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| Climbers Graves at Whymper Hut, Chimborazo |
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| Looming Giant |
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| Wild Llamas on flank of Chimbo |
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| Highway Robbery! |
Chimbo
Man! That's big!
Friday, December 31, 2010
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!
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.
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."
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.
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.
Next Up is a description of our attempt on Chimborazo.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| The Scary! Summit |
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| My One Summit Pic, Hopefully More to Come |
Next Up is a description of our attempt on Chimborazo.
Monday, December 27, 2010
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.
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
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.
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| 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
Saturday, December 25, 2010
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.
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| Cotopaxi -- Mt Fuji on Steroids! |
Friday, December 24, 2010
Feliz Navidad
Sometimes persistence pays; and after almost a week of waiting we finally got good weather for the Cayambe summit attempt. Let me say right now that this was one of the top ten hardest, and top 5 scariest things I’ve ever done. Because of the high avalanche danger we started climbing shortly after midnight and climbed the Espinoza glacier all night long. The glacier approach was rather hairy with a 1000 ft class rock scramble across the moraine with lots of exposure, and of course climbing in full expedition gear with packs and technical snow boots.
I was on a rope teams with our Ecuadorian guide Joshua and Mark Hall, a ship’s captain from Southern CA. We finally got to the technical section of the climb at about 18,000 ft around sunrise. Man was that scary; crevasses everywhere (you could not see them in the dark); and a 45 degree snow ramp leading up the summit pitch. The snow ramp was so steep that we had to use the ice ax in the “assist” position .. that is with the ”pick and not the shovel.” Snow kept balling up in my crampons .. so for every two feet I climbed I slid back one. About 700 feet below the summit there was an enormous crevasse with a single wimpy snow bridge. We set belays, and then had to literally jump onto the bridge (it was 6 feet down into the crevasse) and then climb out on a 50 degree snow and ice slope for 200 feet to gain the summit ridge. I’m certain If I had popped of this wall I would have bounced straight into the crevasse. The terrain was so steep and treacherous that we All forgot to take pictures during the crevasse crossing.
Anyway, we summited at 10:00 AM after climbing all night. There truly is not much air hanging around at 19,000 feet!. Down climbing the summit ridge ramp was even more hair raising than climbing down. The snow was so unstable that we could not set a decent belay anchor; and had to down climb using to old “fall and die” principle. Man I did not like taking that level of risk .. but we had no choice. That WAS THE ONLY WAY DOWN FROM THE SUMMIT. The snow got really soft during our decent from the glacier and it took until 3:00 in the afternoon to get back to the hut. A pretty danged long day.
Taking tomorrow off to rest; then we travel south about 250 miles to Cotopaxi. This is a larger peak, at `19,400 ft; but is “alleged” to be much less technical. I sure hope so.
Everybody have a Merry Christmas.
I was on a rope teams with our Ecuadorian guide Joshua and Mark Hall, a ship’s captain from Southern CA. We finally got to the technical section of the climb at about 18,000 ft around sunrise. Man was that scary; crevasses everywhere (you could not see them in the dark); and a 45 degree snow ramp leading up the summit pitch. The snow ramp was so steep that we had to use the ice ax in the “assist” position .. that is with the ”pick and not the shovel.” Snow kept balling up in my crampons .. so for every two feet I climbed I slid back one. About 700 feet below the summit there was an enormous crevasse with a single wimpy snow bridge. We set belays, and then had to literally jump onto the bridge (it was 6 feet down into the crevasse) and then climb out on a 50 degree snow and ice slope for 200 feet to gain the summit ridge. I’m certain If I had popped of this wall I would have bounced straight into the crevasse. The terrain was so steep and treacherous that we All forgot to take pictures during the crevasse crossing.
Anyway, we summited at 10:00 AM after climbing all night. There truly is not much air hanging around at 19,000 feet!. Down climbing the summit ridge ramp was even more hair raising than climbing down. The snow was so unstable that we could not set a decent belay anchor; and had to down climb using to old “fall and die” principle. Man I did not like taking that level of risk .. but we had no choice. That WAS THE ONLY WAY DOWN FROM THE SUMMIT. The snow got really soft during our decent from the glacier and it took until 3:00 in the afternoon to get back to the hut. A pretty danged long day.
Taking tomorrow off to rest; then we travel south about 250 miles to Cotopaxi. This is a larger peak, at `19,400 ft; but is “alleged” to be much less technical. I sure hope so.
Everybody have a Merry Christmas.
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| Cayambe by Moonlight as we depart the Hut. |
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| An angry mountain. |
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| Mark and Jopshua at the Summit. |
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| No My belly isn't that big! .. I had on 5 layers of clothes, Brrrr. |
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| Ice Blocks near the summit .. and a really scary snow bridge. |
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Cabin Fever!
