Entries By dustin wittmier
Following two nights of tent camping in the paramo, yesterday we climbed Antisana. Several members of the team reached the summit and everyone gave a serious effort. Congratulations to all for making it as far as we have.
Antisana is Ecuador's fourth highest mountain, but the complex glaciers that one encounters makes a summit bid quite difficult. Our camp sits at 14,800' in the final patch of grass before entering more serious alpine terrain. The first hour takes you through a glacial moraine before arriving at the base of the glacier. Once on the glacier, numerous huge crevasses are encountered as well as needing to navigate through serac-ridden terrain. Higher on the mountain, the team worked their way up some very steep snow pitches before walking the seemingly endless plateau to the true summit. Although this section is benign, the altitude of over 18,000' catches up with you. This is truly a difficult climb and for making the effort, you are rewarded with excellent views of other high mountains in Ecuador.
Honestly, Antisana might be my favorite volcano climb in Ecuador. The beauty of our campsite alone is worth a visit. We camped two nights in tents and there is also a dining tent where we were served delicious, hot meals every morning and evening. The staff at Antisana basecamp is lovely and as always, our local Ecuadorian guides are professional and just truly good people to hang with.
Today, a portion of the group heads home while the rest of us are headed to Chimborazo. We spent a final night as a team at Casa Ilayaku, a quaint hacienda on an old farm property near Quito. According to our smart watches, the sleep was near perfect. For those headed to Chimborazo, we are now on a four hour bus ride to the Chimborazo Lodge for one more relaxing night prior to another big summit push!
Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier
November 1, 2023
Posted by: Dustin Wittmier, Emma Lyddan
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Elevation: 16,818'
Iliniza Norte summit!
Our team reached the summit of Iliniza Norte at 6 pm yesterday evening. It was a beautiful afternoon, so upon arrival at the hut we decided to just go for it. We were rewarded with a lovely sunset at the summit, one of the nicer ones most of us have ever seen.
Back at the hut, we sat down for a hot meal and although it was quite tasty, Emma and I spent some time forcing people to eat. A long few days of acclimatizing is catching up with everyone, but you have to eat! The main objective lies ahead.
We are now in route to Antisana Basecamp, where we will spend two nights and hopefully be standing on top of the fourth highest peak in Ecuador less than 48 hours from now!
RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier
That is Awesome Dustin and Team!! Thank you for sharing those incredible pictures! Breath Deep!!!!
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 11/3/2023 at 4:21 am
October 31, 2023
Posted by: Dustin Wittmier, Emma Lyddan
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Elevation: 9,350'
Flying into Quito you begin to grasp the magnitude and astounding beauty of the volcanoes surrounding the city. The dichotomy of the lush Amazonian rainforest and the high, snowy mountains leaves one with a sense of the diverse ecosystems of Ecuador. Our first day included trip introductions, getting to know each other and exploring the city. We spent the first half of the day at the equatorial line, learning about the indigenous people of the Amazon and their culture. The second half of the day we explored old Quito, checking out stunning architecture and discussing the current politics of Ecuador. Our second day we took a teleferico or gondola up to around 13,000ft to begin our acclimating hike up to the summit of Rucca Pichincha at 15,354ft. Everyone enjoyed snacks and laughs at the summit before heading back to Quito for a delicious Mediterranean dinner.
Best of Luck to the entire team from US, especially from Chicago and NY. Wish I was there with you guys.
Good Luck on Antisana and Chimborazo. Carpei Diem…!!!
Fernando Carranza Sr.
Posted by: Fernando R Carranza on 11/2/2023 at 1:00 pm
Stunning sunset!
Posted by: Jean Wittmier on 11/1/2023 at 11:35 pm
Thanks everyone for following along and once again, a shout out to Farmer Dave for all the encouragement!
Climbing Orizaba is never easy. We ended up having a great weather day and route conditions were also favorable. But it still felt like a hard push after the long week of being rained off of big mountains and spending hours drying gear. The team can take pride in their perseverance and their summit of Pico de Orizaba, the third highest peak in North America.
Last night we celebrated in Tlachichuca at the Servimont hostel, where there is always a nice meal and cold drinks. Most people were in bed by 8pm, it was quite the party. Now we are on one final bus ride, to the airport this time, and will return to normal life tomorrow. The muddy, dusty gear we are bringing home will remind us of the good times we had in Mexico.
RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier
Hey Dustin! Way to go getting your Team to the Top!!! Brought back Awesome memories!!!
Farmer Dave
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 10/15/2023 at 10:33 am
October 14, 2023
Posted by: Dustin Wittmier
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 18,491'
Saturday, October 14, 2023 7:11 am PDT
Summit Orizaba. High clouds, cool, light breeze. Nice day!
RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier & Team
Way to Go Dustin and Team!! Great Job !!!
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 10/15/2023 at 3:50 am
You did it!! Congratulations!
Know you are all stoked it worked out! Well done!
Posted by: Judy collins on 10/14/2023 at 5:17 pm
October 13, 2023
Posted by: Dustin Wittmier
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 14,000'
Alright, we are rested and have pressed the reset button. A rest day in Puebla is always well deserved for a group that has been tromping around in the mountains and enduring long bus rides. Rest day activities included all the standard stuff: museums, sampling local coffees, the bouldering gym, walking around the historic city center and a nice team dinner.
We are now on the bus, headed for Tlachichuca and it's a nice morning. Everyone is hopeful that the weather will be better than on Ixta, where we were slammed by rain and wind associated with the category 2 Hurricane Lidia, the eye of which passed just to our north. That was certainly an experience. We're looking for something less dramatic on Orizaba. Stay tuned for an update tomorrow afternoon!
RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier
Hey Dustin! I hope you have the weather I had on Orizaba….Perfect!! I hope you all get to see the shadow of Orizaba in the valley below!!
All the best!!
Farmer Dave
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 10/13/2023 at 1:29 pm
October 12, 2023
Posted by: Dustin Wittmier
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 15,430'
Wednesday, October 11, 2023 - 6:10 pm PT
Well, that was a thorough soaking. On night one of Ixta we camped at the trailhead. It rained all night without a break. In the morning it was still raining, but showing signs of clearing so we packed up and headed towards high camp. About an hour in to our hike, the sun came out, revealing our surroundings. We were treated to views of Ixta proper and Popo with a dusting of snow. However, around 5pm the clouds rolled back in and it rained hard again.
It rained throughout the night, a very cold rain. When I woke up to check the weather on a few occasions I was pelted by sideways sleet. Oh right, it was quite windy as well. Sustained moderate winds and precipitation throughout the night thwarted any chance of making a summit attempt. But we can chalk the whole experience up to more acclimatization and for some members of the team, 15400' was a new altitude record or sleeping altitude record.
This morning we descended from high camp, following the direction of a new dog friend. If not already soaked from the night prior, this hike ensured everyone was completely wet. Needless to say, we are all looking forward to some good meals and rest in Puebla tonight and tomorrow. We are keeping our optimism alive for Orizaba and are honestly feeling prepared. Hopefully this weather pattern clears out before Saturday.
RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier
Great update and photos :). I hope the weather treats you right for Orizaba! Have fun B!
Posted by: Heather Collins on 10/12/2023 at 9:34 am
October 10, 2023
Posted by: Dustin Wittmier
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 15,430'
Tuesday, October 10, 2023 3:17pm
This is Dustin and Team checking in from high camp on Ixta. It rained constantly last night and we almost pulled the plug on climbing Ixta. However, we started uphill into the rain this morning and eventually ended up in the sun. We're now at high camp and the weather still looks iffy in the distance, but if we can thread the needle again we at least have some chance!
Wish us luck!
All the Best Dustin!!!
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 10/12/2023 at 5:32 am
October 9, 2023
Posted by: Dustin Wittmier
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 14,440'
Yesterday we hiked almost all the way up La Malinche. At 14,440 feet, just a few minutes from the top, the park security emerged from the cloud to inform us that the mountain was closed due to the threat of lightning. My own assessment of the lightning risk was lower than his, but this guy didn’t seem in the mood to discuss and I wasn’t going to bring my rudimentary Spanish skills and a trekking pole to a gun fight. Oh well.
On the way down, we got thoroughly soaked and were happy to hop in the showers at the La Malintzi Resort before eating a hot meal and getting to bed early.
At the moment, we are in route to La Joyita, the trailhead for Ixtaccihuatl. We will spend the night there and head to high camp tomorrow.
RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier
Hey Dustin! All the Best to you and your team!!!
Farmer Dave
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 10/10/2023 at 3:26 am
October 8, 2023
Posted by: Dustin Wittmier
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 7,300'
¡Hola!
Yesterday the entire team arrived for the first RMI trip to the Mexico Volcanoes for this season. We have all bags in tow and are now on our way to La Malinche for some acclimatization. Today is mostly cloudy, so we will see what the mountain gives us, but more importantly we are getting out to move the legs and exercise the lungs. Check back tomorrow for details on how our day went!
RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier
That is Awesome Dustin and Team!!
I speak from experience, a few years ago Dustin was the reason I made it to the Summit of Cotopoxi!!
You all have an Awesome guide!
Farmer Dave
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 11/5/2023 at 3:57 am
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