Summit Trekking Ecuador - Page 5

Cotopaxi National Park

We had gradually worked our way up to this point, starting with three 4,000-meter peaks and yesterday our first 5,000-meter summit. However, these had all been rocky giants, glaciated mountains were still ahead. Today, ice training was on the agenda. The last time we had briefly used crampons was on Mount Ararat, and that was the first and last time. Jakob explained everything to us again, and we practiced dry runs on the grass. It turned out to be quite fun with our team. The lodge here is wonderful, both its location and the facilities, not to mention the meals. At breakfast, we even spotted hummingbirds outside the window. Some of us went horseback riding through the sparse landscape. In the afternoon, we took a light hike around a nearby lake. For the first time, it rained heavily, but that was fine, it had never rained on our summit days. Otherwise, some of the peaks would have been too risky to climb due to slippery conditions and icy surfaces.

Shelter Ruales Oleas Bergé (4.600 m)

The next morning, Cotopaxi revealed itself in all its glory once more. Then it was time for us to move on again, such a shame. A four-hour bus ride awaited us, taking us about 60 kilometers northeast of Quito toward Ecuador's third-highest mountain, Cayambe. Along the way, we stopped for lunch at the same restaurant we visited on the first day. It was perfect timing, as it was pouring rain. Jakob explained that heavy rain is typical for this time of year but usually doesn’t last long. He was right, it cleared up quickly. A few kilometers below the refuge, we had to switch to Jeeps because the road was too rough for the bus. Once we arrived at the refuge, we immediately saw the imposing mountainside with its glacier at the top. Wow, the excitement grew. The refuge was much larger than the one at Illiniza, with multiple floors and many dorm rooms, again equipped with bunk beds. The toilets were indoors this time, but just as icy as the outdoor ones at Illiniza. The refuge was staffed, so dinner was ready quickly. Afterward, we had to try to sleep right away, as the ascent was scheduled to begin that night.

Cayambe (5.790 m)

At 11 PM, it was time to get up, though I doubt anyone really slept. A quick hot coffee and a few carbs to fuel up, then it was time to gear up completely: multiple layers of clothing, helmet, headlamp, and harnesses. We started off slowly, hiking steep rocky paths uphill for about two hours before reaching the glacier. There, we strapped on our crampons and formed teams of two or three with the ropes. We had a few more guides with us this time. From that point on, it was all about controlling our breathing and turning off our minds. And under no circumstances should you look up to see where the trail ends, it seemed endless. Step after step until someone called for a water break. The climb was relentlessly steep, with hardly any flat stretches to catch your breath. Eventually, dawn broke, but the weather remained cloudy and misty. Along the way, we encountered breathtakingly beautiful shapes in the glacier—massive, surreal formations. Toward the end, there was a steep ice wall with enormous icicles hanging off the side. After what felt like an eternity, Jakob finally announced that the summit dome was just ahead. Smiles returned to our faces, and we hugged each other. Summit reached 🙂.

We didn’t stay long at the summit, it was still heavily overcast and bitterly cold. Plus, a long descent awaited us, and the extremely steep sections we had climbed took just as long to navigate going down. In daylight, we could now see the endless glacier ridge we had ascended during the night. With our energy drained, we trudged - more or less - to the edge of the glacier. Once we removed our crampons, I promptly slipped and landed in a muddy puddle. This posed a bit of a problem since I didn’t have a change of clothes either on the mountain or back at the refuge. I couldn’t get into any vehicles like that, so my long underwear became my travel outfit until we reached the next accommodation. But first, we celebrated ourselves when we returned to the refuge. Then came the now-routine process: eat, pack, and head off to the next destination. After a few hours, we left the Pan-American Highway and drove into a peaceful forested area to the Hotel Cuello del Luna. A well-deserved dinner awaited us after the summit climb, along with a few extra beers to toast the achievement 🙂.