We fly out on Wednesday

We fly out on Wednesday and I am so excited!

Links to places we are staying

Tambopaxi
Black Sheep Inn

I’ll be checking in at the South American Explorers Club and sending email from there.

This is the email in case of an emergency quitoclub@saexplorers.org


The revised revised Itinery

Day 1 - Arrive Quito (Wed 11/30)
Day 2 - Quito (old town etc…) (Thurs 12/1)
Day 3 - Pichincha/Stay Quito (Fri 12/2)
Day 4 - Rest/ stay Tambopaxi (Sat 12/3)
Day 5 - Rumiñahui/Drive to Quilotoa, stay Blacksheep (Sun 12/4)
Day 6 - Rest/Hike around Laguna Quilota, stay Blacksheep (Mon 12/5)
Day 7 - Cotopaxi – position refugio (Tues 12/6)
Day 8 - Cotopaxi – summit/Stay near there (Wed 12/7)
Day 9 - Rest/Drive towards Chimbo (Thurs 12/8)
Day 10 - Chimborazo – Position refugio(Fri 12/9)
Day 11 - Chimborazo – summit/start driving back (Sat 12/10)
Day 12 - drive back to Cheryl’s (Sun 12/11)
Day 13 -15 farm for me and wherever you’d like for you guys (Mon – Wed 12/12 – 12/14)
Day 16 – Quito near airport (Thurs 12/15)
Day 17 - Fly out early (Fri 12/16)

Mountaineering Workout

Mountaineering Workout
Gsann (gsann@aol.com) wrote:: I am currently working out so I can climb CO 14ers. Does anyone have any: tried and true workout techniques that make altitude climbing less: enduring?
I suggest going out to the nearest pub and getting completely, and utterly, wasted. Make sure you smoke at least 1 pack of unfiltered Camel's. Get the full ashtray, pour a drink in it and then pour the mixture into a water bottle.
When you get home (ideally around 3:30am) stick the vile mixture into your freezer. Put on your best Gore-Tex and thermal layer. Climb in. At 5:30am, get out, drink (chew?) the mixture and go run the biggest flight of stairs you can find. Run until your heart threatens to explode.
Your dehydration caused by the alcohol should adequately simulate what you may experience at higher altitudes. Your lung capacity should be sufficiently impaired by the smokes to simulate a oxygen poor environment. The freezer episode should adequately replicate a bivy. Drinking the booze/butt mixture should simulate your lack of appetite.....
Oh — once your finished your workout, go to work (to replicate the long walk out).
—Greg Hamilton

Revised Plan

Revised Plan

Day 1 - Arrive Quito (Wed 11/30) Day 2 - Quito (old town etc.) Day 3 - Pichincha/Stay Quito Day 4 - Rest/ stay Tambopaxi Day 5 - Rumiñahui/Drive to Quilotoa, stay Blacksheep Day 6 - Rest/Hike around Laguna Quilota, stay Blacksheep Day 7 - Cotopaxi - position Day 8 - Cotopaxi - summit/Stay near there Day 9 - Rest/Drive towards Chimbo Day 10 - Chimborazo - Position Day 11 - Chimborazo - summit/start driving back Day 12 - drive back to Cheryl's Day 13 -15 farm for me and wherever you'd like for you guys Day 16 - Quito near airport Day 17 - Fly out early (Fri 12/16)

Video of the climbs we plan to do

Found a website today that has video of all the climbs we plan on doing.Our plan is to do Guagua Pinchincha - Ruminahui - Cotopaxi and then - Chimborazo. I will be happy just doing the acclimatization hikes. Getting to the summit of Cotopaxi and Chimborazo is a bonus.

Proposed Itinerary

ECUADOR 2005

Proposed Itinerary

Day 1 -     Arrive Quito          (Wed 11/30)
Day 2 -   Quito (old town etc…)
Day 3 -     Pichincha
Day 4 -      Rest
Day 5 -     Rumiñahui
Day 6 -     Rest
Day 7 -      Cotopaxi – position
Day 8 -      Cotopaxi – summit
Day 9 -      Rest
Day 10 -     Chimborazo – Position
Day 11 - Chimborazo – summit
Day 12 - drive back towards Cheryl’s
Day 13 -15 farm for me and wherever you’d like for you guys
Day 16 – Quito near airport
Day 17 - Fly out early          (Fri 12/16)


Acclimators:


Rucu Pinchincha 14,413ft

Older and slightly lower summit to the Northwest of Guagua. Up until a few years ago it was the most popular trek of the two peaks but all that has changed due to crime along the beginning of the standard route which goes through a less fortunate neighborhood of Quito.

Guagua Pinchincha overlooks Quito and is 15,725 ft.

Generally the peaks are snow free but on occassion a storm will cover the peak with a brilliant white layer. Rain and mist are almost certain. Be careful when climbing in wet and misty conditions. The rock can become very slick and the visibilty poor. Take care to remember the way down or be with someone who knows the way. I didn't see the crater while standing on the rim but knew it was there due to the smell.

