New Pics from the Vault -- Cotopaxi

I finally got my head together with some of the climbers on the trip .. and got some new great shots from the Iliniza and Cayambe climbs. Pics are worth 1000 words .. enjoy. Thanks to Marcie Hansen for some of these amazing pics.  

Below are some interesting pics from our unsuccessful attempt on Cotopaxi. Pics from Cayambe and Iliniza follow.

Bienvenidos!

The Approach in, Brrrr!

Welcome to the Hotel Tamalpaxi!

The Happy Team!

New Pics from the Vault -- Cayambe

That's the Mountain .. way up there!

... And the Rock Goes on Forever.

Getting Down is No Piece of Cake Either!

The Cayambe Moraine.

The Big Nasty Summit Crevasse!

Its soooo deep!

These things are just plain sinister!

The Snow Bridge that Bill Fell Through!

Bill! .. he survived without a scratch!

These pics show just how scary that Big crevasse near the summit actually was!

The Summit is In Sight!

New Pics from the Vault -- Iliniza Norte

Almost there!

MY Heart Sank! When I got the first glimpse of the Summit.

Take a number!

Straight Up, on thin ice!

One wrong step .. curtains!

Nearing the Summit of Illiniza.

2000 ft, straight down!

Lots! of Space, Not Much Air!

Finally, the summit of Iliniza Norte.

Chimborazo

After the successful Iliniza climb; some of the team still wanted to try Chimbo .. so with trepidation I decided to go along. We drove 4 hours south the next day (29 th), and stayed in an only rail depot that had been converted to a Hostel. Man the place was dank and cold. Then we hiked into the Edwards Whymper refuge on the flanks of the Theilman Glacier on the flanks of Chimbo. Man that place was disconcerting! There was grave stone after gravestone after gravestone of climbers who had died trying to climb that beast. Have to say that my heart was NOT into the climb. Anyway we left at midnight to try for a summit attempt and climbed for two hours through mixed rock and ice to the glacier; cramponed up and started up this 50 degree rotten ice slope trying to attain the ridge so that we would be above any potential rock and ice fall. Just before getting to the ridge (another two hours of climbing) a giant slap of snow and ice broke loose below us ... the whole mountain seemed to "crack". It scared all of us silly including our guides! They "suggested" that is would be too dangerous to go on ... I completely agreed .. and was very relieved to get off of that hill in one piece. Got back to the hut, slept for two hours and headed out for Quito .. where I am happily drinking Cervesa in the hotel lounge right now!

Climbers Graves at Whymper Hut, Chimborazo

Looming Giant

On the way home some enterprising Indian kids built a clever road block to stop cars and hold us for snacks and change .. had to admire their ingenuity. Hopefully I can get some more Iliniza pics uploaded tomorrow; along with the names of the team members, etc. 

Wild Llamas on flank of Chimbo

Highway Robbery!

Safe and Sound in Quito

Its been an adventurous couple of days, just now getting back to the blog. The weather cleared just enough for us to try the summit attempt on Iliniza Norte. Wow, did I underestimate that rock! Like climbing the Matterhorn, only at almost 17,000 ft altitude!. This climb now joins Cayambe as my new "top 5 scariest things I've ever done."

View of Iliniza from Hacienda

The approach in was long and steep on a trail that had precious few switchbacks. Once we finally got to the massif, then the scramble really began. Steep class IV rock covered with snow and rime ice. We just kept getting "deeper into it" and the wall just kept getting steeper, and the drops larger as we climbed. Finally we all roped up (7 people on the team), and did a knee knocking traverse along a 500 foot dropoff covered with snow, ice, and loose rock. After about two hours of this hair raising mixed climbing we finally got above the snow slopes, and then had just a mild technical rock climb (5.3 or so) about 200 feet to the pinnacle. An that was exactly what is was ... a pinnacle. We had to take turns sitting on the summit .. because it was so small.

The Summit View During the March In!

Unfortunately, my camera batteries died; so I only have one bad summit shot. Hopefully I can get some pics from the other folks. Coming down was just as hairy .. but we were able to find sufficient anchors to rappell past the steep sections .. and this at least .. while still dang scary .. got us down faster. I consider this climb to be the best and most technical routes I've ever done; even when climbing as a kid in the Sierra.

The Scary! Summit

My One Summit Pic, Hopefully More to Come

Next Up is a description of our attempt on Chimborazo.

One Miserable Night!

The Cotopaxi attempt was a bust. The weather was HORRIBLE. After a long an miserable slog up an ash filled slope to the mountain hut (man what a pigstye); we got up at midnight with a raging blizzard outside. The wind was howling at 40 mph, and conditions were near whiteout. We struggled to make it to the glacier, about a 2 1/2 hour climb, with conditions worsening every step. We finally gave up after a big wind packed snow slab gave out on us. The struggle back to the hut was uneventful; but the night there was long wet and miserable. Eventually all 5 of the rope teams trying to climb were forced back.

Our schedule does not allow for another summit attempt on Cotopaxi. And the high mountain weather seems to be taking a change for the worse. So we are trying a non-glaciated peak Iliniza (16,850) tomorrow. Basically, this is a long snow and rock scramble. Hey!  its still 2400 ft higher than Mt. Whitney.

Iliniza Norte

If the weather clears we'll try to hike in the the Chimborazo hut on the 29th, and climb on the 30th (If the weather breaks). But I not really optimistic. Basically, I'm cold,wet, and tired; Like all great adventures ... I'm ready for this one to end!

Buenas Noches

Next up! Cotopaxi

After a good night rest on Hacienda Guachala in the little town of Cayambe, we have packed up up and moved south 250 kilometers to Cotopaxi national park. What a beautiful place. Tomorrow after noon we hike up to the mountain hut for a short overnight before we get up at midnight to start the trek up Cotopaxi. See the attached pic. Man that's impressive .... like Mount Fuji on Steroids. will update in tweo days after the summit attempt. Wish us luck.

Cotopaxi -- Mt Fuji on Steroids!