Sorry to be so late with this blog update; but we've been literally pinned down by the weather at the mountain hut on Cayambe. Everyone attempting a summit attempt has been turned back by the atrocious weather. Avalanche conditions are extreme. Even getting up to the hut was an adventure as we had to hike the last 2 miles because of the impassible road conditions. ... and we started the trek in at 14,000 ft! The hut is at 15,200. So needless to say, I was pretty whipped just getting there.
Anyway, after three days of going stir crazy we finally got out onto the glacier for some practice and technique work. Those ice slopes are incredibly intimidating; just getting onto the glacier is a big challenge. The weather finally cleared yesterday .. so we have headed down to the town of Cayambe to stay at a local hacienda to rest up for our summit attempt very early on Friday morning. Hopefully, one more day of clear weather will set the snow to give us a shot. One way or another will try to get pics of the attempt posted.
The scale of these mountains is just incredible. The Sierra and Uinta ranges -- big as they are – simply cannot measure up. Cayambe rises so incredibly high above the hut that it seems almost artificial .. like some sort of movie prop. Glad to be warm and dry tonight ... certainly won’t be that way on Friday morning. To help min8imize avalanche risk we are going to start climbing at 1:00 am when the snow and rock are all still frozen. It’s a full moon, so visibility will be great if the skies are clear.
Wish us luck!
Anyway, after three days of going stir crazy we finally got out onto the glacier for some practice and technique work. Those ice slopes are incredibly intimidating; just getting onto the glacier is a big challenge. The weather finally cleared yesterday .. so we have headed down to the town of Cayambe to stay at a local hacienda to rest up for our summit attempt very early on Friday morning. Hopefully, one more day of clear weather will set the snow to give us a shot. One way or another will try to get pics of the attempt posted.
The scale of these mountains is just incredible. The Sierra and Uinta ranges -- big as they are – simply cannot measure up. Cayambe rises so incredibly high above the hut that it seems almost artificial .. like some sort of movie prop. Glad to be warm and dry tonight ... certainly won’t be that way on Friday morning. To help min8imize avalanche risk we are going to start climbing at 1:00 am when the snow and rock are all still frozen. It’s a full moon, so visibility will be great if the skies are clear.
Wish us luck!
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| Mark, Joshua, and Me at Lake Coyaucha |
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| At the Center of the World |
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| One foot in each hemisphere! |
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| The "5-star" Mountain accommodations on Cayambe |
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| An angry glacial moraine |
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| Warming up |
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| Crossing the Rock Band on the way io the glacier |
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| Dang! That is a deep crevasse! |
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| Vertical wall practice ... we'd need this experience later! |
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| Scary ... but glad we did this. |
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| Abseil Practice of a 40 ft ice cliff! |
Thursday, December 16, 2010
In Ecuador we do more stuff before noon than most folks do all year!
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| The Virgin of Quito |
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| Guayasamin Artwork |
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| Old Quito |
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| City View |
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| City Carved Right into a Mountainside |
As low key as Wednesday was ... Today was the polar opposite .. the pan was to do an aclimitization climb to a local peak Guagua Pichincha .. which is a little short of 16,000 ft. But like all good plans the trip god sidetracked. The road up was washed out by a mudslide .. and when we tried to cross it our land rover got swept to the edge of the road .. with one wheel off and lurching over a 400 ft drop. Man you should have seen us scurry from the sides of the car. When I opened the side door I was looking straight down 20 feet .. I have to climb across and squeeze out an open window.
Anyway ... it was a loong day digging trench after trench .. and pulling with ropes .. but we finally managed to coax the truck away from the Abyss. Pix on the blog site.
Anyway we did an aborted hike to Cruz Loma pass ... and then went to the Quito Rock gym to practice ropes and Abseil techniques. Oh well .. live and learn ... hopefully this is our disaster for the trip.
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| Ohhhh Man! That was scary! |
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| Next stop .. Bottom of the canyon! |
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| Whew .. AT LEAST WE MADE THE PASS |
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| Ropes Practice |
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| What a View! |
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| Vertical World! |
Off to Otavalo and the Cayambe hut tomorrow. The three days of practice on the glacier before we make the summit attempt.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
First Up: Cayambe!
I arrive in Quito on Tuesday night, Dec. 14, and will be staying at the Hotel Reina Isabel for the first night. Then on to Otavalo and staying at Hotel Pinsaqui. Hopefully, I will get a chance to tour the market at Otavalo. I get "glacier ready" with some background training on Cayambe the next 4 days and will be roughing it at Cayambe Hut at 15,257 ft. Man! that is by far the highest I've ever slept. Hope I don't snore everybody to death! The glacier training is mostly review for me, as I did a lot of this stuff back in the 1980's in the Sierra .. but its been a long time. Last time I climbed anything with an ice ax was a soolo climb of the north slope of Baden Powell right outside of Los Angeles in 1996. Don't laugh .. That is a steep, iced up mountain, and in the spring the north side can get glacier hard.!
Cayambe @18,997 ft elevation is Ecuador’s third highest mountain. Cayambe is the only place on the entire planet where you can find snow and ice at the equator! Should make for some good pix! Because of the low latitude, the Ecuadorian volcanos are prone to avalanches; so apparently every body climbs at night using headlamps ... wow, ain't that gonna be a trip. I've posted a picture of the Cayambe Hut with the mountain behind it on my blog template.
