful Weather
Terrible snow conditions but lovely weather. We had fantastic views from the summit.
6h to summit. Really bad weather. Couldn't see the crater. Good fun .
BalletBoy - Nov 5, 2006 9:07 pm Date Climbed: Oct 31, 2006
Ruta Normal - Oct. 31, 2006
Reached the summit with Woodie Hopper in complete whiteout conditions. It snowed all afternoon and evening on the mountain before, and during our ascent. The new snow made for tough work getting to the summit. We could barely tell there was a crater with the conditions of visibility.
Woodie Hopper - Oct 31, 2006 6:57 pm Date Climbed: Oct 31, 2006
Ruta normal
Climbed in white-out conditions all night. We reached the summit in 5 hours but could barely see into the crater. We didn't have a view beyond the mountain at all.
Mathias Zehring - Oct 11, 2006 10:28 pm Date Climbed: Oct 10, 2006
normal route
strange weather: we started at 1 a.m., we were stuck in clouds, some snowfall but almost no wind at all. Then clouds lifted and when we reached the summit after 5 h 55 min ascent from the hut we had sun and no wind at all on the summit where we could stay for more than one pleasant hour.
Thomas Gurviez - Oct 10, 2006 4:51 pm Date Climbed: Sep 25, 2006
normal route
beautiful climb through amazing glaciers, clear weather up to 8 AM
A great climb on the most impressive mountain of my climbing experience to date. Climbed with Eileen and two of Marco Cruz's guides, Segundo and Manuel. Thanks guys! The glaciers of Rainier and Mt. Baker pale in comparison to the bizzare expanses and formations of Cotopaxi.
oo09nj76t5 - Aug 23, 2006 9:35 pm Date Climbed: Aug 23, 2006
Beautiful Day
Reached the summit from the refuge after about five hours of climbing, took pictures, watched the sunrise, took more pictures, rolled out.
peakrat76 - Aug 14, 2006 10:21 pm Date Climbed: Nov 17, 1991
Ruta Normal
A fun climb on a big peak. Too many people at the hut for my taste; many were day turistas. Weather was stable and the summit calm, although too warm to stay high for long...avalanche conditions by mid-day. The plus to the hut was the cold beer after a good climb.
Bill562 - Jul 10, 2007 8:17 pm Date Climbed: Jul 8, 2007
Coto standard routeClimbed with Haliku and Axe. The weather was beautiful as we left at midnight, but worsened as we climbed, deteriorating to a whiteout by daylight. We pushed on though and summitted at around 7 am. I don´t remember when the snow started coming down, but it was with us all the way back to the hut. Glad to have done this one.
Jessica L - Apr 15, 2007 1:01 am Date Climbed: Dec 1, 2006
CotopaxiGreat snow conditions, but bitterly cold and windy. My partner and I maintained a good pace to the summit, mostly because it was too cold to stop.
bennovak - Feb 24, 2007 8:32 pm Date Climbed: Feb 14, 2007
Normal RouteMade it to ~18000 ft. Snow, and poor acclimitazation led to my demise. You need more then 2 days in Ecuador to get ready for this one. I will be ready next time.
Daniel Klassen - Feb 9, 2007 8:16 pm Date Climbed: May 7, 2006
Summit 3Guided a group of students up. Snow was deep and borderline avalanche conditions.
Daniel Klassen - Feb 9, 2007 8:01 pm Date Climbed: Jan 8, 2006
Summit 2Best weather I have had on the mountain. Was up by 7:10 am
marauders - Jan 23, 2007 6:22 pm Date Climbed: Jan 15, 2007
Climbed Normal Route: Jan. 15, 2007My favorite mountain in Ecuador. By far the most beautiful and interesting terrain. It was also the fastest to climb. Summited a little under 5 hours. Perfect weather, almost no wind, with a perfect boot track. If it hasn't snowed in a while, I don't think you need a guide here. There are so many people climbing the mountain. On our summit day we summited with 3 other groups of 5 each. No one had a guide.
