Field Trip: Cotopaxi

Here's the photo-story for my friend Pete and my attempt on Cotopaxi Volcano, Ecuador's second highest peak (19,347') and the world's third highest active volcano.  We were turned back about 300m from the summit by my altitude sickness and bad weather/ice-squalls.  The write-up is forthcoming.  As ever, the pics look better as a slide-show, which you can start by clicking on one of them.  Thanks for being interested!

The approach by road to the Refugio Cara Sur de Cotapaxi (south face refuge), which you can see on the hill in the middle below the glacier.

The refuge and property that it's on are privately owned by Don Eduardo, who also runs the guiding company we used.  The property abuts the Cotopaxi National Park.  Most Cotopaxi climbs start on the more popular north face.

Eduardo's new sunroom at the refuge.

Salud!

Eduardo's LP gas modified Land Cruiser

View from the refuge, about an hour off the last "main" road and high in the paramo.

At 4000m the refuge sits just below my highest acclimatization climb (4600m).  This would later be a problem for me.

Wildflowers of the paramo were abundant.  I even, finally, caught the paramo dwelling Giant Hummingbird.

At 2 PM, after getting our gear, we headed out on the 2 hour hike up to base-camp.

One of many rainbows on the way up and down, this one sits in a quebrada (or gulch).

Cotopaxi giving one of its rare views for the day.

Chispas the glacier dog accompanied us up to base camp, but declined the summit attempt though photos at the refuge  are testament to his many successful trips.  Chispas makes his own calls in the morning, and his was probably a good one.  The weather did not cooperate, and it was cold even by the guide's standards.

Almost to base camp, you see one of the tents above Pete and to the left.  The illusion of distance is evident here: it would take us an hour plus to make it to the glacier from that tent.

Views around base-camp

Sunset on the volcano.  The summit looks so close, but is 5-6 hours away.

Our palacial digs.  The white tent is the kitchen.  We'd eat dinner and hit the sack around 7 for the midnight wake-up call.  All hikes start early, when the snowpack is more stable, and thus much safer.

This is Segundo, our excellent guide.  He knows Cotopaxi well having climbed it some 100 times.  He didn't have a specific number when we asked, but 100 seemed like a conservative guess.  In fact, he didn't even use a headlamp (he'd forgotten to get batteries) even with our 1AM start.  When we descended in the early morning light, we saw the crevasses he'd navigated without the aid of light. 

Here is Pete packing up his crampons and harness, shortly after we'd climbed off the glacier.

Here I am, still feeling about as bad as I ever have, thanks to hitting 5600m of elevation (or 18,000+ feet).   There are no pictures on the glacier since taking off my pack, extracting my camera, and snapping pictures required an unthinkable amount of effort.  Even re-tying my boots once took more energy than I cared to expend.  

I remember the conversation Segundo and Pete had and the decision to turn back.  Though I was mumbling incoherently and stumbling, the effects of elevation and lack of sleep on my brain, I remember everything clearly.  Just 300m would have taken another 1.5 to 2 hours, which was unthinkable in my condition.  Also, squalls were battering us with ice, and the summit was enshrouded in a storm.  "I've known this guy for 26 years," Pete said, "it's not about strength or conditioning; it's the elevation."  At that, we all agreed to turn back.  You don't take chances up there, and I am grateful to my friend for taking care of me on the mountain.  We are tethered together by more than a rope, for sure.

The edge of the glacier.

Hombres fuertisimos

After some tea and a nap at base camp, still feeling ill, we had to head back down to the refuge since the weather was threatening to turn again.  It looks sunny, but it spat rain all the way down.

With each step down the mountain -- and sip of water -- I felt the effects of the elevation wane.  We were treated to rainbows again, all the way down to the paramo and the refugio.

While our summit attempt was not successful, the trip was.  What beautiful country, and what a blessing to be able to experience it in all of its extremes... and to make it back safely.