Ecuador: Team heads for the mountains
Posted by: Adam Knoff, Casey Grom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
This morning was a welcomed departure from the hustle and bustle of Ecuador's largest city. Despite the plush hotel, easy Internet access and wild night life, our team was ready to relocate to the country getting us one step closer the big mountains we came here to climb. Although we haven't seen any glaciated peaks yet because of the constant cloud coverage, the guides have thoroughly convinced the team they do exist. Such confidence was not instilled in our team when our driver today told us he knew where the trail head was to our second acclimating hike on a mountain called Fuya Fuya. Doing his best to convince us he was not indeed lost, it became undeniable when the road, if one could call it that, ended in the face of a giant bulldozer actually clearing jungle so the "road" could go further. Always expecting the unexpected, we made the best of the situation by pushing headlong up a muddy, steep trail hoping to find a lake we knew existed somewhere up in the mountains above. Surprisingly we did not find the lake but instead stumbled across the main road we should have been on in the first place. With a good laugh we headed back down the muddy trail to the waiting van and then got settled into our beautiful hacienda. Chuck, Jan, Albert and I had a great soccer match and the rest of us simply relaxed. A quick packing lesson prepared us for tomorrow's departure to the mountains and a great dinner has now prepared us for sleep. The team is doing very well and in good spirits. Hasta mañana.
RMI Guides Adam Knoff & Casey Grom
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