Entries By mike walter
We had a great climb of Cotopaxi yesterday, and everyone summitted! We took advantage of cool weather and firm snow conditions and were able to climb during the day yesterday, hiking only the approach to the glacier in the dark. The weather was great, with no wind all day. The team climbed very strongly up the steep slopes of Cotopaxi, and had enough gas left in the tank to enjoy the summit and climb safely back down to the climbers' hut in 10 1/2 hours round trip.
We had great views along the way, being able to see many of Ecuador's high peaks, including Cayambe, Antisana, the Illinizas, the Pichinchas, Cotocachi, Imbabura, and El Corazon, as well as the beautiful mosaic of Andean farmlands far below us.
We spent last night relaxing at the climbers' hut and descended to our waiting vehicles this morning. Now we are at the beautiful Hosteria La Cienega, enjoying hot showers, lower altitude, and the comforts of life off of the mountain.
Congrats to our team for a successful summit of Cotopaxi!
RMI Guide Mike Walter
Thursday, July 4, 2013
RMI Guide Mike Walter checked in at 10:50 am PT from the summit of Cotopaxi. The entire team had reached the summit of Cotopaxi and was enjoying beautiful weather with scattered clouds and no wind.
The team will descend completely today and drive to the Hosteria La Cienega for a well deserved dinner and spend the night.
Congratulations to the team!
On The Map
Yesterday we had a great acclimatization hike up to the climbers' hut on the Iliniza mountains. This hike brought us up to an altitude above 15,000' once again, and will help prepare us for moving higher on Cotopaxi. After the hike, we transferred to the wonderful Hacienda Chilcabamba for the night. Chilcabamba is a beautiful, tranquil hacienda located just outside of Cotopaxi National Park. With the quiet surroundings and the great food, it's a perfect place to relax before heading up to Cotopaxi.
Today, we're off to the climbers' hut on Cotopaxi, where we'll spend two nights preparing for our summit attempt. Everyone is doing well, and we seem to be acclimatizing well to the high altitude. We'll keep you posted from Cotopaxi.
Hast luego...
RMI Guide Mike Walter
Joe - Guess who got her first card today (10 of spades). :) I miss you and love you. You all have a wonderful time and be safe!
Posted by: Nasrin on 7/4/2013 at 3:10 pm
Thanks for the update! Dad/Larry - enjoy the next few days! Thinking of you.
Posted by: Jen on 7/4/2013 at 10:35 am
We experienced some thin air on our first acclimatization hike today, as we climbed Rucu Pichincha, a volcano that sits just to the west of Quito. At 15,413', it was certainly a new altitude record for some climbers on our team. Everyone did well on the climb. Tomorrow we will leave Quito and head south for our next acclimatization hike going up to the climbers' hut on the Illiniza mountains. We'll be in touch with our progress...
RMI Guide Mike Walter
On The Map
Our Cotopaxi Express trip is under way! Today was the first official day of the trip, and we started it off with an introductory team meeting over breakfast. We spent the rest of the day enjoying an informative and educational City Tour of colonial Quito, visiting various churches and parks, the Presidential Palace and the Virgin of Quito (a large statue situated on a hill above Quito). Our local tour guide, Jorge, is very well versed in the history and culture of Ecuador, and we had great time seeing the city.
We also visited an ethnographic museum located on the equator, where we learned about the different indigenous cultures of Ecuador. We also got a photo of our team straddling the equator, some of us in the northern hemisphere and some of us in the southern hemisphere!
RMI Guide Mike Walter
On The Map
Our team is back in Quito, safe and sound after a successful and challenging Cotopaxi summit today. The weather looked perfect when we woke before midnight but that didn't last long, as a storm began to brew as we were climbing. Most of the climb, we were in the clouds with light precipitation and moderate winds. It never got bad enough to turn around; instead, it just made our climbing harder. We didn't need any help making the route harder, as we encountered ladders spanning crevasses, steep slopes, and open crevasses, in addition to the extreme altitude that is always present on Cotopaxi.
All in all, we had a fun and safe climb. We were climbing for more than 12 hours, so we're all bushed. Hopefully showers and a quick nap will rejuvenate everyone so that we can enjoy our celebration dinner tonight in Quito. It's been great spending the past 10 days in Ecuador with our team. We enjoyed a ton of different activities, both cultural and adventurous. Thanks team, for being an integral part of a great trip.
Hasta la próxima montaña,
Adios.
...stay tuned for the Cotopaxi Express trip's blog, starting this weekend!
RMI Guide Mike Walter
On The Map
Looks intense! Awesome job guys!
Posted by: Kim on 6/28/2013 at 8:13 am
Congrats!! Look at that snow!