The initial slopes have steep switchbacks which opens into crevasse fields, seracs and 50 degree slopes. Without the boot track this would be a much harder mountain to navigate and climb, but with the boot track it's pretty easy with climbing experience.
Scott - Jan 22, 2007 4:36 am Date Climbed: Jan 10, 2007
Perfect weatherClimbed Cotopaxi with perfect weather. It was our easiest of the big peaks we climbed in Ecuador, but I thought it was the most beautiful as well. It took me five hours to the top, a pretty average time.
moneal - Jan 21, 2007 3:06 pm Date Climbed: Jan 9, 2007
Normal routeCaught some damn Ecuadorian virus the day of the climb. Couldn't even make a serious attempt. Two folks in my group summitted at sunrise in absolutely perfect conditions.
LC - Jan 11, 2007 5:16 am Date Climbed: Dec 24, 2006
Normal RouteBeautiful conditions all around. Started climbing at 1am and reached the summit at about 7am. Skies were clear and could see all the major cones in the avenue of the volcanoes.
tjbst47 - Dec 31, 2006 7:33 pm Date Climbed: Dec 31, 2006
normal routeGreat weather and snow conditions. Trail in the snow very well defined. Technically easy in terms of crevasse hazards. We walked down from the summit without the rope. Guides would not be useful if you have a couple years climbing experience.
thenewpassion - Dec 10, 2006 6:55 am Date Climbed: Dec 3, 2004
Normal Route in Wonderful WeatherTerrible snow conditions but lovely weather. We had fantastic views from the summit.
Fabrice.Rimlinger - Nov 11, 2006 4:49 pm Date Climbed: Nov 2, 2006
Normal route6h to summit. Really bad weather. Couldn't see the crater. Good fun .
BalletBoy - Nov 5, 2006 9:07 pm Date Climbed: Oct 31, 2006
Ruta Normal - Oct. 31, 2006Reached the summit with Woodie Hopper in complete whiteout conditions. It snowed all afternoon and evening on the mountain before, and during our ascent. The new snow made for tough work getting to the summit. We could barely tell there was a crater with the conditions of visibility.
Woodie Hopper - Oct 31, 2006 6:57 pm Date Climbed: Oct 31, 2006
Ruta normalClimbed in white-out conditions all night. We reached the summit in 5 hours but could barely see into the crater. We didn't have a view beyond the mountain at all.
Mathias Zehring - Oct 11, 2006 10:28 pm Date Climbed: Oct 10, 2006
normal routestrange weather: we started at 1 a.m., we were stuck in clouds, some snowfall but almost no wind at all. Then clouds lifted and when we reached the summit after 5 h 55 min ascent from the hut we had sun and no wind at all on the summit where we could stay for more than one pleasant hour.
Thomas Gurviez - Oct 10, 2006 4:51 pm Date Climbed: Sep 25, 2006
normal routebeautiful climb through amazing glaciers, clear weather up to 8 AM
phydeux - Oct 7, 2006 4:46 pm
Fun climbDreamed of climbing this since I was a kid looking at National Geographic mags. Finally did it (followed by Chimborazo!).
pksander - Sep 26, 2006 10:10 pm Date Climbed: Sep 15, 2006
Normal RouteA great climb on the most impressive mountain of my climbing experience to date. Climbed with Eileen and two of Marco Cruz's guides, Segundo and Manuel. Thanks guys! The glaciers of Rainier and Mt. Baker pale in comparison to the bizzare expanses and formations of Cotopaxi.
oo09nj76t5 - Aug 23, 2006 9:35 pm Date Climbed: Aug 23, 2006
Beautiful DayReached the summit from the refuge after about five hours of climbing, took pictures, watched the sunrise, took more pictures, rolled out.
peakrat76 - Aug 14, 2006 10:21 pm Date Climbed: Nov 17, 1991
Ruta NormalA fun climb on a big peak. Too many people at the hut for my taste; many were day turistas. Weather was stable and the summit calm, although too warm to stay high for long...avalanche conditions by mid-day. The plus to the hut was the cold beer after a good climb.