Cayambe @18,997 ft elevation is Ecuador’s third highest mountain. Cayambe is the only place on the entire planet where you can find snow and ice at the equator! Should make for some good pix! Because of the low latitude, the Ecuadorian volcanos are prone to avalanches; so apparently every body climbs at night using headlamps ... wow, ain't that gonna be a trip. I've posted a picture of the Cayambe Hut with the mountain behind it on my blog template.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Well .... This it!
OK this is it .... the last week before I depart on another one of Tony's big adventures! This time I'm headed off to Ecuador for the "Avenue of the Volcanos" three peak trip .... Three biggest peaks in the central Andes, Cayambe, Cotopaxi, and Chimborazo. The last of the list exceeds 21,000 ft altitude. This my first foray on the big glacier climbing, and its a BIT intimidating. .. It won;t be 5 star accommodations for sure. ... see .... http://www.ecuadoradventures.com/climbing-cotopaxi-video-refuge/
I'm tagging along on trip sponsored by "Mountain Maddness" of Seattle ... That was Scott Fischer's old company ... if you don;t recognize the Name .... go rent "Into Thin Air" or read the book of the same name by John Krakauer. That ought to get your attention. I got a small grant from the Keck Foundation to give a couple of "all about space" lectures at two middle schools in Quito right after the climb ... had planned to give the lectures in Spanish .. but that ain't working out so well! But I'll try to do some of it! Next step Everest :-}
My friend Laura Schroeder is coming to Park City to take care of Poppy .. she is such a friend .. thanks Laura .. Poppy is in good hands.
Some preliminaries .... Just in case
My Mom's phone is ... 740 385 0260 .
My cousin Jim and Denise Covert can be reached at ... 561 755 0819
Finally .. Laura's phone is ... 801 318-6568 ... In the unlikely event, that should I somehow not return from this adventure ... let her know! she's promised to take care of poppy!
... I have activated my cell phone for Ecuador CDMA band .. so I should be able to keep in touch for emergencies .... its $2.89 a minute .. for both of us .. so keep that in mind!
The Ecuadorian phone access is the same as my normal number 435 760 0221 .... will make sure tomorrow and post an update if necessary.
My Flight Itinerary is
Tue, Dec 14, 2010 Salt Lake City (SLC) to Quito (UIO)
Depart: 07:50am
Arrive: 11:48am Houston, TX (IAH)
Continental Airlines Flight 440
Depart: 03:45pm Houston, TX
Arrive: 10:05pm Quito, Ecuador (UIO)
Continental Airlines
Flight 653
Sun, Jan 2, 2011 Quito (UIO) to Salt Lake City (SLC)
Depart: 07:45am
Arrive: 12:10pm Houston, TX (IAH)
Continental Airlines
Flight 654
Depart: 06:00pm Houston, TX (IAH) to
Arrive: 08:17pm
Salt Lake City, UT (SLC)
I'm tagging along on trip sponsored by "Mountain Maddness" of Seattle ... That was Scott Fischer's old company ... if you don;t recognize the Name .... go rent "Into Thin Air" or read the book of the same name by John Krakauer. That ought to get your attention. I got a small grant from the Keck Foundation to give a couple of "all about space" lectures at two middle schools in Quito right after the climb ... had planned to give the lectures in Spanish .. but that ain't working out so well! But I'll try to do some of it! Next step Everest :-}
My friend Laura Schroeder is coming to Park City to take care of Poppy .. she is such a friend .. thanks Laura .. Poppy is in good hands.
Some preliminaries .... Just in case
My Mom's phone is ... 740 385 0260 .
My cousin Jim and Denise Covert can be reached at ... 561 755 0819
Finally .. Laura's phone is ... 801 318-6568 ... In the unlikely event, that should I somehow not return from this adventure ... let her know! she's promised to take care of poppy!
... I have activated my cell phone for Ecuador CDMA band .. so I should be able to keep in touch for emergencies .... its $2.89 a minute .. for both of us .. so keep that in mind!
The Ecuadorian phone access is the same as my normal number 435 760 0221 .... will make sure tomorrow and post an update if necessary.
My Flight Itinerary is
Tue, Dec 14, 2010 Salt Lake City (SLC) to Quito (UIO)
Depart: 07:50am
Arrive: 11:48am Houston, TX (IAH)
Continental Airlines Flight 440
Depart: 03:45pm Houston, TX
Arrive: 10:05pm Quito, Ecuador (UIO)
Continental Airlines
Flight 653
Sun, Jan 2, 2011 Quito (UIO) to Salt Lake City (SLC)
Depart: 07:45am
Arrive: 12:10pm Houston, TX (IAH)
Continental Airlines
Flight 654
Depart: 06:00pm Houston, TX (IAH) to
Arrive: 08:17pm
Salt Lake City, UT (SLC)
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