Hello hello,
What a week it’s been! Conditions in the mountains here have been challenging, and our subsequent itinerary alterations made it difficult to update. Here is a quick wrap up of the latter half of our expedition.
After a few hours of sleep at almost 16,000ft in the bunks of the Jose Rivas Refuge, we started our summit bid on Cotopaxi. The route is steep from the get-go, heading straight up the west side of the mountain. The team looked strong, everyone had started to find their high altitude rhythm at this point. We ascended around 2,000 feet up the route to the edge of the glacier, where we needed to test the snowpack stability. We knew that the variable weather and heavy snowfall in previous weeks had created tricky avalanche conditions, so testing the snow day-of was critical to our decision making. Lead guide Juliana— who is one of South America’s leading avalanche education experts— performed a standing column test, which revealed a dangerous slab formation that easily slid. We repeated the test and found the same again— no bueno. Avalanche conditions were too dangerous to continue higher. We called it there, and descended back to the refuge. It’s always tough to turn around in the mountains, but returning home safely to our loved ones is non-negotiable. We napped for a few hours at the refuge, had a breakfast of fruit and humitas (which are not the same as tamales, as we learned 
) and headed back to Tambopaxi resort.
We left Cotopaxi National Park the next day for our third objective, Chimborazo. After a road trip stop in Riobamba for lunch, in which a few of us were defeated by enormous empanadas beyond our capacity, we spent a night at Abraspungo Hostelry. in the surrounding flatlands from the peak– a charming whitewashed resort with our favorite views yet. The restaurant here was also the best of the trip– who knew you could get such delicate pasta carbonara in an Ecuadorian mountain town! We walked up a hill above town at golden hour just in time to catch a spectacular sunset, with Chimborazo showing itself through colorful clouds to the northwest, and another range of jagged peaks– El Altar– lit up as if on fire to the east. What a privilege to witness such a beautiful scene.
In the morning we received news from Manuel, one of our guides and the keeper of high camp on Chimborazo, who had gone up to test the climb early that morning. Conditions on the mountain were no good— wind and avalanche danger prevented him from getting above 18,000ft, and the weather in the coming hours was deteriorating further. We met as a team and discussed options, ultimately deciding that it would not make sense to make an attempt on Chimborazo with the given conditions. Instead, we would head back north and give Cotopaxi another go, as conditions there seemed to be improving.
We made a second attempt on Cotopaxi the next day. The mountain denied us once again. High winds and freezing rain turned us around at about 17,200ft. Although it’s not the outcome we were hoping for, we certainly got a “full value” mountain experience— getting pelted by continuous gusts of high wind and each of us encased in an ice shell over all our layers and gear. Cotopaxi doesn’t mess around! We were grateful to return safely again to the refuge, with all fingers and toes intact.
Fortunately this team had the wisdom and perspective to understand that this is how it goes in the mountains. Everyone remained a positive team player throughout the journey, and our respect for these peaks has only increased. Hopefully we can come back to try climbing them again, but even if we don’t, our time on their slopes has made an indelible impression on us. What a gift to learn from the lessons they give us.
We spent our last bit of time together as a team trying out the local delicacy, guinea pig;
seeing some new landscapes of the country; and of course, sharing wine and laughs. It’s been an absolute pleasure to be here with Juliana, Ramiro, Mike, Dave, Phil D, Cory, Ken, Jon, Brett, and Phil G. Hopefully our paths cross again.
Until then, The Quinoa Posh Climbers are signing off. Salud!
Tara