Posted by: Jan on 6/27/2013 at 6:05 pm
We just enjoyed a much needed rest day at the Hacienda, Chilcabamba, a beautiful rural farmhouse/bed and breakfast situated just outside of Cotopaxi National Park. The serene location is perfect for relaxation and recuperation, in preparation for our summit attempt on Cotopaxi. We have enjoyed good views of Cotopaxi and our climbing route from Chilcabamba all day today.
Tomorrow, we'll pack up and head to the climbers' hut on Cotopaxi, at roughly 16,000'. An early alpine start on Thursday will see us ascending the steep, glaciated slopes of Cotopaxi, hopefully en route to a successful summit. We'll keep you abreast of our progress. Stay tuned!
RMI Guide Mike Walter
On The Map
For Jeff Oderman:
Your fan club here in SoCal is sending you lots of push energy for the next summit. Good luck on the ascent and lots of love from here. Kit, Art and Lynn
Posted by: Kit Spaulding on 6/28/2013 at 8:53 am
what an amazing trip! love the pics.
Posted by: Theresa Sparks on 6/27/2013 at 11:07 am
Hey, this is Mike Walter calling on Tuesday the 25th of June. We are all at Chilcabamba Hacienda outside of Cotopaxi National Park. We spent two days at Cayambe, sleeping up above 15,000'. Yesterday we went out for our summit bid on Cayambe, we had a great day of climbing. The winds turned us around above 18,000'. We were within about 1,000' of the summit maybe 700' of the summit. But the winds, a cloud cap and some riming ice on our clothing turned us around. We are back at Chilcabamba resting and we'll head to Cotopaxi tomorrow to attempt that one. We are all doing well and enjoying our climbing here in Ecuador.
RMI Guide Mike Walter checks in from Ecuador after Cayambe climb.
On The Map
Oh, that sneaky Cayambe. Give the doggy a pet for me at Chilcabamba, and sending good weather thoughts your way for Cotopaxi. xoxo K2 & Kobi
Posted by: K2 on 6/25/2013 at 8:32 pm
After a relaxing night at the hotel Casa Sol, we headed to the world famous market in downtown Otavalo this morning. Here the indigenous Otavaleños display their artisan craft goods, including ponchos, blankets, and sweaters woven from the wool of sheep and alpaca, jewelry, paintings, wood carvings, and the like. We spent the morning exploring the market, and now we're about to head out to the climbers' hut on Cayambe, where we'll spend two nights and hopefully get good weather for a shot at the summit. Cayambe sits at an elevation of 5,790 meters, with massive glaciers flowing from the summit. It is the 3rd highest peak in Ecuador, and also holds the distinction of the highest altitude on earth over which the equator passes.
The weather today is beautifully warm and sunny, and we are optimistic that the good weather will continue while we are up on our climb.
Hasta luego...
RMI Guide Mike Walter
On The Map
Exciting to watch and hear your progress!! Glad to hear everyone is moving strong and feeling good. Looking forward to seeing you at the top and celebrating your summit!! go, Go, GO!!! Lumley
Posted by: Jennifer Lumley on 6/25/2013 at 5:12 am
Been following and envious! Sorry to hear just 300ft short of Summit - better safe. We will hope for the best on the next climb. Be safe & enjoy!
Posted by: Dan C on 6/24/2013 at 10:17 am
We packed up our luggage this morning, checked out of our hotel in Quito, and headed north, towards the town of Otavalo. As much as we enjoyed our time in Quito, I think we all are very excited to leave behind the hustle and bustle of car horns and traffic, get out into the mountains, and enjoy the views of the snow covered peaks of the Ecuadorian Andes. That is, after all, why we’re here.
We summited our second peak today on our final acclimatization hike. Fuya Fuya was the objective this time. At just over 14,000’, the old volcano is lower than yesterday’s climb of Rucu Pichincha but the climbing was consistently steep, from the trailhead to the summit. The trail gained elevation quickly as it climbed thru high Andean grasses, culminating in a short rocky scramble to the summit. Although the summit was in the clouds once again, the weather was terrific for the climb. We were treated to stunning views of the Laguna Mojanda below us, a large lake formed in an ancient volcanic crater. Our team also caught a brief glimpse of an Andean Condor soaring in and out of the clouds around Fuya Fuya.
Now we’re all settle in at our tranquil hacienda, Casa de Sol. We’ll have a relaxing morning tomorrow, visiting the Otavalo market, before heading up to the climbing hut on Cayambe for a couple of nights. We’ll keep you posted as always...
RMI Guide Mike Walter
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I just wanted to congratulate everyone for a successful climb! RTR!
Posted by: Kevin B. Danley on 7/6/2013 at 9:36 am
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