Drive through Lloa to a parking place at 4150m where it is best to start to allow for more acclimatization. If you’re like most 4WD, you can make the drive on to the Ecuadorian Civil Defense hut at 4550m (when the conditions are dry).
It takes about 4-hours to reach the summit, where we stand on the edge of the active crater. To reach the top there is a 2-meter scrabble, but no equipment is needed. Guagua is particularly prone to clouding in and sudden storms.

Depart from Quito, through the southern neighborhoods towards Lloa village. Four wheel drive vehicle, to a big plain.  A gentle walk on a dirty road up to the crater rim of Guagua and a few minutes later to its summit.  Traverse from West to East in the direction of Rucu (the old) following a trail below “Padre Encantado Boulder” then climb  easy couloirs, that lead us to its summit, which is a natural lookout of Quito.


Rumiñahui is in Cotopaxi National Park and is 15,500 ft.  

     Start ascent at Laguna Limpiopungo. Four hours to summit.

Climbs:
Cotopaxi

is 19,388ft. (vertical climb 3650ft.)

Recommend stopping at the nearby city of Latacunga where you can find gear, outfitters, good restaurants, nice and cheap hotels and a lot of opportunities and information for others.

The park has many camping sites. Camping is allowed on the mountain. The refugio Jose F. Rivas is located at aprox. 15.744ft on the Normal route. It is about a 1/2 hour from the parking area and the cost is $10 US/night. The hut is very nice in comparison to the Mexico huts. For a nominal fee they can provide dinner and H2O. You will find 50 bunks, water, electricity, a kitchen, pit-toilets, a fireplace and lockers to store your extra gear while you climb. Most parties do their summit bid directly from the hut. Park entrance fee $18.00


Note: For the ones who search for tranquility, you can camp on a nice plateau a 100 meters right from the hut. The view is stunning and you are separate from the touristic crowd that pass by the hut every day. Keep in mind, if you choose to tent it and not pay the refugio, you can not use ANY of their facilities. The Inn Keepers sees to that. No h2o, no restrooms etc. We did manage to go in one night and warmed ourselves by the fire and chat with other climbers.

Cotopaxi National Park, where our driving destination ends at the Cotopaxi car park, situated at 4.550m (14.924ft) From here we have a forty-five minute hike with full packs up to the Jose Rivas Refuge on the Cotopaxi flank north West at 4.800m (15.744ft)
800 foot climb to refuge.

Wake up at midnight. Breakfast and equipment check-up. We leave the refuge at 1:00 A.M. We will pass a group of uniform slopes and ice ramps of 30 and 35 degrees before reaching a glacier platform. Our route will pass under a base of rock 400 feet wide called Yanasacha. Here we start climbing glacier slopes of 35 and 45 degrees, at the top of which we will only have 15 more minutes climb to emerge onto Ecuador's second highest summit. Our approximate climbing time will have been 7 hours. Arrive back at the refuge around 9 or 10:00 A.M.

Mountain Conditions:

The mountain is not technically hard but does require crampons, ice axe and rope. The mountain is well crevassed, particularly at the beginning of the glacier. For the most part, the crevasses are spectacularly large and open thus easy to avoid but beware of the multiple snow bridges...travel by night and come back early as the snow gets very slushy. The route is well beaten in but there are a few diff options down low. Get up at midnight, be off at 1am and you can summit in 7-9 hours. Spend a day or two is better if you have the time, acclimating and your climb will be smoother. You hit the crux, or steepest section, just above the Yanasacha or the black band. Here you may want to rope up. Keep your head down and persever, the route winds around just a bit and continues up then you hit, easy type ridge. Here the steepness eases to the summit.


Chimborazo

is 20,702ft. (vertical climb 3900ft.)

Depart from La Cienega at 10:00 A.M. Drive south of Cotopaxi where we will pass the agricultural towns of Latacunga and Ambato. Five hour drive crossing agricultural and indigenous areas where a picture or two may attract you. We will arrive at the lower refuge of Chimborazo 4.800m (14.545ft). Park access fees are $5-10 US.


There are two refugios on the mountain at approx. 16,400ft and most of the parties do their summit bid directly from the huts. It is a 6-9 hours climb with slopes up to 60 degrees. People usually start their climb around midnight and return to the hut in the late morning.

Leave the hut at 1:00 A.M.  Move immediately to the huge glacier on Chimborazo's southwest face where you traverse moderately angled ice slopes, climb through a series of icefalls and up the steep ice ramps. Climbing simultaneously on moderate grounds belaying up the steep pitches. Rope together in order to cross crevasses and finally make it to the summit. Approximate climbing time is 8 to 9 hours. Return to the refuge for 3 or 4 hours down.

North Side via the Castillo
Level II
8-9 Hours for ascent
3900 feet


Iliniza Norte requires two days and can be a climb although it doesn’t have permanent snow.  If we are feeling spent after Cotopaxi, this could possibly be a substitute for Chimbo if we decide to bag it.

This is the San Rivas hut at the base of Cotopaxi. Hopefully my pictures will be as nice, till I post some enjoy these great pics.