Chimborazo, Team Cara Cara,
June 12 Alpine Ascents Ecuador Trip
The hike into the Chimborazo base camp is a two-hour affair, the beauty of which was slightly diminished by the moderately heavy packs we were carrying.
For me, being it was the last climb of the trip, it was a time for reflection. Our trip had had many highlights and memorable experiences. The tour of Quito, the second day hike above the gondola in perfect weather to 15.5 k feet, a hotel with hot springs right outside my door, vibrant markets, unique and colorful haciendas, incredibly green country sides with quaint farms going up increasingly steep hills, a valiant attempt at Cayambe where we made the summit range at 17,770 feet (as high as the mountain would yield that day), despite challenging conditions that had denied summit attempts for the past week plus, and Antisana, where we had the most beautiful hike in to advanced base camp as the mountain slowly shed its clouds and revealed our route, and then slammed us with 40 mph plus winds and snow that made climbing unthinkable.
But now we were in the western range that is partially blocked from the moisture flowing out of Ecuador’s Amazonian East.
That promise had looked fleeting on our drive to Chimborazo with rains building as we rounded the southern side of the mountain. The final drive up the park road to our trail head had looked promising as we drove up through the cloud layer, but it was still raining lightly when the bus parked. But then it stopped; and blue sky appeared to the west where we were headed!
So on our hike into our camp below the Stubel Glacier, goose bumps were growing! It looked as if Ecuador’s crown peak might shine on our shrinking team.
We got to our base camp at 16.5k feet and in our tents dry, and then it started to rain again. But we were at 16.5k feet, and there was a belief that as the sun fell so would the temperature, and at least the rain would turn to light snow. The best news was there was no wind!
It did turn to snow and then magically, at 11 pm the snow stopped and the clouds parted revealing bright stars and a three quarters moon.
My tent mate was not up to the climb, so I had two guides to myself. At midnight we were on our way. We made good time up the Stubel Glacier and there saw one of only two other groups on the mountain that day, coming up the Normal Route.
From there a rocky patch with a small technical rock climb lead us to a seemingly never ending stretch of snow with a slope of 30 to 45 degrees. The snow texture varied from firm, supporting good crampon steps, to a soft crust that I would break through and slide back downhill. Sometimes this was combined with my ice ax sinking up to the blade, causing me to utter a curse which would only serve to interrupt my breathing causing further exhaustion as we got closer to 20,000 feet.
At about 19,000 feet, Jose Luis, Manuel, and I put on our heavy coats and gloves for the rest of the climb. It had gotten much colder and increasingly windy.
The last 1,000 feet I was running on fumes and my will to continue was disappearing. Manuel, who I had just met that afternoon, on at least 3 occasions kept me moving upward with a mix of positive thoughts, encouragement, and overly optimistic assessments of the distance to the top and the promised decreasing steepness just over the rise. Every negative thing I said was greeted with, “we are almost there!”
Chimborazo is a magical summit, with the title of the furthest spot on the surface of the earth from its core. Our team had not made a summit and this was the last chance, so with Manuel´s prodding we slowly moved towards it.
The final 500 feet or so did change dramatically. It became less steep and we travelled through 3 to 4 foot high snow formations that were a cross between clouds and a white hedge garden. Alice would have felt right at home! Some I could grab or lean against and some would crumble when touched.
Manuel said 5 more minutes, so I said I was dropping my pack. At 20,000 feet you don’t ask or negotiate, you decide and act.
After what seemed more like 15 minutes than 5, Manuel turned to me and took a picture and said we are at the summit! We shared a very warm 15 to 20 minutes on the summit, sharing many things; he felt very much like my brother!
Jose Luis, besides being a world class mountain climber, has the talent of developing assistant guides like a champion baseball manager develops his bull pen. First Fabian and Robby, and then Robby leaves and up comes Manuel. Apparently there are 7 or 8 other assistant guides waiting in the wings.
While cold on top, and cloudy on the neighboring mountains, the weather on the summit of Chimborazo stayed clear and windless, and remained so for our descent. We were up in 8 hours in down in 2 hours and 15 minutes.
At our base some fun tales were shared over tea and then we had to pack up our camp and hike out on some very weary legs. The next day as we drove back to Quito, down Humbolt’s Avenue of the Volcanos, I again reflected on such a wonderful experience with such a great group of climbers and guides, exploring such a wonderful country.
Thank you so much to our mountain and tour guide Jose Luis, our guides Fabian, Robby and Manuel, our fabulous cook and bus drivers, and to Alpine Ascent for making it all possible.
For Patrick, Dom, Shannon and Arnold, this is David Jenkins for Team Cara Cara, signing off for the last time.
May all your adventures be as fulfilling as ours was!
David at the summit of Chimborazo
David descending the west flanks of Chimborazo
David taking a break on the descent
Climbers traversing to the main summit of Chimborazo
Antisana advanced base camp
